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April 04, 2007
CLINCH
Last night's win had historical ramifications.
For the first time in ten years, the Buffalo Sabres have won the Northeast Division - and for that, they get a banner and their fans get to cop a stylish commemorative t-shirt. Fuck yeah.
But that wasn't all.
Additionally - and for the first time in 27 years! - the Sabres have won the Eastern Conference. That's the first time since 1980 aka the year before I was born.
The NHL's Eastern Conference used to be called the Prince of Wales Conference. A better name, for damn sure; Prince of Wales. That's what the Conference was called back in 1980 when the Sabres last won it, for which they received the Prince of Wales Trophy, seen below.
The 1975 Sabres, pictured above, also won the Prince of Wales Trophy. Lookit them pants. That was on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals against Philadelphia; an unfortunately unsuccessful series that included the legendary Fog Game.
Since 1993, the Prince of Wales Trophy has been given to the team winning the conference playoffs. Before '93, you got it for finishing first in the conference during the regular season. That's what the Sabres did yesterday; they finished first.
Playoffs beckon, and the Sabres aren't making a big deal out of this. (AP: "Sabres ho-hum after clinching East".) And they shouldn't be too razzed up, of course. They are bigger goals, including one with the initials LSC. But Prince of Wales regular season champs is important: number one seed; home-ice throughout. Game Sevens for at least the first three rounds come to Buffalo.
Prince of Wales. What a wild name. I remember being little and going to the Aud and that's what the banners read hanging from the rafters - PRINCE OF WALES CHAMPIONS. Very appealing to my seven-year-old sense of importance. I was very, very impressed by the majesty of those banners, the incredible shocks of blue and yellow. Those banners were even up when the circus was in town, or when bands played, a permanent and supreme tribute to the greats who had come before - both on the ice and in the stands, really. Banners for the '75 squad, for the ultimately heartbreaking '80 team (featuring Lindy Ruff as a rookie), and now another one for this latest edition. And the possibility of more cloth yet to cut!
More to come. I know I've been a little quiet re: the usual subjects - in particular, Maeir (from the Coov, BC!) just asked me to explain my Edwards-backing, and I will - but things have been dumb busy. I leave for New Zealand with Fina and the fam on Saturday.
And yes, that means I'll miss Games 1 and 2. I'm dealing with it.
Posted by caps at April 4, 2007 05:03 PM