Sabres'  fans facing off for downtown watch parties and celebrations

Tonawanda resident Jeff Jones was slightly disappointed.

"I haven't seen any shirtless man chugging a beer," Jones said.

Jones was one of the thousands of Buffalo Sabres' fans who descended upon the KeyBank Center neighborhood in downtown Buffalo celebrating the team's return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since April 2011.

It was both a communal celebration among hockey and Sabres' fans and a cathartic release.

"This may surpass the Bills' (pre-game) atmosphere," Jones said.

Fans began making their way into downtown around noon - more than seven hours ahead of the Sabres/Boston Bruins Game One face-off.

The party atmopshere was evident from people grilling hot dogs, chugging beer and chomping on pizza. Street vendors were selling t-shirts, blue and gold pom-poms and other trinkets.

Inside the Canalside footprint, which was hosting a watch party, Jet Pizza was expecting to sell more than 1,600 slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza.

Nearby Lloyd, which was making its seasonal debut for its food truck, had taco and burritos shells lined up and ready to go with all the fixings.

"This is so Buffalo," said Mike Pachucinski from Elma, who came with his son, Jake.

The Sabres' Alumni Plaza and Canalside watch parties will continue for Tuesday's Sabres-Bruins Game Two.