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Buffalo Sabres-Holiday Presents Review

By Adam DeRose

Dec 29, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons (28) dives to clear the puck away from Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during the second period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons (28) dives to clear the puck away from Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during the second period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
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Local author Adam DeRose had a lot of wish list items for his beloved Buffalo Sabres – did the team step up, or fall flat?  He shares the results!

Well, between Christmas and Hanukkah, I asked for a lot of presents; 11 to be exact. Since Xmas and Hanukkah are over, it’s time to review my haul and see what I got and didn’t get!

In a roundabout way, I will regurgitate both holiday wish lists again.

Since Christmas came first, I’ll Start with My Dear Santa list.

  • Buffalo is in search of a new Head Coach, though it’s not the Sabres that are currently in search for one. Maybe I didn’t make it clear enough in my original crayon written list to Santa that I wanted a new coach for the Sabres…though a new coach for the Bills isn’t a bad gift.
  • Goaltending has seemed slightly better (if we ignore the whole Sabres 5-1 loss against the Islanders), but Lehner has still been good for a softy or two. Maybe the team in front of him played a bit better.
  • I’ve seen slightly more body checks being thrown, which is better than none. Things helped a lot when Nick Deslauriers came back to the lineup. And who could ignore William Carrier’s hit on David Backes during that Bruins game in Buffalo?!

Long story short, I give Santa a B+ grade. Hopefully the old fat man can do better next year…

As for Hanukkah…

I wanted 8 goal scorers, I received 5.

  • I asked for the goal lamp to be lit 8 times, the Sabres only lit it up 7 times. I guess beggars can’t be choosers.
  • I would say that the Sabres seemed to have played more motivated lately. There have been more body checks, goals, and fights!
  • The Sabres came through with a win in the Motor City, which was great! Any win against an Original 6 team is a wonderful thing, especially because their fans think they are elite or a part of a special short bus club.
  • The Sabres couldn’t string together more than a 1 game winning streak: epic fail!
  • We got swept by Boston in back-to-back games: another epic fail!
  • In regards to staying healthy, the team did not fare so well, considering they lost Ryan O’Reilly (though an appendectomy is not a hockey related injury), Dmirty Kulikov, Johan Larsson, and William Carrier (https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/ice-level-practice-report-january-2-2017/c-285267498).
  • One team in Buffalo had their head coach fired, and it wasn’t the Sabres. Coach Dan is still on the team as Hanukkah ended on New Year’s Day, so that wish of mine did not come true.

As for my Hanukkah wish list of stuff we received as fans, I give it a C+.

Next: Sabres Should Call Up Alexander Nylander

Well, I have 11 months to start working on my holiday wish lists! I’m sure the Buffalo Sabres will give me plenty of material . . . .

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