Buffalo Sabres Season Opener: 3 Things For Fans To Be Excited About

The Buffalo Sabres are geared up and ready to open the season tonight at Keybank Center, and the fans have plenty to get excited about.

Over the course of the past few years, Buffalo Sabres fans have had to suffer through some very difficult times. While every year we were met with promises of a better team, more effort, and a better on-ice product overall, we were constantly met with underperforming players that get paid far too much, and fed the classic Buffalo sports line of, “Trust in the process…”

Well it seems the time has finally arrived that Buffalo Sabres fans may get a return on their patience tonight, as the team is reared up to put on a show for the whole league to see.

Tonight, Buffalo takes on the Boston Bruins who were handed a vicious butt kicking of 7-0 by the defending champion Washington Capitals. The Bruins are not a team that can get run over very easily, so I expect them to be fired up and set for a good game tonight. With that in mind, Buffalo Sabres fans should feel a great deal of excitement, especially when it comes to a few key things.

1. Jack Eichel‘s Captaincy Changes The Team Dynamic

Jack Eichel has shown himself to be a leader of this team, and rightfully so he was handed the captaincy by coach Phil Housley only a day ago. In the past few seasons, Eichel has proven himself to be a key contributor towards a typically sparce Sabres offense. Last season he led the team in points (25G, 39A) with 64 points in 67 games. He also has career totals of 177 points in 209 games; 73 of which are goals.

With Eichel as the new captain, there is more pressure on him to succeed and to make this team succeed. As a scoring leader he will continue to provide offensive flare to the Sabres top line and there is no doubt in my mind that his point production will increase. With Jeff Skinner now on his wing, he has a reliable natural goal scorer to play with, and Sam Reinhart to continue to feed him great scoring chances.

2. Rasmus Dahlin Improved The Defense Tenfold

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When your team gets to pick a game breaking defender at the ripe age of 18, there’s naturally a lot to get excited over. Rasmus Dahlin will be featured tonight on the second defensive pairing with Jake McCabe. This is a very smart move by Housley to not throw Dahlin to the wolves and force him into top defensive minutes just yet.

I have no doubt in my mind that Dahlin will finish the season on the top defensive pairing alongside Rasmus Ristolainen, but even if he stays with McCabe and finds stability, Dahlin provides something the Buffalo Sabres defensive core hasn’t had consistently since the late 2000s, and thats scoring ability.

Dahlin showed off his ability to keep up with and read faster paced, and higher scoring players like Jack Eichel in the preseason. If he continues to find chemistry with the new Sabres captain, we are in for one hell of a show this year.

3. Tage Thompson

I cannot be the only person that was excited to see Tage Thompson make the opening lineup for the Buffalo Sabres, I just can’t be. This kid stands at a whopping 6’6″ and 205 lbs but he can skate like he’s 5’9″ 175 lbs. He is so fluent with his skating ability, but at the same time has a daunting presence to intimidate opposing players.

Thompson also has a not-so-hidden talent ability in his stick handling. He put this on display during preseason when he scored a beautiful toe drag wrist shot. The kind of player he is, and the level of offense he can potentially provide this team is something to be very excited about.

Next. Expert Predictions On Sabres Upcoming Season. dark

The Buffalo Sabres are in for a tough game tonight against a hungry Bruins team looking to prove something tonight. I’m sure excited to get this season going. What are somethings you fans are excited about for this year? Let us know in the comments!

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