Oh Dannyboy

#48 was one of my favorite Sabres over the past few years. He was excitable, sneaky, and reminded me of Dave Bagley. Never the best player on the ice, Danny Briere's clutchness helped to make Buffalo a perennial contender for the Cup, just as Bagley's flare for the dramatic ingited a state championship run nearly ten years ago.

The Sabres were so damn close the past two years. The first Stanley Cup in team history seemed to be within reach. I can vividly recall phone conversations with both my brother and father before the third period of Game 7 against the Hurricanes. "Stanley Cup here we come!" I answered both of their calls with trepidation. I am far too superstitous to make those kind of phone calls. And, predictably, in another "what could have been" season, our dreams were shattered over the next twenty minutes. Last year the team fired on all cylinders until hitting the wall during the playoffs. I believe their high-octane offense just ran out of gas. They survived the Islanders and Rangers on heart, relying on last-second victories to outlast teams that looked hungier. But Ottawa was too talented and they flattened the President Cup winning Sabres. Yet another season of broken dreams.

The off-season hurt even more. Both Drury and Briere bolted for more money in bigger markets. And, now they will attempt to carry their new teams to the promised land. Meanwhile, the Sabres are treading water and have yet to establish a new identity. This new group certainly does not possess that "it" factor of previous years. And last night's game versus Philly was a defining moment. Blowing a 3-goal lead. Scoring first in a shootout. Miller allowing the tying goal. And Briere standing at the red line with a chance to not only win the game and equal Buffalo in the standings, but also give us Sabre fans one more reminder of what made him so damn special. If you don't know what happened next, then just use your imagination. Just as Dave Bagley did time after time for the Gates-Chili Spartans, Briere came through when it mattered most.