The Buffalo Sabres have lost the chance to say that they will be the first professional hockey team to win a championship for the 716.
Move over, boys: there’s a real set of winners in town!
The Buffalo Sabres may boast more fans, better facilities, and a deeper history inside the 716, but there is now one thing that the Buffalo Beauts of the NWHL can hold over the Sabres’ heads: the Beauts are champions, while the Sabres still are not.
2017 ISOBEL CUP CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/uAxk3aXChB
— Buffalo Beauts (@BuffaloBeauts) March 20, 2017
CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS! pic.twitter.com/yn6ytf5Qxd
— Buffalo Beauts (@BuffaloBeauts) March 20, 2017
Isobel is officially home. #Buffalove pic.twitter.com/kpFVOjSuLD
— Buffalo Beauts (@BuffaloBeauts) March 20, 2017
Like most teams from Buffalo, the Beauts were underdogs during their run to the cup, and their 3-2 win over the Boston Pride in the NWHL Finals was not exactly a work of art: the Beauts were outshot 62-14.
Go back and read that shot differential again. That’s crazy. Don’t ever complain about the Buffalo Sabres being outshot again!
Despite being dominated for pretty much the entire game, the Beauts took advantage of the few scoring opportunities they got and rode red-hot goaltender, and Finals MVP, Brianne McLaughlin all the way to the cup-clinching victory.
So what should the Buffalo Sabres take away from the Beauts win? I mean, playing in a four-team league sure makes winning a championship a lot easier than playing in the 30-team NHL, so how much can the Sabres learn from the Beauts’ accomplishment?
For starters, the Buffalo Sabres front office should be reminded that the most important person on a hockey team is hands-down the goaltender. The Beauts were wise to make McLaughlin the first person sign a contract with the team – she’s been a dominant netminder her entire career, and her dazzling performance against the Pride Sunday shows you why a Cup-contender needs a legitimate No.1 goalie.
Beyond that, the players on the Buffalo Sabres roster should be inspired by the determination of the Beauts’ squad. The Beauts finished the regular season with a 6-10-1 record and 13 points, 19 less than the first-place Pride. The playoffs are a whole different beast, however, and the Beauts made the most of the postseason, so yeah – it’s a feel good story about an underdog who was given no shot to win, and did it anyway.
Congrats to the Buffalo Beauts, and may they serve as an inspiration to the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres!