Thursday night is Ryan Miller night and the game itself could mean a lot for the Buffalo Sabres. Here is why it will be huge for the team.
Back in the summertime, the Buffalo Sabres announced that they will be honoring former goaltender Ryan Miller as they will induct him into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame as well as retiring his number 30 into the rafters. Well on Thursday night, it will be happening.
The Sabres will be hosting the New York Islanders as they will honor the man who was a cornerstone of the franchise in the 2000’s and most of the 2010’s. It’s going to be a sellout just like how it was for RJ night when Buffalo hoisted a Rick Jeanneret banner into the rafters last season.
But I am not going to talk about the ceremony, this article will be focused on the game itself. At this current moment, Buffalo is 21-19-3 (45 points) while the Islanders are 23-18-4 (50 points). Both teams play before Thursday night so these results are subject to change but regardless, they are close in the standings.
Buffalo Sabres will make Ryan Miller Night a fun one
Both teams are in the hunt for a playoff spot and that’s why Thursday night could have playoff implications for both teams. I know we’re only in January but this game COULD determine who goes into the playoffs. Again, there’s still more games for these teams to play but for the Sabres, this is new territory for them.
When was the last time Buffalo was competing for a playoff spot in January? It’s been awhile and even though there are still a few months left in the regular season, it feels good to have the team competing for a spot in the postseason.
Not only will it be an emotional night and the team will be playing in front of 19,700 fans, but they will be competing as a team who is also in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. I think the team will be very excited to play in front of a sold out crowd but when it’s time to play, let’s hope they will be ready to go because this has the makings of a crucial game for Buffalo.
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