A cool breeze danced through the lower level of LaSalle Station as dozens of eager Buffalo Sabres fans awaited the light rail.

I clutched my copy of The Record as the train car pulled into the station, only intensifying the breeze. I hoped to finally dissect this issue’s crossword on my way to Canalside.

The passengers inside the car all collectively jolted as the train came to a halt, and BANG, the metal doors slammed open, acting as an invitation to come aboard.

I walked in, hoping to find a seat as I gazed into the vast sea of blue and gold. After getting about two steps, the doors slammed shut. My left hand found the nearest grab strap, and we were off.

I could feel my fingers losing circulation, so I let up on the strap a bit and continued to enjoy the ride as all of the passengers and I shook around like an atom.

A clink signaled an empty beer can being retired to the floor, and I looked up to see the golden liquid glistening in a beer sabre as an antsy fan prepared to drink from the coveted chalice.

The golden blade of the sabre was soon clear again, and sunlight began to shine through the plastic tube as we emerged from the depths of the Nickel City.

I looked out the windows, amazed. Sabres fans roamed as far as the eye could see, all trying to get to the nucleus at Canalside. Many hoped to hitch a ride, but the roar of “OO, AH, SABRES ON A WARPATH” rang out of the subway doors into the streets, which signaled that the car was full.

Once we reached the final stop, the doors opened, and it was off to the races. Friends re-united with their groups, and kids were hoisted onto parents’ shoulders. Without an exact plan of where we were going, the only choice was to follow the mob, and follow the mob we did.

The sound of empty cans being tossed into a recycling bin and an occasional BEEP from the metal detector meant we were almost in. After being funneled through the security checkpoint, I was met with a surreal view.

To my left, the most impressive array of porta-potties I’ve ever seen in my life. There must’ve been 30 or more, each with a little cluster of fans waiting to relieve themselves. In the distance, food trucks of all sorts, Caribbean, Mexican, American, and many more.

There was a weird spot in the middle of the field where you could get a little whiff of both the plastic bathrooms and the food trucks, so you didn’t want to stay in that grey area for too long.

Already amazed by the space granted to express our fandom, this wasn’t even half of it. The food trucks and the bar opened to one of the best views I’ve ever seen in my life.

This view gave me a contagious feeling of joy as the sunshine worked alongside the DJ to make an April day feel like the fourth of July.

With about 40 minutes until puck drop, exploring needed to be done, and the first stop was the waterfront. I made my way through groups of people singing, dancing, eating, and laughing until I was met with the guardrail in front of the Buffalo River.

The sun bounced off the water, adding to the brightness as it reflected onto the nearby silos and naval ship. This was the part that you don’t see on TV. It’s not just about being cramped up against a fence to watch the game.

Walking around a bit more, we saw our seventh homemade Stanley Cup and were turned around when a Ryan Miller cosplayer rolled by us on skates in the full goalie getup.

The music cut, and the voice of Brian Duff, MSG studio host, alerted the crowd that the game was starting. After settling in, a spot about 15 feet from the fence felt just right for watching the game.

Former finalist from NBC’s “The Voice,” Cami Clune got the party started with “O Canada.” The fans on the Canalside lawn all turned into a choir singing the foreign tune that felt so familiar. But “O Canada” was just the start.

As Clune sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” thousands of us involuntarily sang along with her in what was a beautiful moment. The only thing everyone was focused on was the next lyric and if they could sing it louder than the person next to them.

“USA! USA! USA!” chants broke out, and excitement was at an all-time high. The game had begun.

The sounds of skates grinding on ice and bodies slamming into the boards rang through the speakers, followed by oos and ahhs from the fans. The crowd noise from the broadcast, combined with all of us chanting outside, made for one of the most insane sporting environments I’ve ever been apart of.

Quickly into the game, the Sabres were on a power play. The uneven matchup had all of us fans on our tiptoes for no other reason than nerves; we could see the giant screens fine.

Three minutes and 35 seconds into the game, Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres captain, rifled one into the back of the net. We went wild.

Thousands of hands slapping together rocked Canalside, and one collective celebratory scream rang for a good 45 seconds straight. We made for a rowdy bunch encapsulated by this team’s journey as we have made it our own.

Our eyes darted back and forth as the Sabres and Bruins battled it out on the big screen. The sun began to set, and the brightness of the ice called for me to keep my sunglasses on.

With the 9:08 p.m. ride back home in the back of my mind and the time ticking down in the second period, the Bruins tied up the game just before we were about to trek back to the station.

With class at 8 a.m. the next day and a lengthy commute back to LaSalle station, we stuck to the plan and left following this goal. The radius of the porta-potty stench lengthened throughout the night and ambushed us on the way out, so some pep was implemented into our step.

Thinking it was early, the light rail doors opened at 8:59 p.m. We hopped on, and we were moving by 9:01 p.m. Hopefully, nobody was relying on the original schedule.

On the way home, open seats were plentiful, and after a day of standing, it hit the spot.

The ride home was silent aside from a young boy who was learning to count to ten. He sat alongside his mother. “Six, seven, eight, nine.” Stumped by what was next, his mother chimed in, “ten.”

A more tame ride home was the perfect setup to go home and get to bed.

The Sabres did, unfortunately, lose 2-1 in overtime, so it’s on to game six on May 1 to see where their fate lies.

If you’d like to see the experience for yourself, check out the full YouTube video from the day below!