a city heartbroken...

And now it's all over. I really don't know what to do with myself. The whole city feels the same way. It's raining today, it's very fitting. It hits hard. It hurts. Hockey is in our blood, it's what makes our city our city...now what do we have to look forward to? The bills...yeah that's a good joke.

The Sabres gave us an amazing morale boost. The city came alive again, we all believed. Hell, even my grandparents jumped on the bandwagon. I've never heard my grandmother talk about hockey in my 21 years, she couldn't shut up about it! The city has never been prouder, I personally couldn't be more proud. This is what hockey is suppose to be, "section 400" outside, over 10,000 fans watching the game outside of the arena together because tickets were sold out. No other city truly has what we have.

As much of a heartbreak as it was, the crowd in the arena showed our appreciation for a season that ended too short. After about five minutes of everyone sitting, heads shaking, tears falling, we erupted into Let's Go Buffalo. There was nothing more moving than hearing that. We still believe. It's pointless to argue over the calls that should have been made or shouldn't have been made. Yes, the refs played a MAJOR role in this series, but as always, no matter what, in this league the Sabres will always be the underdogs.

I spent most of the season and the playoffs in Washington, DC. What I saw there, were Sabres fans. People traveling from all over to see them play the Caps because it was easier to get tickets there than at home, following the team wherever they went. McFadden's DC throughout the playoffs was like being in Buffalo. The back room packed with hockey fans, cheering on the Sabres, screaming at the refs, drinking Labatt and supporting the team that was playing over 500 miles away from them. We were our own Sabres community, a Buffalo family, brought together because of the Sabres. I know that DC wasn't the only city to experience this.

Thank you, Thank you for an amazing series. Thank you for reigniting the city. Thank you for giving us all something to believe in again. And finally, thank you for bringing us all together. I've met so many people this season that I never would of, and for that alone I'm grateful. Sabres, thank you for an amazing SEASON, here's to next year!

[until then...Let's Go Ducks!]

The 18,690 fans in attendance, the 50th consecutive Sabres sellout this season, were silenced by their team’s not-so-sudden death. The crowd regrouped after a few moments and erupted into cheers of gratitude.

Sabres winger Jason Pominville’s lower lip quivered as he spoke in front of his locker stall, his voice trembling and his eyes glassing over while he tried to hold his emotions together. More than once he said “We all meant well,” a sorrowful reassurance to the fans that the Sabres wanted badly to win it all.

“It’s disappointing. It’s painful. It hurts,” Pominville said. “Our chemistry was tremendous. Everybody was pulling in the same direction. The city was behind us. It’s painful. This group will never fully be back together again. You just wish you had another chance.”