Former NHL general manager (GM) Gord Stellick has a great line about losing, and for the last two seasons, these current Buffalo Sabres have been much better on the road than they’ve been at home. For a fan base that hasn’t seen playoff hockey in 12 years, being bad at KeyBank Center is simply not an option, but thankfully right now, they’re winning these games late in the season at home.
Why Has It Been Tough at Home?
As frustrating as it’s been to hear Sabres head coach Don Granato talk about his group learning how to deal with pressure and increased expectations, there’s a lot of it on their shoulders. At an average age of 25, the Sabres are currently the youngest team in the NHL, and have the task of ending the league’s longest playoff drought. However, these fans don’t want to hear excuses and rightfully so, with how long they’ve been waiting for this team to break through. Furthermore, it’s completely understandable that when this team has an ugly loss like the one they had against the Columbus Blue Jackets back in December, the boos are loud, and things get ugly.
Related: 3 Ways the Sabres Can Stop Getting Booed by Fans at Home
When the Sabres are in another team’s building, they don’t feel the massive weight of the drought, and their road record over the last two seasons reflects that. On the other side of it, at home, too often the players see the empty seats as a constant reminder of how long this franchise has gone without any success, hence their home record over the last two years. However, the team’s play as of late has turned that around.
Two Factors That Improve the Sabres at Home
Including their win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night (March 12), the Sabres have won four of their last five on home ice. If you take in the attendance numbers from those five games, the average audience has been 16,285, and over that span, the one that sticks out is the near-sellout crowd for the win over the Edmonton Oilers (March 9). It’s simple, when things are going well, the fans show up, and the team plays better.
“They’re going out there, they’re competing, they’re starting the game quick, the fans are getting behind them because you know, that’s what the fans want to see. They want to see compete, they want to see effort, and when they don’t see it, they’re going to get on you.”
Paul Hamilton – 03/12/2024
The other factor that helps the Sabres play well and win at home is when they’re wearing the red and black, goat head jerseys. When they wear them, it’s plain and simple, they score in bunches. In fact, they have potted seven goals in each of their last three games in those uniforms.
It took a while with all of the inconsistencies, but the Sabres are finally back to where they’re supposed to be, which is in the playoff race. Overall, the team has been better since the calendar flipped to 2024 (16-11-1), and more importantly, the fans are seeing it at home.
Next up are the New York Islanders on Thursday night (March 14) at KeyBank, and given the fact that they are ahead of the Sabres in the standings, it’s hard not to look back to when these two clubs faced off on Ryan Miller night (Jan. 19, 2023). Don’t you wonder if there’s a similar finish in store for an important game late in the year for the Sabres? I certainly do. Regardless, with the way things are going, the fans should expect another solid effort at home.
