Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

A busy weekend for not only the Buffalo Sabres – but many out there in the sports world as two matinee games, Rochester being on television, the Bandits playing, all culminating in the finale that is the Super Bowl.

Congrats to the 2013 NFL Champions The Baltimore Ravens.

Ok, obligatory congrats out of the way, back to hockey.

So all weekend, I was planning this post in my head, wondering what sarcastic angle that I could take this – by giving it to one of the many players on the team that has stunk so bad, its going to get old really quick giving the game pucks each night to Thomas Vanek because he is the only one in a Blue and Gold sweater that can score a goal.

The line of Jason Pominville, Cody Hodgson and Vanek continue to be the only reason the Buffalo Sabres get mentioned beyond the borders of Sabres Nation.  So before I announce my game pucks winners from this weekends massacres, lets go over a few nominations:

Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold – maybe they can get the game puck and pass it back and forth, remmebering what a tape to tape pass sounds like, re-learn how to clear the zone.  How to win a battle.  How to knock a guy off the puck, or at least legally disrupt his ability to make a play that leads to a goal.  Myers and Leopold are a combined -14, Drew Stafford is the only other Buffalo Sabres player with a worse rating than Myers, the bottom three are Myers (-6), Stafford (-7), and Leopold (-8).  All the talk in the short time leading up to the season is how deep the Buffalo Sabres blue line was, and how we would have made the playoffs had Tyler Myers and Christian Erhoff had not been hurt.  The only reason he still could possibly be in the lineup is the fact that Robyn Regher and Andrej Sekera are out injured.

Speaking of Stafford, he was on my list for the weekend game puck.  In nine games you have three assis, 7 penalty minutes, and are a -7, and you have 23 shots on net?  This is not the year to be finding yourself, this is the year to showcasing the skills you have.  Drew Stafford is proving more and more that he is nothing more than a third line player.  If he could actually find a spot on a third line that was consistent, you might see his numbers swell a little bit, because he is playing in an element that he is comfortable with.  He is not a top six forward.

John Scott.  Let’s hear it for John Scott everybody.  On any othe team he would dress maybe three of the first nine games of the season.  Not in Buffalo.  In Buffalo he has been in uniform for all nine games and gotten a regular shift.  In fact, when the Buffalo Sabres were down against the Montreal Canadiens and Vanek scored the lone Buffalo Sabres goal – to keep momentum going Lindy Ruff followed the goal up with John Scott.  Granted, he did his job in fighting – but you have to be more than just that.  John Scott has one goal to his credit in his entire career.  George Parros fought John Scott on Sunday when the Florida Panthers came to town, not only did Parros fight the Buffalo Sabres goon, but he also scored a goal that started the comeback for the Panthers.  Parros has 18 career NHL goals.

The last nomination that was able to make the cut this weekend was Lindy Ruff.  To the man that can do no wrong behind the bench, despite the fact that he has a mediocre coaching recordwith the Buffalo Sabres and no history of being a head coach anywhere else – you can make decisions and screw games up – not be able to motivate players properly, your message is lost, but you get the game puck because your still here.

Not, this weekends game puck goes to the Fans.  The faithful that looked at the lockout like they were being snubbed, but came back full force and bought the tickets – that bought record numbers of merchandise in the week long 50% off sale at the First Niagara Center store.  That have stood by this team for 15 years while they allow Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier to represent their “brand” of hockey that they think can win in the NHL.  The fans that deserve more.

Nov 8, 2011; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is introduced to the fans prior to a game against the Winnipeg Jets at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE

I’m going to do everybody a favour, and take a break from rumour talk, CBA negotiations, and all things pertaining to the over-hyped offseason we have every year.

I live in southern Ontario, and therefore come across a good number of Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Also, I’ve grown up in a large family, all of which are Montreal Canadiens fans.

Somebody asked me the other day, “why the Buffalo Sabres”? It struck me that I had never really given much thought to the question. When I was eight, although I’m ashamed to admit it, I was an Ottawa Senators fan. I attended a Buffalo Sabres-Ottawa Senators game that year. The Sabres won 4-1 and I haven’t looked back since.

That is the background as to why I chose the Buffalo Sabres 11 years ago. But what is it about the team that causes me to sing along, with hand on heart, to the American national anthem at games even though I’m a Canadian Citizen? Why do I not miss a single minute of any of the 82 regular season, and corresponding playoff games? What is it about this team that entices me to spend hundreds of dollars every year driving down to Buffalo for home games? Why do I beam with pride when speaking of the Buffalo Sabres? And it hit me, the Buffalo Sabres have the best fans in the world, and I get to be a part of that.

In my primary years as a Buffalo Sabres fan from 2001 until the lockout in 2004, Buffalo’s fanbase was suspect. And why would they not be? They were (and still are) in the same division with a handful of Canadian teams, in the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators. Not to mention original six powerhouse, Boston Bruins. I remember one game against the Montreal Canadiens, where there were so few seats taken, one could sit wherever they pleased.

The games I attended in my formative years were rarely packed to capacity, and it was even more rare to read anything about the team in any form of mainstream media. I remember how anytime there was any kind of an article regarding the team, I would read it over and over again until I was sick of it because it was so difficult to come about any type of news involving the team, living in Southern Ontario.

Since the first season back after the lockout in 2005, Buffalo has become Hockey Heaven. They sell out almost every game each season, there is more coverage and information available through the media than I ever remember there being, and it seems like there is more hype about the Buffalo Sabres, outside Western New York than before the lockout. Why the overwhelming support for the team? I am not saying there should not be a reason, you can ask anybody close to me, I have personally never been more excited about this team. I guess I am just curious to figure out why and how the small market team I have been loyal to and cheered for in the good times and bad, have suddenly become a popular team to cheer for outside of the area?

I considered the fact they went to the 2006 and 2007 Eastern Conference Finals as a possible x-factor in the growth of the fanbase. But, they went to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, and it did not accomplish much in terms of fandom compared to what they have post-lockout. Buffalo has also missed the playoffs three out of five years since the trips to the Conference finals, and fan support has not taken a hit. So clearly, success does not have a bearing on the team’s popularity. Look at the amount of criticism regarding the team’s off-season acquisitions last year, there so-called “lack of toughness”, and inability to make the playoff.

I also considered Terry Pegula as a likely source for the increased support of the team, and although he has impacted the strength of the on-ice product, the team was selling out, and garnering much more recognition and hype prior to his arrival.

Reflecting upon this subject now, and I still don’t have the answer, why has everything changed? And when I say everything I mean the level of hype surrounding the Buffalo Sabres? Do people agree/disagree with me? What do you think has contributed to the Sabres becoming a much more popular team?

I will post your answers to this question in my next blog. Thank you for reading, and thanks for your feedback.