The highest point in franchise history

[LabattBlue]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

best franchise moment,  Knox gets NHL franchise for Buffalo, Knox hires Imlach, Drafting Gil Perreault

best fan moment, “Thank You Sabres” game in playoffs after 3rd season  

best team moment,  SC Finals in 5th season.  

No no no...don’t you realize the peak of the franchise cannot possibly be from 45+ years ago.  Didn’t you read the posts up thread? 😂

Edited February 8, 2021 by LabattBlue

[Stoner]

Pimlach's personal peak: the NYE Dodo had a biiiiiit too much of the bubbly. Tux, Pux and ???

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

No no no...don’t you realize the peak of the franchise cannot possibly be from 45+ years ago.  Didn’t you read the posts up thread? 😂

Agreed on all counts save 1, the 99 opening cup finals game in Dallas, where Wooley scores and RJ calls it the shot heard round the hockey world. That is right up there with the 75 series imho.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

No no no...don’t you realize the peak of the franchise cannot possibly be from 45+ years ago.  Didn’t you read the posts up thread? 😂

Lol.  I know I’m dwelling on the past but really those first 5 years were magical.  It’s a shame they never won a cup.  They looked like they could build a dynasty but instead Montreal re-emerged and then the Islanders built the dynasty that I thought we could build.   
 

There have been great moments since, but living through the entire history I look back at the Knox era most fondly.  They ran a class organization from the very start.  

To be honest, I like the Pegula’s, and I appreciate them, but The Pegula era so far is the worst era ever, and it’s not even close.   The whole period is one continuous low point.  

[pi2000]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Lol.  I know I’m dwelling on the past but really those first 5 years were magical.  It’s a shame they never won a cup.  They looked like they could build a dynasty but instead Montreal re-emerged and then the Islanders built the dynasty that I thought we could build.   
 

There have been great moments since, but living through the entire history I look back at the Knox era most fondly.  They ran a class organization from the very start.  

To be honest, I like the Pegula’s, and I appreciate them, but The Pegula era so far is the worst era ever, and it’s not even close.   The whole period is one continuous low point.  

One of my earliest memories is standing next to my Dad (up to his thigh anyway) in the original Aud Club at the bar, probably around 1977-78.    Him and his buddies sharing laughs drinking beers, and myself with a root beer taking it all in... the shiny stainless steel bar (iirc?), cigarette smoke, people talking laughing... it was loud.    it was also warm and comforting after almost catching frostbite running into the arena after parking what seemed like several miles away underneath the skyway in blizzard like conditions.

That said I was too young to remember how good the team or franchise was back then, but I do know they were very successful and the talk of the town at that time.

[Marvin]

10 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Pimlach's personal peak: the NYE Dodo had a biiiiiit too much of the bubbly. Tux, Pux and ???

Thanks for that reminder, PA.  I very definitely remember this being rumored for years.

[Pimlach]

9 hours ago, pi2000 said:

One of my earliest memories is standing next to my Dad (up to his thigh anyway) in the original Aud Club at the bar, probably around 1977-78.    Him and his buddies sharing laughs drinking beers, and myself with a root beer taking it all in... the shiny stainless steel bar (iirc?), cigarette smoke, people talking laughing... it was loud.    it was also warm and comforting after almost catching frostbite running into the arena after parking what seemed like several miles away underneath the skyway in blizzard like conditions.

That said I was too young to remember how good the team or franchise was back then, but I do know they were very successful and the talk of the town at that time.

I used to go to the Aud Club with my Uncles, they were members and they sat in the golds.  It was loud in there, and to me it was ritzy.  I only liked going before the game.  During the game sitting in the Aud, or roaming the Aud, was a blast.  
 

They were indeed the talk of the town.  Seeing the Sabres play the Soviets again really brought me back to those days.  
 

Look at the films.  Most will see that today’s players are way better conditioned,  the game and the time was different.  Less and poorer equipment, especially for the goalies.  Lots of colorful characters on the ice and fighting was a part of it. Stars like #11 stick out.  He would be great in any era. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Drafting Taro.

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

I only go back to the mid 80's and cant speak to the 70's Sabres but I always enjoy and appreciate reading about them.

For me its 2 and its very close:

1999: Jason Wooley and the 'hockey shot heard round the world' in the Stanley Cup Finals and the Sabres went up 1-0 against Dallas

2006: Jason Pominville and the 'these guys are good, scary good' and beating Ottawa in 5: At that moment Buffalo was a hockey crazed town again and I think a lot of us felt looking at who was left in the playoffs that the Sabres have a very strong shot to win the Cup.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Ruff Around The Edges

[Sabres Fan in NS]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Drafting Taro.

This is actually my close second choice.

+++++

I thought about this last night and ... my highest point did not happen on the ice.  We have had many good playoff runs, but they all ultimately ended up in failure.  So, until we win the Cup the following is my highest point ...

... the finding out of Alex The Great's intention to defect and how Smilin' Ger and Don the Luce made it happen.  Straight out of a spy novel.  And spare me with The Wall came down soon after his defection nonsense.

[Pimlach]

On 2/8/2021 at 9:48 AM, PASabreFan said:

Pimlach's personal peak: the NYE Dodo had a biiiiiit too much of the bubbly. Tux, Pux and ???

Listen to Punch do color for Hockey  Night in Canada on the Sabres vs Soviet Wings game.  Some classic comments.  
 

Like in the 2nd period they showed Harold Ballard and King Clancy (Leafs) sitting in the golds and cheering for Buffalo and Punch said we made them pay for their seats and for their Sabres buttons.  Classic.  

[Marvin]

On 2/10/2021 at 9:23 AM, Pimlach said:

Listen to Punch do color for Hockey  Night in Canada on the Sabres vs Soviet Wings game.  Some classic comments.  
 

Like in the 2nd period they showed Harold Ballard and King Clancy (Leafs) sitting in the golds and cheering for Buffalo and Punch said we made them pay for their seats and for their Sabres buttons.  Classic.  

The next night, the Sabres were playing in Montreal.  I remember the Habs fans giving the Sabres a minutes-long standing ovation before the game.  My strongest memory was the Habs' fading great Yvan Cornoyer giving a bear hug to Jim Schoenfeld and Jerry Korab early in the broadcast.

The Sabres were one of the top 5 teams in the league from 1974-8, 1979-81.  The problem was they would run into one of the other top-5 teams in round 2 while the top 3 got free passes into round 3.  The other years, they varied from solid to very good: 7th in 1978-9, 6th in 1981-82, 11th in 1982-3 (lost in game 7 of quarter-finals), 4th in 1983-4, 9th in 1984-5, and even 14th missing the playoffs with at .500 record in 1985-6.  They should have been better in the playoffs, but still, Sabres games were consistently a positive experience from 1970-2001.

For the more recent high point, I point to Briere from Fitzpatrick and Derek Roy at 4:22 of OT in Game 6 against Carolina.  There was still room on The Believers' Bandwagon.  You need to see this with Rick announcing:

Edit: Vanek at 1:16 of OT.  Back when Pegula's  purchase carried the team to the playoffs.

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Marvin, Sabres Fan
Added Vanek's goal.

[GASabresIUFAN]

My favorite Sabres moments are the 12-6 pounding (literally) of the Moscow Dynamo and the entire 05-06 season.  That team had a special vibe.