You can feel the playoff energy in Buffalo, and now that excitement is helping boost the local blood supply.

“Just yesterday we had 174 people make appointments. On a typical day I’d say it’s probably about 60-70,” ConnectLife’s Blood Donor Communications Supervisor, Zachary Kineke, told 2 On Your Side. “So it was an incredible response from people already.”

That surge comes as ConnectLife rolls out a special incentive tied to the Buffalo Sabres playoff run.

All donors this month are automatically entered to win a pair of 200-level tickets to every Sabres home playoff game in April.

“Every April donor is a part of every April drawing,” Kineke said. “If the Sabres, fingers crossed, play playoff games in May, it will start over and everyone who comes in in May will be entered for every May game.”

ConnectLife says the playoff push is coming at a crucial time for donations.

“Before this boost we got yesterday, this week was looking pretty light because we have a lot of schools on spring break and we rely on school blood drives for a lot of what we do,” Kineke said. “We are also trying to get well stocked before the summer, because again schools are off.”

While the tickets are a big incentive, the real goal is saving lives across Western New York.

“We hope that for a lot of people, the impact that you’re making on the community is the big driver, but for some people they need that little extra push,” Kineke said. “Maybe for a Sabres fan, the idea that you might get to go see the first playoff game in a decade and a half is enough for you to say hey, I can spend twenty minutes of my day going out there and making sure that three people in Western New York have the blood that they need to survive.”

Donations made through ConnectLife stay local, helping hospitals across the region maintain safe blood supplies. You can find a donation center or blood drive near you on ConnectLife’s website.

All donors in the month of April will also receive a shirt celebrating the organization’s partnership with the Sabres.

“We’re lucky to have them. They’re part of the community, we’re part of the community, and when they succeed we succeed,” Kineke said.