Why Are the Buffalo Sabres Portrayed As a Dirty Team?

Has anyone else noticed that the NHL seems to have a secret agenda to punish the Buffalo Sabres at every corner? What gives? Why have the Buffalo Sabres been painted in such a bad light?

The Buffalo Sabres have become a league-wide embarrassment this season and the NHL seems to have a vendetta against the team,

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especially when it comes to suspensions. Recently Patrick Kaleta was handed a lengthy suspension for hit in which there was no penalty originally called and the player was un-injured. Yet Kaleta received a 10 game suspension and Gary Bettman upheld the suspension after Kaleta appealed.

Next John Scott is being called down to the principle’s office for a elbow/shoulder hit to the head of Loui Eriksson. Despite the fact that Scott likes to play the game close to the edge, he has never been suspended meaning he is not a repeat offender. But it’s expected that the NHL will throw the book at John Scott for his first suspendable offence. Normally a first time offender only has to worry about about sitting for a maximum of 5 games, but there are many calling for Scott to sit for at least 1o games like his teammate Kaleta.

So why do the Buffalo Sabres get called out for questionable hits more often than other teams? It isn’t like the Sabres are the only team in the league to employ players who play the enforcer role and play the game close to the edge. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to dress Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, Mike Brown is still floating around the NHL and then there’s the likes of George Parros, Brad Marchand, Steve Downie and Milan Lucic. Heck even more star players such as Dustin Penner are getting rung up for cheap shots;

The Buffalo Sabres are not the only team to employ players that walk a very close line and often cross that line, so why are they portrayed as such a dirty team? Why are they suspended more than any other team in the league right now? Why do the Sabres take the most criticism for being a “dirty” team compared to teams like the Boston Bruins who are cheap shot artist’s?

Is it because the Buffalo Sabres decided they needed to take NHL discipline in their own hands after there was no suspension for Milan Lucic after running Ryan Miller? The Sabres, and rightly so, were very vocal and upset following the incident. Led by Lindy Ruff they basically said they would go out and acquire a goon to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again since the NHL failed to protect a star netminder. The Buffalo Sabres pretty much called out the NHL for their lack of discipline, is that the reason there seem’s to be a target on their back’s? Or is it because they are playing like a glorified AHL team?

I’m not defending John Scott for his hit on Wednesday. He should be suspended for a head hit, but the NHL and Brendan Shanahan have no reason to make an example out of Scott who has never been suspended before. What is your opinion folks; why do the Buffalo Sabres seem to get written up more often than other teams? Does it seem to you that they have a target on their back from the NHL? Why do the Sabres player’s seem to get harsher penalties than other NHL players?