picture pages

Since I am *not* currently on my way to vacation in New Zealand (darn weather), I am going to post some pics from last week's Caps game. :)



So serious all the time. Very focused.




He is quite possibly the smoothest skater I have ever seen. I could watch him skate all day and not get bored.



That's my boy! I know that guy. :)



Oh yeah, and some Ovechkin guy was there too!

that is that

I haven't been posting about the Sabres much lately because I have been super busy and they just aren't interesting me much right now. Derek Roy is out, and he's not the only reason I watch the boys, but he helps. They haven't been playing very inspired hockey lately and I don't want to watch it.

Now I'm hardly throwing in the towel and giving up my hockey fandom (I've been through worse, believe me) but it's harder to fit the games in right now..

All that being said, I was AT the game today and I have a few thoughts:

-The game wasn't terrible but the Sabres just couldn't finish a play to save their lives. They had some looks (and a lot of funny bounces) but couldn't bury the biscuit. Ugh.
- I don't know how many times I have to say it but please, for the love of everything, GET THE HECK RID OF TIM CONNOLLY! He's worthless and frustrating and lazy and I am so sick of him I could just cry!
-I still love Nathan Gerbe. :) And the fact that he looks like somebody's kid brother who's just tagging along with the big boys.
-They were SO undisciplined in the first period. People were booing and jeering the calls but honestly, those were legit penalties. The refs were maybe calling the game a bit tighter than sometimes, but the Sabres were being careless and they got caught. Plain and simple. So shut your bellyaching and move along.
-Miller was pretty solid today. He made some stellar saves (especially on the 5-on-3) but his boys couldn't give him any help up front. Rough.
-It's SO WEIRD to go to hockey games at 12:30pm. Does. not. compute.

But by far the highlight of the day was seeing my boy Tyler Sloan playing for Washington. This is the fourth time I've seen him, and it's still amazing. I saw his first professional game in Dayton back in 2002. I knew him personally! I interviewed him on my radio show. I gave him a ride in my car. I have his game-worn jersey from Syracuse. (which I wore, of course.) He knows my name. And he's playing in the NHL. SO COOL. :) I got some good pics of him too, which I will post eventually. Too tired to deal with it tonight.

(and one of these days I will get to a game early enough that I can show my cheezy sign I made a year and a half ago and he will see it and know that I am at the game and maybe I'll get a smile or a wave or something. one day...I blame the schedulers, who contrive to make Caps games on bad days and at weird times so I can NEVER get there early. grumble.)

Happy Hockey Day Across America!

C'est fini.

WOOOOT

DEREK ROY SCORED A GOAL! YAY!

Also, Tyler Sloan scored a goal for the Caps tonight. He's been randomly playing on the left wing. Good for him! :)

Yay hockey! More to come- I was AT the game tonight and I have some thoughts but I'm really tired.

Making the Cut

HE MADE IT! Tyler Sloan is on the opening night roster for the Capitals!
Article Here

I particularly liked this quote from Boudreau:
On Sloan over Alzner:
"Tyler Sloan was our best defenseman in camp, so what kind of reward or justice would that have been to send him down today. We had nine, and it was really hard to send Karl down, because he played really well, too. At this stage, he was the easiest guy to send down. As reasonings go, and this is what I told Karl, sometimes the salary cap hurts you, sometimes it helps you. And in this case, it hurt us."

Wheeeeee! :) Now I just hope he can stay.

bits and bites

a few quick items..

*The Sabres closed out their pre-season with a 7-6 win over the Leafs. So far scoring has not been a problem in the preseason and we've seen some cool stuff. I hope they take the "complete game" thing to heart. We'll see on FRIDAY! It's almost here..

*He's at it again:
"Road" trippin with Patrick Sharp . He's so silly.

*Sloaner is still with the Caps. They have 7 d-men from last year and he and Alzner are the 2 new guys trying to crack the lineup. He had an assist today and was a +2 for the game.. not too shabby. He's been playing really well and he would have to clear waivers to be sent back to the AHL so that is actually something in his favor, because they don't want to lose him.. so he could actually start with the Caps. WOOOO! :)

That's all for now. I'll probably do some more get ready for hockey posts soon. :)

woooot!

Sloaner scored a goal last night! :)

And Coach Boudreau had this to say about him:
*Tyler Sloan also received some praise from Boudreau. The defenseman was solid all night and blocked four shots. "He certainly played good," Boudreau said. "I thought he was as good as we had."

Not too shabby, eh? My boy is making a case to stay with the big club this year. :) Awwwwwww

GET READY

I have tickets to the Sabres/Caps game in 2 weeks! :)

And I expect that my boy Sloaner will be playing for the Caps- they signed him to a 1 year, 2-way deal last year. I just read they re-signed him-- and since he played 26 games in the reg season last year(and 2 playoffs!), (and was pretty decentI imagine they'll give him a good look in the preseason.

So that being said, I need to think up a sign to make for that game, so I can catch his attention! I will wear his jersey of course- but I want him to notice me. (and then I can freak him out because the last time he saw me I was in Salt Lake City, LOL) I may try to go to practice that day- dunno if the pre-season practices are open to the public or not, esp. when it's the other team, but it's worth investigating non? And I really do know him, I'm not making that up. ;)

I found some great articles about his NHL playoff debut- which can be viewed here and here if you are interested.

I AM SO READY FOR HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY!!!!!!

