Dr. Lecter
04-06-2010, 10:05 PM
There's a gaping hole in the rafters of HSBC Arena, right above Section 313. It's going to get smaller. A banner honoring the Buffalo Sabres as 2010 Northeast Division champions will fill the space between flags of the hockey team and their Bandits lacrosse brethren.
The Sabres, who last month clinched a playoff spot, cemented the Northeast title with Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. It is the sixth division championship for the team, which started play in 1970, and will become the Sabres' 10th banner.
The Sabres, of course, hope to add an 11th with a Stanley Cup championship. But for a team that missed the postseason the previous two years, getting at least one is a welcome addition.
Buffalo clinched its second division title in four seasons in style, allowing the sellout crowd of 18,690 to use its patented goal countdown. The Sabres scored the final three goals of the game, pulling away from a New York team that fell behind in the race for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.
The Sabres closed their home schedule with three straight wins and turned the arena into a scoring Mecca. They scored 18 goals in the victories, a six-goal average that finally brought energy to the foot of Washington Street — just in time for the playoffs that start sometime next week.
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/06/1011154/sabres-clutch-in-the-clinch.html
The Sabres, who last month clinched a playoff spot, cemented the Northeast title with Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. It is the sixth division championship for the team, which started play in 1970, and will become the Sabres' 10th banner.
The Sabres, of course, hope to add an 11th with a Stanley Cup championship. But for a team that missed the postseason the previous two years, getting at least one is a welcome addition.
Buffalo clinched its second division title in four seasons in style, allowing the sellout crowd of 18,690 to use its patented goal countdown. The Sabres scored the final three goals of the game, pulling away from a New York team that fell behind in the race for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.
The Sabres closed their home schedule with three straight wins and turned the arena into a scoring Mecca. They scored 18 goals in the victories, a six-goal average that finally brought energy to the foot of Washington Street — just in time for the playoffs that start sometime next week.
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/06/1011154/sabres-clutch-in-the-clinch.html