Do you remember when the Buffalo Sabres were good? Dare I say, scary good?
Remember when they played a high-scoring, exciting brand of hockey and winning the Stanley Cup didn't feel like a pipe dream?
You'll thoroughly enjoy the second round elimination of the Ottawa Senators from that crazy Game 1 shootout to the famous Jason Pominville series-clinching shorthanded goal in Game 5. McKee, who took the penalty in overtime that forced the Sabres to play down a man, told a really great story about what he was thinking while sitting in the box.
Then, of course, we have the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. As painful of a memory as that has been, it was great to hear those guys talk about the Game 6 overtime win at home. They talked about how loud the building was and how the fans didn't want to go home that night as they kept cheering and showing their appreciation long after the game had ended.
As I mentioned, there will be moments where you think "what if?" like when Biron looks at the banners in the arena and says there should be at least a 2006 Eastern Conference champion banner, if not a Stanley Cup champion banner hanging from the rafters. McKee said after the Game 6 win over the Hurricane that, he went home that night convinced the Sabres were going to win the Stanley Cup. Later in the episode, Briere mentioned that he thought that team was going to be the future of the NHL for the next five or six years.
The other sadness you might experience will be thinking about how things used to be around here, knowing where they have been the last eight years and wondering when it can get back to that level. It really was amazing to see and hear the crowds in the building during the games, as well as the mass of fans outside in the plaza watching the game on a big screen TV.
When all is said and done though, you'll be glad you took the time to watch.