2007–08 Buffalo Sabres season


The 2007–08 Buffalo Sabres season was the 38th season of operation, 37th season of play, for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.
Prior to the season, the Sabres lost their co-captains of the previous two seasons, Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. Briere and Drury were signed as free agents on July 1 by the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers, respectively. Dainius Zubrus was also lost to free agency, as he was signed by the New Jersey Devils on July 3. Thomas Vanek, who led the team in goals the previous season with 43, was a restricted free agent and was almost lost as well; the Edmonton Oilers signed him to a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet on July 6, but the Sabres matched the offer, retaining him.
Jocelyn Thibault was signed to the Sabres' roster on July 5 to serve as a veteran backup to the team's starting goaltender, Ryan Miller. Thibault replaced Ty Conklin, who had served as Miller's backup for the last month of the 2006–07 season and during the playoffs. Conklin was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 18.
After losing both Briere and Drury in the off-season, the Sabres' captaincy was vacated. Prior to the season, the team announced that it would rotate captaincy throughout the season, just as it did during the 2003–04 season. Jochen Hecht was named the October captain under this system. Toni Lydman was named captain for November, Brian Campbell was named captain for December, and Jaroslav Spacek was named captain for January before the captaincy was cycled back to Hecht in February. Jason Pominville was named the team's captain in March, and he finished the season in the role.
Longtime Sabres' color commentator Jim Lorentz retired just prior to the season. He was replaced in the broadcast booth by longtime Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Harry Neale.
The Sabres' January 1 home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. The NHL called the event the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic. In addition to selling tickets at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Sabres also sold tickets to HSBC Arena for the game, which was broadcast for fans on the arena's video scoreboard.
Brian Campbell was the Sabres' lone representative in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, as he was named to the team as a reserve defenseman. It was his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance. Campbell was then traded to the San Jose Sharks on February 26 in exchange for Steve Bernier and a first-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Regular season

On January 18, 2008, the Sabres defeated the Atlanta Thrashers at home by a score of 10–1. Derek Roy and Drew Stafford each had a hat-trick. It was the first time that an NHL team had scored 10 goals in a regular season game since January 4, 2007, when the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins on the road by a score of 10–2. It was also the first time that the Sabres had scored 10 goals in a game since January 14, 2006, when they defeated the Los Angeles Kings at home by a score of 10–1. Coincidentally, two Sabres had hat-tricks in that game as well: Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville.

Divisional standings

Conference standings

For complete standings, see 2007–08 NHL season.

Schedule and results

October

Record: 5–5–0; Home: 3–2–0; Road: 2–3–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
1October 5NY Islanders6 – 4BuffaloMiller18,6900–1–00
2October 6Buffalo2 – 3NY IslandersMiller16,2340–2–00
3October 11Atlanta0 – 6BuffaloMiller18,6901–2–02
4October 13Washington3 – 7BuffaloMiller18,6902–2–04
5October 15Toronto4 – 5BuffaloOTThibault18,2173–2–06
6October 19Columbus3 – 0BuffaloMiller18,6903–3–06
7October 20Buffalo2 – 4MontrealMiller21,2733–4–06
8October 24Buffalo2 – 6CarolinaMiller16,0583–5–06
9October 26Buffalo4 – 2FloridaMiller15,8424–5–08
10October 27Buffalo4 – 3Tampa BayOTMiller19,8045–5–010

November

Record: 6–6–1; Home: 4–3–0; Road: 2–3–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
11November 1Buffalo3 – 4BostonOTMiller13,4795–5–111
12November 2Florida4 – 2BuffaloThibault18,6905–6–111
13November 5Buffalo0 – 2MontrealMiller21,2735–7–111
14November 7Boston1 – 2BuffaloOTMiller18,6906–7–113
15November 9Toronto3 – 0BuffaloMiller18,6906–8–113
16November 10Buffalo1 – 2BostonMiller17,5656–9–113
17November 15Buffalo2 – 3OttawaMiller19,2796–10–113
18November 16Montreal1 – 4BuffaloMiller18,6907–10–115
19November 21Ottawa2 – 4BuffaloMiller18,6908–10–117
20November 23Montreal2 – 4BuffaloMiller18,6909–10–119
21November 24Buffalo3 – 0MontrealThibault21,27310–10–121
22November 26Buffalo3 – 1WashingtonMiller11,20411–10–123
23November 28St. Louis4 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69011–11–123

December

On December 22, the Sabres won their first shootout victory of the season on the road in Philadelphia against the Philadelphia Flyers. Thomas Vanek scored with 7.2 seconds left in the third period, beating former Sabres goaltender Martin Biron from the right circle to force overtime, and Ales Kotalik of the Sabres scored the only shootout goal to provide the Sabres with a win, adding to their total with six victories in a row.
Record: 8–5–1; Home: 4–2–0; Road: 4–3–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
24December 1Carolina1 – 8BuffaloMiller18,69012–11–125
25December 5Buffalo1 – 4AnaheimMiller17,17412–12–125
26December 6Buffalo2 – 8Los AngelesThibault15,98012–13–125
27December 8Buffalo7 – 1San JoseMiller17,49613–13–127
28December 10Boston4 – 1BuffaloMiller18,30213–14–127
29December 12NY Islanders3 – 5BuffaloMiller18,69014–14–129
30December 14Buffalo5 – 3WashingtonMiller17,03515–14–131
31December 15Chicago1 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69016–14–133
32December 19Buffalo2 – 1NY IslandersMiller10,80617–14–135
33December 21Philadelphia2 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69018–14–137
34December 22Buffalo6 – 5PhiladelphiaSOMiller19,60619–14–139
35December 26Ottawa5 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69019–15–139
36December 28Buffalo1 – 2New JerseySOMiller17,62519–15–240
37December 29Buffalo0 – 2PittsburghMiller17,13219–16–240

