Buffalo Sabres: A look back at what 2007 brought to the franchise
The Buffalo Sabres had seen better days as a franchise, given their 11-season playoff drought.
One particular season that every fan of the Buffalo Sabres loves to remember is 2006-07, when the Sabres won the Presidents Trophy. And it was a season that gave Sabres fans hope that one day, after so many disappointments and setbacks, that the team would finally hoist the Stanley Cup.
You know what happened. The Sabres fell four games to one to the Ottawa Senators. But they didn’t go down without a fight, with three of their four losses coming in overtime. Sure, the Sabres could have played better hockey, but we can point to a few Conference Championship series over the years that were sheer blowouts.
A look back at what 2007 brought to the Buffalo Sabres
Let’s face it. The 2021-22 Buffalo Sabres weren’t a good hockey team, but they brought us some fond memories that will rival what the 2006-07 team brought. One of which was an epic points streak, and our 2006-07 team had one of the best stretches in NHL history, earning at least one point in 12 straight contests.
Want more fun? They earned at least a point in 16 of their first 17 games. They also scored a solid seven-game points streak in February 2007 and followed that up in March with a six-game streak.
The Sabres also brought years of franchise stability that season, with head coach Lindy Ruff in his ninth year with the team. Darcy Regier had also been in charge as general manager since 1997-98.
It was also a team loaded with stars. From Thomas Vanek to other franchise staples like Daniel Brière, Chris Drury, Brian Campbell, and the aging but effective Teppo Numminen.
Of course, few of the above hung around long after that. Brière and Drury went elsewhere that summer while Regier traded Campbell in February 2008. Numminen needed heart surgery and only played once the following season.
Only goaltender Ryan Miller and Vanek remained of the team’s inner-core, and the Sabres took a step back the following two seasons, finishing tenth in the Eastern Conference. They rebounded between 2009 and 2011, but unfortunately, did not achieve the same kind of magic the 2006-07 team brought.
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The 2006-07 Sabres, to date, are the last team to win a playoff series while the 2010-11 team was the last to earn a playoff berth. Let’s see if the current batch of Buffalo Sabres can end the drought.