No Buffalo Sabres team has ever made me more proud. No Buffalo Sabres team has ever had the heart, character, and determination this team has had. The Sabres played the majority of the Eastern Conference Finals without 3 of the Top 4 defensemen in their lineup, and to top things off, Jay McKee was unable to play in Game 7. And despite facing these odds, the Sabres fought through this adversity and pushed a Carolina team who was much healthier and had home ice to the brink.
Part of me though feels cheated or snakebit...not saying the Sabres lost because of bad calls, just wish the Sabres did not suffer such devastating injuries on the blue line. That clearly changed this series, so the feelings are bittersweet this morning, because I truly believe the Sabres are better then Carolina and now the season is over.
For the teams accomplishments, Lindy Ruff and the rest of the Buffalo Sabres organization should be proud. Darcy Regier deserves a lot of praise as well for piecing this team together. Kudos to Darcy!
The future is bright for the Sabres. Ryan Miller had an excellent 1st season, he showed an ability to come back from bad games and play strong, he will only learn from these playoffs. Chris Drury showed again he is a clutch performer, and Danny Briere also showed he can get it done in the big games. Sabres are loaded at forward, and even a guy like Taylor Pyatt, who we never thought would be a factor this year, at times looked like one of the best forwards in the playoffs.
Thank you Sabres. Thank you for making this spring an exciting ride.