They lost the face of the franchise - twice. Even worse, it looked like they might lose the franchise.

But despite the departures and the uncertainty of bankruptcy, the Buffalo Sabres can look back at the 2000s as a time of unparalleled excitement. They brought folks in, and they took fans outside. They had people partying at the arena and frolicking in the snow. The town put the team on its clothing and in its heart. In return, the Sabres loaded the fans on their bandwagon for a fascinating ride.

The joy outweighed the pain during a 10-year span in which the news wasnt always good, but it was almost always interesting.

Three of the top five stories of the last decade deal with anger, nervousness, shock and dismay:

*In 2001, one of the two greatest players in team history – goaltender Dominik Hasek – wanted out and got his wish.

*From March 2002 to February 2003, few people were sure the Sabres would survive. Owner John Rigas and his sons were on a path to prison. The team was in bankruptcy court and under NHL control.

*On July 1, 2007, the two players most responsible for the Sabres renaissance – Chris Drury and Daniel Briere – left the team.

The other two tales, however, are filled with hope, excitement, anticipation and success:

*During the 2005-06 and 06-07 seasons, the Sabres became the darlings of the town and the league. They were the most exciting team to watch and kept a city that couldnt get enough riveted to their every move.

*On Jan. 1, 2008, the Sabres welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins and more than 71,000 people to an outdoor game in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Fireworks went up, snowflakes came down and even the coldest of hearts melted.

This vote for Story of the Decade goes to the back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference finals. The fans inside HSBC Arena made the atmosphere crackle with electricity, in part because all the revelers outside the building and across the region gave them a jolt.

It wasnt only the most exciting time of the past 10 years; it may have been the best set of moments in franchise history.

"Oh, I think so," Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret said before the decades final game. "Thats right up there."

2001: A Dom odyssey

The conversation about the best Sabre of all time starts and ends with two names: Gilbert Perreault and Dominik Hasek. Perreault spent his entire career in Buffalo. Hasek started in Chicago but had no plans to finish in Buffalo.

The goaltender with a Slinky for a spine was rigid in his desire to win a Stanley Cup. Though players scoffed when the Sabres were called "an average team with a great goalie," the moniker stuck.

Hasek wanted a great team. He didnt see it happening in Buffalo, especially after captain Michael Peca missed the entire 2000-01 campaign in a contract dispute. Once it was clear Peca was out, so was The Dominator. He told general manager Darcy Regier he would retire or play in the Czech Republic unless the Sabres traded him.

The two-time MVP and six-time Vezina Trophy winner was sent to Detroit on July 1, 2001, for Vyacheslav Kozlov and a first-round draft pick.

"He didnt feel that the Buffalo Sabres, despite his best efforts, were close enough to winning a Stanley Cup," Jeanneret said. "Thats exactly what he wanted before he got out of the game. In that way, I understand why he made his move.

"But I still think it was disappointing because as far as I was concerned, while he played in Buffalo, while he was at his peak, he was absolutely the best goaltender Ive ever seen play in this game. Ever."

The bankruptcy

Word spread quickly in March 2002 that Adelphia Communications Corp., founded by Sabres owner John Rigas, was in trouble – billions of dollars worth of trouble. Despite early assurances the hockey team would not be affected, it certainly was.

By June, Rigas was more focused on courts than rinks and the NHL was running the Sabres. The fans saw the sword-wearers as double-edged. They felt betrayed and couldnt embrace the team. They also felt if they didnt support it, the Sabres could be gone because few viable owners were in sight.

As training camp opened in September 2002, the Sabres had sold just 6,693 full season tickets. The arena stayed barren with a 3-11-3 start and 12-game winless streak.

"It didnt matter where we went on the road, nobody wanted to talk about hockey," Jeanneret said. "Visiting reporters from other towns, they all wanted to talk about the bankruptcy and the future of the team. It starts wearing on guys"

It got worse. Players werent paid bonuses until the courts said so. The Mark Hamister-led local group picked by the NHL to buy the team didnt have the money. Out-of-towners lurked with threats of relocation.

Finally, in late February 2003, Rochesters Tom Golisano, with Buffalos Larry Quinn by his side, was selected to buy the franchise. In March 2003, the uncertain times were over.

A winning feeling

The best run in franchise history started with little fanfare and ended with fans paying any fare to be involved. The 2005-06 Sabres came out of the lockout with few expectations. Then the magic began. The Sabres went on an 18-3-1 tear in November and December, piquing the interest of folks who spent a year without hockey.

By the time the Sabres upset the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the playoffs, everyone was paying attention. Game night was a communal event. People flocked to restaurants, bars, neighbors homes and especially the arena to be part of the excitement.

"It was just an incredible ride," Jeanneret said. "It went the whole season. You kept waiting for this team to fold, and it didnt fold. It got better."

An unheard-of string of injuries to defensemen finally caught up to the Sabres in their loss to Carolina in Game Seven of the conference finals. The next season, the Sabres were expected to win. They did, claiming their first Presidents Trophy as hockeys best regular-season team.

The fans stayed invested with their passion and wallets. The new jersey was the NHLs best seller, and Blue and Gold merchandise soared out of stores before it reached the rack. Thousands of folks who couldnt get into the arena watched on big screens outside.

Though the Sabres again lost in the conference finals, this time to Ottawa, their 125 wins are the most in a two-year span.

"If it hadnt been for injuries, who knows?" Jeanneret said. "The Stanley Cup might have been Buffalo."

Captains set sail

Two players were at the forefront of the Sabres success from 2005 to 2007, co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. In a matter of hours on July 1, 2007, they were both gone.

Renegotiations for Drury were botched, and the competitive spirit of the team headed to the New York Rangers. Contract talks never really started with Briere, and the outgoing personality of the squad joined the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fans who put their soul into the Sabres grieved and cursed as the teams heart was torn out.

The Ice Bowl

New Years Day 2008 may be the greatest one-day party in NHL history. More than 71,000 fans filled a football stadium to see an outdoor hockey game. They made it more memorable than the sport itself.

Folks tailgated in their parkas and shot pucks in the parking lots for hours. They drew the cameras near during the made-for-television event by going shirtless in the elements. They sang, they danced and, down low, never once sat down.

"I think I was more amazed when I talked to some security people later, and they said, We didnt even have a fight, " Jeanneret said. "We had 70,000 people here, and it was a hootenanny. It didnt matter that a huge portion of them were Penguins fans. It was a party, and they all loved it."

Around-the-clock glances at weather forecasts heightened the moment. With the players surrounded by revelry and snowflakes, even those who had tried to envision the ideal scenario fell short with their dreams. The day was even better.

"I dont think they can equal it," Jeanneret said. "I know theyre going to have one every year, or two every year, whatever theyve got to do. I just dont think they can capture what we had at the football stadium on that afternoon."