Top Wins of the Decade: Number Five
Monday, December 28th, 2009 10:43 pm by mrenninger
First off, apologies for going on a prolonged, unannounced hiatus. A week ago a mix of two long holiday parties and a maligned attempt at Bills tailgating left me with laryngitis (which wouldn’t hamper writing for the blog) and a double eye infection (which certainly hampered writing for the blog). Add this to the fact that I have a pre-existing condition which causes me to have the temperament of a four-year-old when ill, and it was best for everyone that I just took a break.
Also, despite what I insinuated at the bottom of my last post relating to the five worst losses of the decade, I will not be covering the top five acquisitions of the decade. I mean- as one of my best friends pointed out- what would people rather read about, Steve Heinze or the 2006 playoff run? Exactly. Furthermore, with the holiday season coming to a close (Happy belated Whatever-You-Celebrate), why don’t we take the time to linger a little bit longer on the brighter moments of the decade? If you’re like me, you will remember where you were for many of these games, whether you were at a bar, at a friends house, at school, or even at the arena. Regardless of where you were at, I am sure you’ll also remember sitting on the edge of your couch, barstool or paid seat living and dying with every shot, hit and turnover. See, it is that which makes playoff hockey the most exciting occurrence in sports, for my money anyways. Because of this I felt that each of the five games which have made the final cut deserve their own entry, and while I had hoped to get all five up and posted before the new decade began, hopefully a couple days of leeway will not be too much to ask.
So without further delay, let’s get to…
NUMBER FIVE
April 22, 2006
Buffalo, New York
Game 1, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Buffalo Sabres 3
Philadelphia Flyers 2 (2ot)
Briere's game-winner in front of the "white-out" crowd
For a team that was quite unimpressive before a lockout canceled the 2004-2005 season, it was amazing what a few rule changes could do for the Sabres, who skated to a forth seeded finish, which could have been higher had we not been blessed with being in the same division as Ottawa, but that is neither her nor there. The first round matchup with the Flyers was the clash of new versus old, of the establishment versus the upstart, of the traditionalists versus the innovators. While the Sabres had adapted to the new rule changes and offensively thrived, the Flyers maintained their pre-lockout style of intimidation and brute strength on their way to a fifth seeded finish, setting up the third playoff matchup of the decade between Buffalo and Philadelphia. For me, it would be the first playoff game I would attend in person since 2000, a Game 4 overtime victory against Philadelphia. Of course we were trailing 3-0 in the series at that time so this was certainly more exciting, plus there was the added caveat that I was 21 years old and could enjoy the game with a few adult beverages. So that afternoon my then-girlfriend, friend and I piled in my car at Saint Bonaventure University for the drive up to downtown Buffalo to meet my friends, season ticket holders all, in the main lot to tailgate. I can’t recall what we discussed, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were far from the Sabre-killers they would evolve into, so it was probably more about Peter Forsberg, Darien Hatcher, and Simon Gagne. More than likely, like the rest of the city we were just happy to be back in the playoffs, and excited and hopeful that the surreal season could continue past the first round.
One of my buddies, with Sabretooth before this game. You probably forgot how hideous that color scheme was, but it does match the bag of chips Sabretooth is holding
The Sabres would stake themselves to a 2-0 lead early into the second period thanks to goals from Connolly and Jay Mckee, as the team looked to continue the dominance they had shown over the Flyers all season, taking three out of four games between the teams. However, as would be learned my all participants and witnesses to this game, the road to victory would be much harder than initially believed. Mike Knuble cut the deficit in half late in the second period, but the Sabres held a 29-12 advantage in shots after two and it seemed like just a matter of time before the Sabres would have at least their third goal.
Little did we know how much time it would be.
Some of you may think that Toni Lydman’s penchant for taking late penalties in one-goal games is a new development, perhaps the result of a desire to keep things interesting, or to challenge his teammates. But this is something that has crept up for years, happening at no costlier time than with 2:48 left in regulation and the Sabres still clinging to a one goal lead. His puck of the glass fiasco- the most maddening penalty to take in my mind- allowed the Flyers to tie the game forty-seven seconds later on a goal by Simon Gagne. In the last row of the arena I sat, dejected at the fact that this team had blown a two goal lead and had given the Flyers all the momentum heading into overtime. Despite outshooting the Flyers 41-21 after three periods, the teams were heading to overtime, thanks in no small part to Robert Esche, who would have a staggering 55 saves by the night was over. In hindsight it’s understandable why the guy ended up self-destructing later in the series, but for one night he certainly seemed worthy of the starting job he held for Team USA in the previous February’s Winter Olympics.
(In overtime I couldn’t have been good company for my date, but I did not care. The only words spoken- not muttered- during both overtimes for me were with the random guy sitting on my right who was also with his girlfriend and not speaking to her. At one point he offered me the nachos he wasn’t going to finish. It’s these kind of bonds than are formed over playoff hockey. But back to the game)
The one and a half overtimes that would be played this night are remembered for two things but before delving into those, I would like to mention a third. Thirteen minutes into the first overtime, Flyers forward Sami Kapanen beat Miller with a backhand in close- you must remember he was just a rookie this season- but sent it ricocheting harmlessly off the post, a break for the Sabres that deserves a mention. But before the game deciding goal, it was the hit of the decade that marked the overtime period, the game, and the recent years of the Sabres-Flyers rivalry. If you need a refresher, or would just like to hear it again, I’d be happy to oblige. Clearing the puck from around Esche, R.J Umberger began to carry it out of the zone, keeping his eyes focused on the puck and not Brian Campbell who was skating towards him. Umberger never looked up, Campbell sent his shoulder into the Flyers forward’s jaw, dropping him to the ice and sending the capacity crowd at HSBC Arena into a tizzy.
The Sabres couldn’t turn that momentum into a goal during the first overtime, however, so we headed to the second. That intermission between the two overtimes was the one where I learned that yes, you could use the restroom, have a cigarette and grab a beer, while still leaving yourself enough time to make it to your seat for the puck drop. It may simply be my imagination, but I want to say that was the most Buffalonians I’ve ever seen smoking outside the arena before, no doubt their nerves frayed from 80 minutes of deadlocked playoff hockey.
It’s a number pretty laughable in hindsight: 14 shots on goal for Daniel Briere that night, eight more than the next closest Sabre and nearly half the total of the entire Flyers lineup. Seven and a half minutes into the second overtime Jochen Hecht found Briere wide open in front of the net following a blown assignment by one of the Philadelphia defensemen. Briere tipped it past Esche and the white-out crowd exploded in the euphoria pent up over four goals, 58 shots and four and a half periods that late April evening. Powered by the emotional Game 1 victory, the Sabres would go on to take the series in six games, including a couple of blowouts (8-2, 7-1) rarely seen in the box score come playoff season. However, for just that night playoff hockey was back in Buffalo, Daniel Briere was a hero, and we were back to enjoying what we had missed out on for so long. For me, following the game winner I could merely stand there amongst the celebration, arms raised in joyous disbelief, and hug the one I felt I had shared this experience with the most.
The guy who had shared his nachos with me.