Buffalo Sabres Win 10 in a Row, Tie NHL Record!

Buffalo Sabres are still HOT! Thomas Morris Jr. wrote this on Associated Content, The Hottest Team in the NHL - the Buffalo Sabres and commented on their great winning streak. Not only did the strong Sabres team post 4 wins in a row, as Mr. Morris was anticipating, they proceeded to post a total of 10 wins including wins against Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and now the New York Islanders making their record 10-0-0. The score was 3-0 against the Islanders on Thursday, October 26th, 2006. They are unbeatable in the NHL thus far.

The Sabres were one win away from the Stanley Cup finals last season and I think people may have thought it was "luck". This team needs to be taken seriously because they have proven themselves with constant, fluid playing, not luck. No other team in the NHL has played this consistently. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was recognized as Coach of the Year at the NHL Awards Ceremony winning the Jack Adams Award in June 2006. Ruff has returned again this year to lead this team all the way to the Stanley Cup.

This winning streak will make history if the Sabres beat the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday, October 28th, 2006. The best-recorded start to a season is 10 wins by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the 1993-1994 season, which the Sabres tied with this 10th season game against the Islanders. The Buffalo Sabres will be playing at home against the Thrashers, who have a 7-1-2 record this season. This will surely be a game to watch.

Thursday's game against the Islanders in Nassau Coliseum was played faultlessly with one goal per period. Ales Kotalik scored the first goal of the game in the first period assisted by Maxim Afinogenov. Afinogenov stayed on a roll scoring the second goal of the game in the second period, his sixth goal of the season. Jason Pominville sealed the deal in the third period making the score 3-0 off of a pass from Daniel Briere. The Sabres proved to be too much for Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro. By the middle of the third period Islanders fans had all but vacated the Coliseum because they knew the Sabres were unstoppable.

The Islanders couldn't put a puck in the net against Ryan Miller. Miller was on fire stopping 29 shots on goal. This was Miller's third career shutout bringing his season record to 8-0-0. Combined with Miller's stopping power and the Sabres speed and agility on the ice, they worked magic on the ice this season.

The only negative I can speak of is the controversial new jerseys. The new logo has caused uproar amongst die-hard Sabres fans. I haven't found a fan yet who will admit to liking the new logo and jersey. It's said to resemble a toupee or a slug. I have to laugh at both of those comparisons though in all honesty, it is not a good design. Though in looking at the big picture, who cares now? My personal thoughts are that they had to come up with a new logo and jersey because they needed something new and interesting to market. Everyone and I mean everyone (or so it seemed) in the Buffalo area had some form of Sabres paraphernalia after last season. Now guess what? Everyone is going out and buying new stuff because the Sabres are hot and everyone wants in on this hot team!

I recall as a little girl going to the games with my dad at the old Aud. The Buffalo Sabres are a long-standing Buffalo tradition. People pull together and differences aside when the Sabres play. And when they win, the "high" is contagious. This winning team is long over-due in Buffalo, NY. We as a community need this team. We need the energy and excitement of a winning team. This team has been a staple in Buffalo since they joined the NHL as an expansion team in 1970. We have yet to win the Stanley Cup. The closest the Sabres have come to winning the Cup was when they won the Championship Finals in 1974-75 and 1998-99. Mark my word, 2006-2007 is the year the Buffalo Sabres will make their mark in NHL history.