Pat LaFontaine is a household name in Buffalo.
And, well he should be.
The man played like he was 7 feet tall every night.
The Sabres' fortunes changed dramatically when they shipped Pierre Turgeon to The Island for St. Patrick.
The Sabres, to that point, had been known as a talented offensive team that just could not win in the Playoffs.
That all changed when #16 skated down the Scajaquada to The Aud. Walking down past The Aud on the way to The HSBC Arena, late this morning, evoked thoughts in my head of the Sabres glory days gone by when #16 fed #89 .
It doesn't seem that long ago, does it? Mount Mogilny erupted, and Western New York was the focal point of the entire hockey world.
Were it not for a slick, little set-up man,Alexander The Great's strorybook season would never have come to be.
Buffalo was abuzz in 92/93 when Mogilny and Patty worked their magic.
These days are reminiscent of those memorable, magical days.
The Sabres are 10-0, and counting.
They have four players in the top 13 in the league NHL scoring race. Max (16), Dru (15), Thomas (13), and Danny (13)
The Sabres have scored a league high 49 goals in 10 games.
That's 5 a game, where I come from. Five goals a game?!! That's downright grotesque!!
These Sabres have remninded us of the bygone Blue and Gold heros of 92/92: Hawerchuck, Patty, Andreychuk, Bodger, Mogilny.
All things old are new again in Buffalo !!
I've always thought that Danny Briere and Pat LaFontaine were twins, separated at birth.
Its true.
Dark hair, dark eyes, similar height and weight, excellent vision on the ice, great passers, ttremendous finshers. Excellent leaders on and off the pond. Both are baby-faced assassins!
#48 has been putting on nightly clinics in the fine art of psassing and setting up his linemates. Jason Pominville has goals in four straight due to Briere's generosity. See the Patty to Mogilny connection at work?
" Having a guy like Jason Pominville helps. He's hot and I want to get him the puck as much as possible, to give him the chance because he's got a great shot and you know now that things seem to be working. I try to look for him in the offensive zone. You go in streaks, though. You'll be getting more assists, then all of a sudden, it starts bouncing your way. That's how I evaluate my game, its not just 'oh, I just scored".
Do get tired of the comparisons to a legend like LaFontaine?
" No! I will NEVER get tired of the comparisons between myself and Pat LaFontaine. He was one of my favourites growing up, and, personally, I think its a little bit of a stretch to compare me to Pat".
Really?
" Yeah. Its still pretty cool to hear my name in the same sentence as a Hall Of Fame guy's"
Danny Briere is a genuinely humble individual. He blushes at the very thought of being in the same class as #16.
I told him that he's earned the right to be compared to a Buffalo legend, Danny.
" I don't know about that. Its still pretty cool. But, like I said: I had the chance to meet him when they retired his jersey, and, that was the first time (meeting him), and that was an honour for me. I have a lot of respect for everything he's done. Being that he's one of the smaller stature guys,he's a guy I've really looked up to and I tried to build my game around his style. Its always nice to hear such comments and comparisons. I can only hope to have the career that Patty had--- especially here in Buffalo where the fans love the Sabres soooooo much !!!"
******
I promise, Danny.
No questions about " The Streak ".
"What streak?", Danny deadpanned.
Enough of that.
The Thrashers are the next opponent on the Sabres' dancecard.
One game at a time. Don't look back. Always look forward.
" I feel good. We had a great practice today. We're ready for the next game".
The Thrashers were taking the practice ice, just as Danny and I began to talk.
"They are a skilled, gifted team over there, and they have a very good goaltender-- sounds familiar, right-- I think tomorrow night should be an exciting game. You never know what can happen. You still gotta play the games ".
The Sabres meet a unique foe at home on Saturday night, in that this Thrashers team has a similar makeup to that of the Sabres. They bulit their team from the net out, and they have a high octane offense.
You'll recall that The Thrashers had to toil through 6 different goalies in 05/06. Kari Lehtonen's nagging groin injury sent the Thrash into a monumental tailspin. Not this season. all is well in The Dirty South.
*****
Briere has points in 9 consecutive games this season.
Are you disappointed that you are not getting goals?
" NO !! Absolutely not. I've been answering questions like that. Reporters ask me if I'm upset that I have two goal s and 11 assists. The answer is NO. I'm contributing to a winning team on a consistent basis. Thats all that matters to me. I do whatever it takes for the team to get the WIN. Goals are not how I evaluate my play. The first 6 games, I wasn't happy, but I'm typically a slow starter. I'm a player that relies a lot on instinct, and I need to play a lot to get the instincts going. The last couple games were my best games-- I feel that way. I'm just now starting to play my best hockey!"
Watch out NHL. Here comes Danny Briere.
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Garth
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