LOL Buffalo Sabres History

The Buffalo Sabres are one of the two longest running legacies of failure still remaining in the NHL (the second being their canadian brothers in the Canucks). 50 years, no cups, yikes.

Inception
The Sabres along with the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, what makes the Sabre's debut important is that is the same year the city also brought in an NFL (The Bills) and NBA (The Braves) team. Three different sports with hopes of succeeding.
 * While they were able to land a promising talent in Gilbert Perreault, they still weren't anywhere close to playoff contention their first year.
 * The team would make later bigger splashes with the French connection, eventually getting their first playoff birth in 73. They would lose in the quarterfinals to Montreal.
 * The team collapsed the following year and missed the playoffs, they were also haunted by the death of defensemen Tim Horton.
 * The following year, they'd bounce back and make the finals! Their opponents, a notorious rough team known as the "Broad Street Bullies", the Philadelphia Flyers
 * In a weird event, a heat wave hit Buffalo during Game 3, resulting in arena fog, a bat would fly into the arena which would be killed by center Jim Lorentz.
 * While the Sabres were ferocious enough to kill animals, the Flyers bullies would throw them into the gym locker and take the cup in 6 games.


 * The line up would be bolstered in 76 with the inclusion of Danny Gare, but they would lose to the Islanders in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
 * In 79 it was becoming apparent 3 major league sports teams couldn't be sustained in Buffalo, the Braves would fuck off to LA and become the Clippers.
 * The 1980's season would be a hallmark year for the team as they were the first NHL franchise to beat the Soviets, they'd once again bow down to the Islanders in the playoffs.
 * This also marked the end of the French connection, Rene Robert went to Colorado and Rick Martin's knees were being held together by glue at this point, luckily the Kings were stupid enough to take that trade.

More playoff futility!
The Sabres continued to make the playoffs but dissapoint.
 * From 1981-1987, they have made the playoffs either to lose to the Bruins, Nordiques or Canadiens, after 2 years of no playoffs, Perrault would finally hang it up, what a waste.
 * In the 87 draft however, they would make a big bounce back with acquiring Pierre Turgeon, he would get them back to the playoffs, only to lose in the first round to the Bruins again
 * They'd lose again to them the following year.
 * Enemies would start to become friends in 89 as Soviet player Alexander Murphy would join the Sabres, effectively starting other Russians joining the league. The Sabres would finish with the third best record in the league that season.
 * ...in which they lost in the first round to the Canadiens
 * The 91 season would see the aquistion of Pat LaFontaine, whom was trying to flee the collapse of the Islanders' dynasty, the Sabres would trade 4 players, including Turgeon to get him and Randy Wood. They would still lose to the Bruins in the first round.
 * Another massive trade would take place the following year, this time the Sabres would trade Stephane Beauregard (whom they just acquired from Winnipeg) and future consideration to Chicago for goalie Dominik Haskek.
 * They'd sweep the Bruins in the first round, only to be swept themselves by the Canadiens, who would go on to win the cup.
 * Next year they would be introduced to the Devils by means of the new conference format, they lose to them in 7 games.
 * The Flyers would beat whatever playoff dreams they had left out of them the following year.