Pre-seasonings

Oooh the Caps are coming to town in pre-season! September 17. I think I can probably be there for that, especially if T-Sloan is playing! (which he quite likely could be. He's still got the 2-way contract, and he spent a good chunk of time with the Caps last year so they'll probably give him a good look in pre-season.) YAY!

If he is playing and I do go (planning on both) then I should make a sign or something so I can get his attention and say hi! :) I miss him..

Hockey time

First off, WE INTERRUPT THIS PATRICK SHARP FANGIRL SQUEEING TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT-

TODAY IS DEREK ROY'S 26TH BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROYZIE!

You may be a bit of a brat, and somewhat inconsistent in your scoring, but you are still my favorite Sabre. I hope you'll have a fantastic year. :)

Watching the Caps/Pens tonight. My man Sloaner is playing for Washington!!!!! HIs first NHL playoff game- I'm so excited for him. He also has an assist. :):):):) I KNOW THAT GUY!

Ovie had a hat trick. So did Sid. My goodness, but the League powers that be must be dying over this.. and YAY the Caps won! :)

I'm currently watching Oklahoma!, the stage version starring Hugh Jackman. Ahhh I've seen it before but it's quite enjoyable. So I'm back to that, just had to share those announcements. :)

news

http://capitals.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=412807

T-Sloan is back in the NHL! :)

I know y'all don't care about some minor leaguer I used to know, but it's exciting to me.

AND I dreamed that he was back in WSH just a few nights ago.. it was Thursday I think. Eerie.

I know that guy!

He played! He was in the starting lineup even. Though the stats people were not on top of their game, they announced #89- Tyler Sloan as a scratch, then 2 seconds later announced him as a starter. LOL I knew that he was playing because we got there later than I wanted, but still at the end of warmups so I saw him out there. I got as close as I could to the ice, but not enough to yell at him and get his attention. I was a bit sad about that but it was still killer to see my guy playing in the show! :) I wore his Syrcause Crunch game worn jersey which got me some weird looks LOL and a comment from a Caps fan which was amusing. Underneath it I had on my Roy Sabres jersey LOL just in case Sloaner wasn't playing.

Oh and here's another fun picture for you- when I busted out my Christmas ornaments a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of this one that I have from a few years back:


yes, that is an ornament decorated BY Tyler Sloan! I won it in a raffle done by the Dayton Bombers back in 2002. Pretty sweet, eh? I was the first hockey fan he met in the Dayton area- I drove him and another guy to pick up their rental car when they got sent down to Dayton from Syracuse on the first game of the season. That's right kids, a guy who is currently playing in the NHL has been in my car! And he knows my name. Sweet, eh?

So the Sabres sucked out loud tonight. They were terrible. The passing was horrid, they weren't being physical (except Goose, and even he took a while to get going) and they played like they were asleep for the first period. It was awful.

I listened to the rants on the post-game show about how this team has no depth- that's not the problem. They have NO HEART. All those games they won a few years ago were not so much talent as EFFORT and WILL and HEART. They need to find that and then I think they will be winning and playing a lot better. I watched "Miracle" last night and it is a great movie.. I think some of Herb Brooks' lines could be applicable here: "You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't HAVE enough talent to win on talent alone." Or "I know there's more to you, a whole other level that for some reason you don't want to go to."

What happened to those guys? They are the same people.. they just don't want to work hard right now. Like Lindy said, it has to come from them. I just hope they find it, and soon because this is painful and embarassing to watch.

I'm going to the Winter Classic II on Thursday and leaving for Chicago early tomorrow so I may be out of touch for a few. I'll post back when I can and I'm sure I'll have a full review and pics of the GAME for y'all to see. Hope everybody has a safe, fun and Happy New Year! :)

oh my goodnesss

So... guess who is GOING to the Winter Classic II in Chicago next week?

ME!! My sis and friend found some tickets so we are going. I am super excited. It won't be Buffalo but it will still be hockey I care about (the Wings) and a very good friend and my very best friend, my sister! :) Woooohhoooo!

Also, for my Christmas present to myself, I bought tickets for my sis and I to see the Washington Capitals (AND TYLER SLOAN!) play the Sabres next Tuesday. WOOHOO! If the Caps send him down before Tues I'll cry. (I am pretty sure they won't but still..) I am mad excited.

Hockey hockey hockey!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas Day and continues to enjoy the season.

I KNOW THAT GUY!!!

Tyler Sloan makes his NHL debut for Washington

And who is Tyler Sloan, you may ask? just a guy who used to play for the Dayton Bombers- and I KNOW HIM! Like Tyler and I aren't close personal friends, but he knows who I am and if I saw him on the street he would say hello and stop to talk to me. and HOLY HELL he's playing in the NHL tonight!! In front of his home town! AWWWWW that's so great.

How cool is it to say I actually know a guy in the NHL? That is badass. Seriously I do not make this up people. I even have one of his game worn jerseys from Syracuse. So cool. I'm so smiley about it too. Congrats Sloaner!!! :)

Maybe he'll still be there the next time the Caps are on tv. That would be even crazier.

Oh and good job Sabres. I didn't see any of the game, but caught the end of OT and the shootout on the radio. Well played lads, this 2-1 in the shootout and 5-0-1 overall is a good thing. But next time let's not get down 2-0 to have to claw back and win in a shootout, eh? Otherwise, we're all good. Carry on. :)