January

Record: 4–5–4; Home: 1–1–2; Road: 3–4–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
38January 1Pittsburgh2 – 1Buffalo*SOMiller71,21719–16–341
39January 4Ottawa5 – 3BuffaloThibault18,69019–17–341
40January 6Buffalo2 – 5AtlantaMiller15,21319–18–341
41January 8Buffalo1 – 2New JerseySOMiller14,03019–18–442
42January 10Buffalo2 – 3OttawaSOThibault19,84319–18–543
43January 12New Jersey3 – 2BuffaloSOMiller18,69019–18–644
44January 16Buffalo1 – 2NY RangersMiller18,20019–19–644
45January 18Atlanta1 – 10BuffaloMiller18,69020–19–646
46January 19Buffalo2 – 4TorontoMiller19,43620–20–646
47January 21Buffalo2 – 6PhoenixThibault16,98120–21–646
48January 24Buffalo2 – 1DallasMiller18,53221–21–648
49January 29Buffalo4 – 2Tampa BayMiller18,92022–21–650
50January 30Buffalo1 – 0FloridaMiller14,02423–21–652

*Played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

February

Record: 8–4–3; Home: 5–3–2; Road: 3–1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
51February 1Buffalo4 – 5AtlantaSOThibault17,06423–21–753
52February 5Buffalo4 – 2BostonMiller13,42724–21–755
53February 6New Jersey2 – 3BuffaloSOMiller18,69025–21–757
54February 8Boston3 – 2BuffaloSOMiller18,69025–21–858
55February 10Florida3 – 5BuffaloMiller18,69026–21–860
56February 12Buffalo5 – 1OttawaMiller19,56427–21–862
57February 13Toronto0 – 1BuffaloMiller18,69028–21–864
58February 16Buffalo1 – 5NY RangersMiller18,20028–22–864
59February 17Pittsburgh4 – 1BuffaloMiller18,69028–23–864
60February 20Tampa Bay3 – 4BuffaloOTMiller18,69029–23–866
61February 21Buffalo5 – 1TorontoMiller19,46730–23–868
62February 23NY Rangers4 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69030–24–868
63February 25Philadelphia4 – 3BuffaloSOMiller18,69030–24–969
64February 27Nashville4 – 8BuffaloMiller18,69031–24–971
62February 29Montreal6 – 2BuffaloMiller18,69031–25–971

March

Record: 6–5–3; Home: 3–4–2; Road: 3–1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
66March 2Detroit4 – 2BuffaloMiller18,69031–26–971
67March 4Buffalo5 – 2PhiladelphiaMiller19,51632–26–973
68March 5Washington3 – 1BuffaloMiller18,69032–27–973
69March 8Buffalo3 – 4CarolinaOTMiller18,80832–27–1074
70March 10NY Rangers3 – 2BuffaloSOMiller18,69032–27–1175
71March 12Buffalo3 – 7PittsburghMiller17,13232–28–1175
72March 14Carolina1 – 7BuffaloMiller18,69033–28–1177
73March 15Buffalo6 – 2TorontoMiller19,46234–28–1179
74March 19Tampa Bay4 – 7BuffaloMiller18,69035–28–1181
75March 21Toronto4 – 1BuffaloMiller18,69035–29–1181
76March 25Ottawa6 – 3BuffaloMiller18,69035–30–1181
77March 27Buffalo4 – 3OttawaSOMiller19,88336–30–1183
78March 28Montreal4 – 3BuffaloOTMiller18,69036–30–1284
79March 30Boston1 – 2BuffaloOTMiller18,69037–30–1286

April

Record: 2–1–0; Home: 0–0–0; Road: 2–1–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
80April 1Buffalo4 – 3TorontoSOMiller19,28838–30–1288
81April 3Buffalo1 – 3MontrealMiller21,27338–31–1288
82April 5Buffalo3 – 0BostonThibault17,56539–31–1290

Playoffs

After winning the Presidents' Trophy in the 2006–07 NHL season, the Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs despite having 90 points.

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
*Stats reflect games played with Buffalo only.
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice ; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Awards and records

Records

Milestones

Transactions

The Sabres have been involved in the following transactions during the 2007–08 season.

Trades

Free agents acquired

Draft picks

Buffalo's picks at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio.
Round#PlayerPositionNationalityCollege/junior/club team
231T. J. BrennanDefensemanUnited StatesSt. John's Fog Devils
259Drew SchiestelDefensemanCanadaMississauga IceDogs
389Corey TroppForwardUnited StatesSioux Falls Stampede
5139Bradley EidsnessGoaltenderCanadaOkotoks Oilers
5147Jean-Simon AllardCenterCanadaSt. John's Fog Devils
6179Paul ByronCenterCanadaGatineau Olympiques
7187Nick EnoGoaltenderUnited StatesGreen Mountain Glades
7209Drew MacKenzieDefensemanUnited StatesTaft School

Farm teams

Rochester Americans

The Rochester Americans remain Buffalo's top affiliate in the American Hockey League in 2007–08. It is expected to be the last year of the two teams' long affiliation and the teams are expected to part ways at the end of the season.

Roster