It's been 121 days since I last walked out of HSBC Arena. From my seat in Section 315, I remember seeing Daniel Alfredsson put the puck past goaltender Ryan Miller in overtime, and feeling empty inside. The light behind the net illuminated bright red and that was it. Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals was over. The season was over. And the dreams of winning a Stanley Cup championship were postponed for yet another year.
That goal not only signaled the end of the Sabres' playoff run, but also marked the end of an era for Buffalo hockey. Co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, the catalysts behind the resurgence of hockey in Western New York, would never put the blue and gold jersey on again. Briere took an eight-year, $52 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, while Drury signed on with the New York Rangers for $35 million over five years.
Trying to place blame on who is responsible for the players' departures is pointless. Neither one is coming back and the world must move on. With training camp now in session, it marks the first time the Sabres take the ice as a team since that May 19 defeat. Even though the core of the team remains intact, the identity of the team has changed. This may be a good thing for the team's success.
Last season, coming off of one the most memorable and successful postseasons in team history in 2006, the Sabres had to handle the pressure of being the favorite. The team was able to capture the President's Trophy by securing the league's best record, but could not translate that domination into the playoffs.
The team choked. Going down three games to none against Ottawa was the epitome of the struggles the team faced. The Sabres were unable to climb out of that deficit and were forced to spend their off-season thinking about what could have been.
With the losses of Briere and Drury, no one is expecting that kind of success from the 2007-08 version of the team. The reason the 2005-06 playoff team was so special was because of the underdog role they embraced.
Outside of the players themselves and their fans, no one believed in them or what they could achieve, and they proved all of the doubters wrong. If not for injuries, that team would have won the Stanley Cup. And the Sabres can finally once again assume the mantle of the little guy.
The Lindy Ruff-coached teams of old relied on stingy defense, hardworking forwards, and superb goaltending. They overachieved and thrived in that role. The players the Sabres have on their roster now have the ability to play like those teams of the late 1990s.
Don't let anyone fool you; Ryan Miller is a superstar goaltender. Without his heroics in the spring, the Sabres could have been eliminated in the first round against the Islanders. Miller remained a constant force between the pipes and kept his team alive and motivated.
He isn't afraid to speak his mind and has emerged as a leader in the locker room. If goaltenders were allowed to wear the "C," then I would give it to Miller in a heartbeat.
Even when things were bleak during the Ottawa series, he was one of the few Sabres to step up and take responsibility for the poor effort of the entire team. He took his game to a new level and has the potential to be the greatest Sabres goaltender ever. That's right, even better than Hasek.
While the defense was a major disappointment last season, the Sabres still have one of the best corps in the league. While Teppo Numminen's latest heart condition raises concerns about depth in the short term, it will give valuable playing time to backup Nathan Paetsch, who is ready to take on a full time role. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman have shown that they can be one of the NHL's best pairings when both are healthy. Brian Campbell was an All-Star last season, but was unable to put together a full season's worth of work. Campbell plays his best hockey when he's getting at least 25 minutes of ice time a game and will continue to grow into a more complete player with each game.
One of the biggest questions of the upcoming season has to do with the Sabres' new $50 million man. How will Thomas Vanek adjust to the pressure of being one of the highest-paid players in the league? He will most certainly have to match or exceed the 40-goal plateau he reached for the first time last season.
Fans were hard on Briere a year ago because he made $5 million, even though he was one of the proven leaders on the team. If Vanek struggles early, like he did in his rookie season, expect a lot of second-guessing about general manager Darcy Regier's decision to match the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet in order retain him.
I think Vanek will be fine, though. He was a big time player when he was at the University of Minnesota and led the Golden Gophers to a national championship. Vanek is a tough and true competitor and the new contract shouldn't turn him into the next Alexei Yashin.
Sophomore winger Drew Stafford will get the opportunity to show what he can do in a full season in the big leagues, and with Jason Pominville and Derek Roy continuing to mature into their roles on the team, the new era is set up for a great start.
Factor in the nationally televised outdoor game on Jan. 1 with the announcement of the Ice Bowl coming on Monday, as well as the new high definition Jumbotron, and there's a lot to look forward to from the Sabres this season.
Only 18 days until the season opener. I can't wait to get back to the arena.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
