Hashtag Sports
  • #Articles
  • #Episodes
  • #Staff
  • Ask Hashtag
What Drives You?

Buffalo Sabres: End of an Era

3/1/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Mario "Game" Granata

With the move of Ryan Miller to the Blues, we here in Western New York, over the span of 20+ years were witness to some of the most elite goal tending that
the world has ever seen.  See how Miller and Dominik Hasek stack up side by side. 




An era has ended in Buffalo.  I am not speaking specifically about the Ryan Miller era, but of an era of goaltending dominance that has spanned back to 1992.  Yes, I am bringing back the Dominator.  From the 1992-1993 season until last night, we in Buffalo were witness to some of the most exciting and top-notch goaltending that the game has had to offer.  20 seasons here in Buffalo, where no Cups were won, we were still able to see what it was like to have a net minder between the pipes that we could hang our hat on.  Unfortunately that ride is over.   For the span of 20 seasons, here in Western New York, we watched Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller showcase some of the most remarkable wins, and jaw dropping saves that the NHL has seen in the history of the game.  This Pocket Presence will lean more toward Crease Awareness, then it has in past posts, but nonetheless, it will be a reflection on two of the greatest goalies that the game has ever seen: (Hasek’s Totals are from his time with Buffalo):
Category

Seasons

Games

Wins

Losses

T/O

Save %

GAA

Shutouts

Vezina Winner

Hart Winner

Dominik Hasek

9

491

234

170

70

.926

2.16

55

6

2

Ryan Miller

11

540

284

186

57

.916

2.6

28

1

0

Totals

20

1031

518

356

127

.920

2.36

83

7

2

Although they are separated largely in part by their end of the season awards, and with Hasek being nominated for 3 other Hart Trophies (MVP), I don’t want to make this about comparing Hasek to Miller, but what they were able to put together with their time in Buffalo, is something that will be remembered by Sabres fans for years to come.  20 years of work from the goalie position, and the Buffalo Sabres, 7 times, had arguably the best goalie in the league.  Both of these men were able to shine on the one of the biggest stages of all, the Olympics.  In 1998, Dominik Hasek put on a performance that earned him the Gold Medal and the Best Goalie of the tournament.  Ryan Miller, in 2010, was voted the MVP of the tournament, just falling short of the Gold, but also being named the Best Goalie of the tournament.  So for a point in time, the Buffalo Sabres had the best goalies the world has to offer, and for a small market like Buffalo, that is a nice feather in the cap for the organization, the city and the region. 

As a long time Sabres fan, and an even bigger fan of both Hasek and Miller, I am sad to see this era end in Buffalo, because I don’t think that an organization will see a combination like this again.  Two of the best goalies ever to play the game, were residents of the 716 for 20 pulse pounding seasons, and as this chapter closes out in Buffalo, a new one will begin.  All that is left to be said now is, Thank you for the memories. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Youtube Channel

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    2013 Buffalo Bills
    2014 Buffalo Bills
    2015 Buffalo Bills
    2015 NFL Draft
    2016 Buffalo Bills
    2017 Buffalo Bills
    2018 On The Clock
    2019 Buffalo Bills
    2019 Free Agency
    2019 On The Clock
    2020 Buffalo Bills
    2021 Buffalo Bills
    2022 On The Clock
    3 Step Drop
    Buffalo Bills
    Four Down Territory
    Misc
    MLB
    Monday Quick Slant
    Nba
    Nfl
    Nfl-draft
    Nhl
    On-the-clock-2015
    On-the-clock-2016
    On-the-clock-2017
    On-the-clock-2018
    Pocket-presence
    Quick-slant
    Road-trip
    Salary Cap
    The Good The Bad The Ugly
    Tuesday Cover 2
    Videos

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • #Articles
  • #Episodes
  • #Staff
  • Ask Hashtag