Internal Struggles
While not making the playoffs in 96, Buffalo would make an astounding coaching hire in Ted Nolan, with one teensy issue, Nolan tends to be a cancer when it comes to big money players given his background growing up. It was what happened off the ice what destroyed them.
 * The Sabres would make the playoffs in 97, however Nolan and Hasek, who was their only big money player, were having beef the whole season.
 * In the first round of the playoffs against Ottawa, Hasek claimed his knee popped and left the game, leading to the emergence of his replacement, Steve Shields.
 * A reporter would get word on the situation and believe Hasek was lying about the injury. The article would be published. Hasek would attack the journalist in public following a Game 5 loss to the Senators.
 * The Sabres would luckily win the series and advanced to the next round, but the Sabres would then confirm Hasek faked the injury due to his feud with Nolan, resulting in him getting suspended for 3 games.
 * The Sabres tried to use him for Game 4, but he'd once again fake the injury, resulting in the Flyers winning the series in 5 games.
 * After the shit show, Team President Quinn would fire GM John Muckler, who sided with Hasek on the whole ordeal and was not getting along with Nolan. Nolan would quit as well when he couldn't come to terms on a new contract.
 * The kicker: Muckler and Nolan won NHL Executive of the Year and NHL Coach of the Year, respectively. It was their most successful season and the office got burned down thanks to their goalie and a coach who put his beliefs first.
 * Fans of course would instantly blame Hasek and boo him vigoriously the first few weeks of the next season, it got to the point arena workers had to play tapes of cheers until they finally died down.
 * Financial instability would come to ahead the following year as team lost $32 Million over the past three season, John Rigas would buy the team and he would fire Quinn and replace him with his son. Interestingly enough, the Sabres made it to the third round in the 98 playoffs, they'd lose to the Capitals.
 * The following year however, they would make the finals again! They' lose to the Stars in 6 on a controversial call in triple overtime.
 * Next year they would lose in the first round, once again, to the Flyers. Around this time Sabres players were starting to get upset about not getting over the hump.
 * The disgruntled Captain, Micheal Peta, would be sent to Long Island in exchange for 2 journeyman. The team somehow beat the Flyers that year in the playoffs, only to lose their Pennsylvanian neighbors in the Penguins in Round 2.
 * Dominik Hasek, now officially fed up with no success in Buffalo, fucked off to Detroit at the end of the season, the Stanley Cup aspirations were once again dead.


 * After missing the 2002 playoffs, shit would turn even shittier: Owner John Rigas and his sons were indicted on bank fraud, taking more than $2 BILLION from their company. He was sentenced to prison and as a result, the NHL seized the team from him.
 * As a result, not much progress could be made for the team on the 02-03 season, so it was practically a year lost until Tom Golisano stepped in with former Team President Larry Quinn to buy the team.
 * Mediocrity would continue until the Sabres finally made the playoffs in 2006.
 * They'd blaze past the Flyers and Senators, but five of their key players would be lost to injuries, resulting in losing by 7 games to the Hurricanes.

The Buffalo Banana Slugs
2006 would see the emergence of a new mascot of the team: The Banana Slug.
 * This mascot would prove to be the sacrifice the team had to make, they would go on to win the President's Trophy that year.
 * After taking out both of their fellow New York franchises in the 2007 playoffs, they would lose in 5 games to the Senators. At least they got state bragging rights this season?
 * That off season would wind up being the payment for the cup run, their co-captains Daniel Bierre and Chris Drurry would both leave. They did manage to keep Thomas Vanek... for the price of 7 years and $50 million.
 * Little to no surprise, these events led to the Banana Slugs missing the 2008 playoffs.
 * The 2008 off-season saw a few more contracts coming up, Paul Gaustad, Ryan Miller and Jason Pominville. All of them got 4-5 extensions. Buffalo would also send two second round picks to San Jose for Craig Rivet.
 * While Gaustad and Pominville would be consistent, Miller would start showing his age a few years into the extension and get plagued by injuries.
 * The 2008 season also saw Buffalo go all in to try and make it back to the playoffs, getting Tim Connolly, Mikeal Tellqvist, Dominic Moore, and Ales Kotalik. It wouldn't work.

Super Pegula
2010 once again saw an ownership change, the pride of Buffalo: Terry Pegula (and eventual owner of the Bills) would buy the team. It also saw Buffalo ditch the slug in exchange for the old Bison logo.
 * The 2011-12 season would show promise, then Ryan Miller would get hurt and they would be sent straight to the basement. They'd try and pick up the pieces in February but too little too late, another season without the playoffs.
 * After 16 seasons, Head Coach Lindy Ruff was fired during the shortened 2012-13 season, his replacement Ron Rolston wouldn't be any better. As a result, him and GM Darcy Reiger were fired at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.
 * The next set of staff would come in a trio, their old franchise face in Pat LaFontaine would become President of Hockey operations. Tim Murray would be brought in as the new GM. But the major kicker came in their next coach: the return of Ted Nolan.
 * It's at this point where people began to realize the issues with Nolan here: the Sabres would trade away some of their star players including Miller to St. Louis for a bunch of magic beans.
 * LaFontaine realized 4 months into his job he had no idea what he was doing and quit.
 * Both the 13-14 and 14-15 seasons coughed up the same results, the basement of the NHL. To nobody's surprise, Murray would fire Nolan realizing he's a problem.