Analyzing the Sabres’ 2008-09 schedule
Analyzing the Sabres schedule: Best of the West
The last two Stanley Cup champions will be coming to HSBC Arena this season to meet the Buffalo Sabres. Four teams that haven't been here since at least 2006 — Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles and Phoenix — are also on the home schedule.
But Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell are not. That's the one major downer on the team's 82- game slate for the 2008-09 season, announced Thursday by the National Hockey League.
The Sabres' lone meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks will be Jan. 14 in the United Center. That means Buffalo fans won't get their second look at Kane, the South Buffalo native who won the Calder Trophy last season as the NHL's rookie of the year, and won't get a first chance to get reacquainted with longtime defenseman Brian Campbell. He signed a free agent deal with the Hawks earlier this
month after getting traded to San Jose by the Sabres in February.
The Sabres will host 2008 Cup champion Detroit on April 6 and 2007 champ Anaheim, featuring Williamsville native Todd Marchant, on Feb. 24.
Under the NHL’s new formula, they play six games (three home, three away) against the Northeast Division, four games (2-2) against the other 10 teams in the Eastern Conference, two games against West at-large opponents Detroit, Anaheim and Phoenix, and one game against the West’s other 12 teams.
Here’s a look at the schedule’s key points:
Set your watches: It’s easy with the home schedule. All the Friday games are at 7:30 p. m. and everything else is at 7 except the Feb. 15 game against Carolina, which faces off at 6. (The April 11 game with Boston does not had a start time announced).
Home/season opener: It’s Friday, Oct. 10 against Montreal in HSBC Arena, marking the beginning of the Sabres’ 39th season and the Habs’ 100th. The NHL will be staging a season-long party for its most storied franchise, including the All-Star Game (Jan. 24) and next June’s draft, both in the Bell Centre.
It will be the first time the Sabres have opened a season against the Canadiens since a 3-3 tie (remember those?) in 1990. Buffalo won season openers over Montreal here in both 1984 and 1988.
Home breakdown by day: There are 14 Friday games and eight on Saturdays, good news for fans and downtown establishments. There are also eight Wednesdays, four Tuesdays, two Thursdays and one Sunday.
Star power: Sidney Crosby and the defending Eastern Conference champion Penguins come to town Nov. 28 and Dec. 22. Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are here Nov. 1 and Dec. 30.
Comforts of home: The longest homestand is a four-gamer from Nov. 21-28 featuring the Flyers, Islanders, Bruins and Penguins.
Old friends return: Daniel Briere, Marty Biron and the Flyers are here Nov. 21 and March 20. Chris Drury and the Rangers are here Jan. 9 and Feb. 21. Jay McKee (as well as West Seneca native Lee Stempniak) comes to town with the Blues on Nov. 12. Like St. Louis, J. P. Dumont and the Predators are here for the second straight year on Dec. 1.
January jaunts: The Sabres might need to pile up a lot of points in the 2008 portion of the schedule because they have a brutal start to 2009. Their 13 games in the new year’s first month include 10 on the road, beginning New Year’s night in Toronto. At one point, they play eight out of nine away from the arena.
Games at Detroit (Jan. 10), Chicago (Jan. 14) and Dallas (Jan. 15) are followed by a Jan. 17 home game against Carolina. Then it’s back on the road for the season’s longest stretch — a two-gamer at Florida (Jan. 19) and Tampa Bay (Jan. 21), followed by a long haul to Edmonton (Jan. 27), Calgary (Jan. 28) and Phoenix (Jan. 31).
For good measure, that trip wraps up Feb. 2 at Anaheim. Think there will time to recover after it’s over? Nope. The Leafs are here Feb. 4, the Canadiens are here Feb. 6 and the Sabres travel to Ottawa the next night. Then come three days off.
Back-to-backs: The Sabres led the NHL last year with 20 sets of games on consecutive days, partly because they’re adamant about getting as many Friday home games as possible. They got 17 sets this season, including a rare double dip at home Nov. 21-22 against the Flyers and Islanders, respectively.
Long time, no see: The Sabres will get reacquainted with the Northwest Division this year. Vancouver’s Oct. 17 game here will be the Canucks’ first since Jan. 19, 2007 and just their second since 2003. The January jaunt to Edmonton and Calgary will be Buffalo’s first to the Canadian Rockies and Lindy Ruff’s home province since January 2006. The October trip to Minnesota and Colorado will be the first road games against the Wild and Avalanche since December 2005.
Among Pacific Division visitors, Anaheim and San Jose are coming for the first time since December 2005 while it’s been since January 2006 that we’ve seen Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Finish with a flourish: The season closes with a grueling seven-game grind over the first 11 days of April. Three are at home, including the April 11 finale against Boston.
Home ticket prices: Can’t tell yet which games will be Gold, Silver, Bronze or Value because the Sabres haven’t decided yet.
