Buffalo Sabres Schedule 2014-2015 Must Watch Games

The moment news broke that Terry and Kim Pegula were approved to buy the Buffalo Bills, something instantly changed.

As I strolled down Hertel Avenue, as I do every weekend, I noticed an unavoidable feeling that took over my body.

Not the same air that I’ve felt the past decade – the kind that questions why you’re a Buffalo sports fan – But a butterfly feeling. You know, that feeling in your stomach you get when you’ve laid eyes on the most beautiful girl in the world.

It made me forget about the hardships I’ve experienced as a fan in the past – 14 years without a playoff football team, losing the 1999 Stanley Cup to the Dallas Stars on a ridiculous call and becoming a place where most professional players don’t want to play

Everything I did that day was amplified, it’s better than anything I could ever imagine.  The Buffalo wings I indulged in tasted better, the aroma of beef on weck smelled like the greatest thing on the planet and the sun was shining brighter.

Sure, it’s football season, but as I continued to walk down Hertel Ave further, I realized that if the Pegula’s can bring this type of atmosphere to the National Football League, and show their commitment to the city of Buffalo, I’m excited to see what they will do different with their hockey team.

In just a few weeks, the Sabres will embark on their 2014-15 National Hockey League regular season campaign. And what better way to start a season than having the whole city on the brink of exploding into fan frenzy.

Sure, the Sabres might not look great on paper and they may not bring home a championship this year. But one thing is for certain; they’re going to be an exciting team to watch this season.

With the key additions of forwards Brian Gionta and Matt Moulson, defenseman Josh Gorges, Andre’ Benoit and Andrej Meszároš, the outlook of this season got a little more exciting.

There is a reason to be excited about being a Sabres fan again. And to add more optimism to that, there are plenty of regular season series to look out for this season.  These five teams are on my must watch list for the Buffalo Sabres schedule.

Boston Bruins – I don’t think there is a city that Buffalo sports fans hate more than Boston. Last season, the Sabres won two of five games against the Bruins, were outshot 125-172 and allowed 19 goals – the most the Sabres allowed any team to score on them last season.  It will be interesting to see if the additions of Meszároš, Benoit and Gorges well help provide some consistency for the Sabres in closing on pucks and defending the offensive attack of the Bruins. But I still think Boston will take the series.

Toronto Maple Leafs- If you’ve ever been to First Niagara Center when the Sabres take on the Maple Leafs, you’ve probably been annoyed or frustrated at the plethora of people donning royal blue and white. They’ve probably talked your ear off about how the Sabres have never won a cup or how the city of Toronto is “Hockey Central.” But don’t let those fans fool you, the Maple Leafs haven’t won a cup since 1967. But the 2-1-2 record Buffalo finished with against Toronto last season just throws more salt on the wound. The “across the pond” rivalry will only get better this season, especially now that head coach Ted Nolan will have a full-season to prepare the boys in Blue and Gold. Oh, and let’s not forget Toronto’s hate for Josh Gorges. That only makes this rivalry that much better. Buffalo takes this season series.

Montreal Canadiens- I always look forward to a matchup against the Canadiens. But the stakes are going to be even higher with the additions of former captain of Montreal Gionta and defenseman Gorges. There will certainly be some chirping going on during the game and nothing excites me more than some bruising hockey. This will be a difficult series for Buffalo. The Canadiens are coming off a successful season, in which they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the New York Rangers. And they didn’t make it any easier for the Sabres as they went on to win four games in four meetings, while scoring 10 goals and allowing just three. Although I’m interested to see how the additions of Gionta and Gorges will help the Sabres gain an edge over the Canadiens, there is still a major gap that separates the two hockey clubs. I’ll take Montreal over Buffalo in this one.

Philadelphia Flyers- From the Eric Lindros and John LeClair days, all the way to the present, Philadelphia has created a nice little rivalry with the Buffalo. Last season, the Flyers finished 3-0 and scored 13 goals against the Sabres, while allowing only six. The goaltending situation for the Sabres is a little shaky at the moment and in order to beat Philadelphia, Buffalo will need to play smart, mistake-free hockey. I say the Flyers take this season series.

Florida Panthers- Anytime you look at a schedule and see the Florida Panthers, you might think, ‘this is a beatable team.’ Well last season, when the schedule was released, I thought the Sabres would fare well against the Panthers. I was wrong and so were many other fans. Buffalo couldn’t find an answer for Florida and finished the season with a 1-2-1 record. However, this season might be different if Buffalo can get ahead and stay ahead early on in games against Florida. I’m looking for the Blue and Gold shirts to win this season series.

The hope for me, at least, is that the Sabres play competitive hockey. I know there is so much more that this organization has to offer. Patience is a virtue.

So, when you enter First Niagara Center for the home opener on Oct. 6, just remember that no matter what the outcome is, just remember that the city of Buffalo is on the rise, there is a lot to be excited about. And no matter how many games the Sabres win and how many they lose, just be excited that you are a part of a city that is on the rise.