The Buffalo Sabres will be playing the 2023-24 season with Rick Jeanneret on their minds, and in Prediction #20, they will do what they do best.
Let’s snap back to RJ Night on April 1st, 2022, when the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Nashville Predators. The Sabres, coming off of a solid month of March, honored Rick Jeanneret that evening, before a thrilling first period saw the game tied at three. Over 14 minutes into the second frame, Victor Olofsson sunk a power play goal, and the Blue and Gold held on for a 4-3 win.
Just 29 days later, Jeanneret called his final game for the Sabres, and Casey Mittelstadt played the hero in that one, sinking the game-winner in overtime. These are just a pair of examples showcasing just how well this young team has risen to the occasion, but that continued into the 2023-24 season.
Flashback to December 29th, 2022, and the City of Buffalo was just starting to recover from a horrendous winter storm. That night, the Sabres gave the Queen City a ray of hope when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-3, and followed it up with an encore performance on the road against none other than the Boston Bruins.
And of course, we can’t forget another iconic win that occurred just days later on January 3rd, 2023. Just 24 hours beforehand, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game in Cincinnati.
And after tributes were made to Hamlin throughout the sports world, Tage Thompson did the unthinkable in the team’s win over the Washington Capitals. The Sabres star center scored a hat trick at exactly the 3-minute mark in overtime, which also happened to be his 30th goal of the season – it’s worth noting that Damar Hamlin wears #3.
Buffalo Sabres will rise again with RJ on their minds on opening night
Last night, another round of sad news struck the City of Buffalo when longtime Buffalo Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret died at age 81. For 51 years, fans not only in Buffalo, but throughout the world of professional hockey grew accustomed to Jeanneret’s voice and his plethora of memorable takes and quotes.
In 2023-24, you know RJ will be on the minds of every single player wearing a blue and gold uniform. And given this team’s track record of putting up epic performances during emotional times, Prediction #20 in our 75 Predictions In 75 Days Series goes to the Buffalo Sabres winning their season opener at home on October 12th vs. the New York Rangers on a night that everyone not just in Buffalo, but around the NHL, will be thinking about Rick Jeanneret.
(Historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)