The Electric City. Nickle City. Queen City. City of No Illusions. Buffalo, New York , has accrued many nicknames over the years but, in an age of growing tensions between two traditional allies, one among them has taken on extra resonance: the City of Good Neighbors. Buffalo, which sits at the head of the Niagara River, has cultivated a reputation for its small-town feel and welcoming atmosphere, especially to visitors crossing the border from Canada . This week, ahead of a key ice hockey match between two US teams, singer Cami Clune began what has been a tradition for more than half a century: a rendition of the Canadian national anthem. The Buffalo Sabres are an outlier in the National Hockey league as the only team to celebrate their northern neighbours – even when a matchup is between two US-based teams. But as Clune began with the opening refrain, her microphone malfunctioned and her voice cut out. A crowd of nearly 20,000 filled the silence . The vast majority were American – and knew all the words.…