Buffalo Sabres Top Five Games: No. 4
By Jack Gorman
Today I continue my list of my top five favorite Buffalo Sabres game.
To continue my list from Wednesday, my fourth favorite game is another Buffalo Sabres playoff game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
This one is different though – it differs from number five on this list because I was actually at this game.
My fourth favorite game is game four of the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. I was at this game with my family.
Even thought the seats were in the nosebleeds it was still an awesome game to be at. Most of the time I actually prefer to be in the nosebleeds for hockey games. I love being able to see the plays start to develop as they come down the ice.
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This game was crazy to be at, since the Buffalo Sabres were down at this point in the series two games to one. I had no idea of the masterpiece that I was about to witness from goaltender Ryan Miller.
If you don’t exactly remember this game I’ll refresh your memory a little bit. The only goal was scored halfway through the first period from now Minnesota Wild player Jason Pominville.
That is when the Ryan Miller show would begin as he would keep the Flyers scoreless for the rest of the game and also the second game of the series, this was the first time that multiple shutouts happened in one playoff series since Dominik Hasek did in 1994 against New Jersey.
Miller would send away all 35 shots of the flyers. The reason that this game is my fourth favorite game is because of the atmosphere of the then HSBC arena.
I remember standing with my family and the sold out arena chanting Ry-an Mill-er.
I also remember going crazy when Miller made that unbelievable stop on former Sabre Daniel Briere in front of the net after an awful in-zone turnover by the defense.
I recall that I went out into the street and was giving high fives to random people that I didn’t even know that is how happy people were that night. I also recall having this feeling of anxiety and of not being able to breath for the last five minutes of the game.
That anxiety was caused by knowing that Philadelphia could score at any moment with guys like Daniel Briere, Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, Scott Hartnell, and Playoff Ville Leino. (Yes there was a time when people feared Leino.)
This awesome game to be at the atmosphere in its self was a reason to be at that game. These games are the reasons that I love being a Buffalo Sabres fan and wish for many more and better moments like this one.
Next: Buffalo Sabres Top Five Games: No. 5
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