- 2007–08 Buffalo Sabres season
NHLTeamSeason
Season=2007–08
Team=Buffalo Sabres
Conference=Eastern
ConferenceRank= 10th
Division=Northeast
DivisionRank= 4th
Record=39–31–12
HomeRecord=20–15–6
RoadRecord=19–16–6
GoalsFor=255
GoalsAgainst=242
GeneralManager=Darcy Regier
Coach=Lindy Ruff
Captain=Jochen Hecht (Oct, Feb)Toni Lydman (Nov)Brian Campbell (Dec)
Jaroslav Spacek (Jan)Jason Pominville (Mar-Apr)
AltCaptain= Toni Lydman (Oct)
Henrik Tallinder (Oct)
Brian Campbell (Nov, Feb)
Jochen Hecht (Nov-Jan)
Jaroslav Spacek (Dec, Mar-Apr)
Jason Pominville (Jan)
Adam Mair (Feb)
Tim Connolly (Feb)
Derek Roy (Mar-Apr)
Arena=HSBC Arena
Attendance=18,668 (99.9%)
[Average attendance figure only accounts for games at HSBC Arena. It does not include the 71,217 in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic on January 1.]
GoalsLeader=Thomas Vanek (36)
AssistsLeader=Jason Pominville (53)
PointsLeader=Derek Roy (81)
PIMLeader=Andrew Peters (100)
PlusMinusLeader=Jason Pominville (+16)
WinsLeader=Ryan Miller (36)
GAALeader=Ryan Miller (2.64)The 2007–08 Buffalo Sabres season began on October 5, 2007. It was the
Buffalo Sabres ' 37th season in theNational Hockey League .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 thePhiladelphia Flyers andNew York Rangers , respectively. [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=326889&page=NewsPage&service=page Briere signs 8-year $52 million deal with Flyers] ] [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=326912&page=NewsPage&service=page Rangers sign free-agent centers Gomez and Drury] ]Dainius Zubrus was also lost to free agency, as he was signed by theNew Jersey Devils on July 3. [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=327118&page=NewsPage&service=page Devils sign free agent Zubrus] ]Thomas Vanek , who led the team in goals the previous season with 43, was a restricted free agent and was almost lost as well: theEdmonton Oilers signed him to a 7-year, $50 millionoffer sheet on July 6; however, the Sabres matched the offer. [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=327972 Sabres retain Vanek by matching Oilers' $50 million offer] ]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. [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=327301&page=NewsPage&service=page Sabres shore up goaltending, sign Thibault; re-sign forwards Peters, Ryan] ] Thibault replacesTy 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 thePittsburgh Penguins on July 18. [ [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=334763&page=NewsPage&service=page Pittsburgh Penguins sign goaltender Ty Conklin to one-year contract] ]After losing both Briere and Drury in the offseason, 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. [ [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/news_story/?ID=219736&hubname=nhl-sabres Sabres to rotate captaincy this season] ]Toni Lydman was named captain for November, [ [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=341736 Toni Lydman named captain for November] ]Brian Campbell was named captain for December, [ [http://www.wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2870 Campbell Named Sabres' Captain for November] ] and Jaroslav Spacek was named captain for January [ [http://www.wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2941 Spacek is Captain January] ] before the captaincy was cycled back to Hecht in February. [ [http://www.wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=3029 Max Re-Injures Groin; Hecht Captain For 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. [ [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=338324 Jim Lorentz announces his retirement] ] He was replaced in the broadcast booth by longtimeHockey Night in Canada broadcasterHarry Neale . [ [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=338919 Harry Neale joins Sabres broadcast team] ]The Sabres' January 1 home game against the
Pittsburgh Penguins was played outdoors atRalph Wilson Stadium , home of theNational Football League 'sBuffalo Bills . The NHL called the event theAMP Energy NHL Winter Classic . [ [http://www.nhl.com/winterclassic/index.html 2008 Winter Classic] ] In addition to selling tickets at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Sabres also sold tickets toHSBC Arena for the game, which was broadcasted for fans on the arena's video scoreboard. [ [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=345128 Sabres to Host Winter Classic House Party] ]Brian Campbell was the Sabres' lone representative in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, as he was named to the team as a reserve defenceman. It was his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance. [ [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=349646 Campbell named to NHL All-Star Team] ] Campbell was then traded to theSan Jose Sharks on February 26 in exchange forSteve Bernier and a first-round pick in the2008 NHL Entry Draft . [ [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/trade_deadline/news_story/?ID=230612&hubname=nhl-trade_deadline Sharks acquire Campbell from Sabres] ]Regular season
Divisional standings
Conference standings
"For complete standings, see
2007–08 NHL season ."Game log
October
Record: 5–5–0; Home: 3–2–0; Road: 2–3–0
January
Record: 4–5–4; Home: 1–1–2; Road: 3–4–2
April
Record: 2–1–0; Home: 0–0–0; Road: 2–1–0
Awards and records
Records
Milestones
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ee also
*
2007–08 NHL season References
*Player stats: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/stats?team=buf Buffalo Sabres player stats] on espn.com
*Schedule: [http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=TeamSchedule Buffalo Sabres schedule] on sabres.com
*Game log: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/schedule?team=buf Buffalo Sabres game log] on espn.com
*Team standings: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/standings NHL standings] on espn.com
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