Fans who were unable to attend last night's Sharks-Sabres due to record snowfall in the area will be "allowed to exchange their tickets for another game," according to John Vogl of the BUFFALO NEWS. Tickets "can be exchanged at Sabres.com or at the arena box office" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 11/18). In Buffalo, James Fink notes a "sparse crowd attended the game, which was held despite urging from local elected leaders that the contest be postponed." Erie County Exec Mark Poloncarz said, "I don't know why they didn't do it (postpone the game). The Sabres are a business and they made their own decision" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/19). Also in Buffalo, Mike Harrington notes with many "snowbound fans unable to get downtown, the game was played in front of a crowd the Sabres estimated at around 6,200." The team said that "more than 17,000 tickets were distributed." The Sabres "stayed in contact with the NHL much of the day and the nationally televised affair went on at the league’s behest for a variety of factors." Among the reasons the game was not postponed was because the Sharks and game officials already "were in town." There also was "virtually no snow downtown or to the north and no driving ban in the arena environs." A postponement "would have been tough to make up" as the Sharks "don’t come East again until late March, when they already have a six-game roadie scheduled" (BUFFALO NEWS, 11/19). Harrington writes, "As you would imagine, it was a weird atmosphere. ... You could hear players talking from the press box." Sabres RW Brian Gionta after the game said, "It's one of those games you can certainly get lulled to sleep, lose that energy. You've got to create it from within. ... We've got to give credit to the fans that came out and supported us" (BUFFALO NEWS, 11/19).
