yahoo!

The Sabres are in!

The Blackhawks are in! (but they are playing the Canucks, which means one of my 2 western loves will be gone after round 1. Boo on that.)

The game last night was a hoot- but something happened to me that's never happened in all my years of watching hockey. During warmups, a puck fell on my head. Now I say "fell on my head" because I didn't see it coming at all. I was sitting in row 3, by the Sabres end, watching them and pointing out players to my nephew.. when all of a sudden I feel this THWACK on the back of my head.. it was a puck. Don't know where it came from (obviously the ice, but I dunno who shot it) and I have no clue where it went.. but ouch! I was fine- it hurt but no damage was done. I was just happy it was me and not the 5-yr old I was with. Wish I had gotten the puck though!

But the Sabres won and we had a wonderful time- my 2 nephews were leading the opposing "Let's go Jackets" and "Let's Go Buffalo" chanting in our section.. it was adorable. :)

Let's Go Buffalo indeed.

speechless

Well, I could make a speech, but it would be based on nothing substantial and just thrown together off the top of my head. Now, granted, I am good at this (I do have a degree in Communications, AKA, "A B.A. in B.S.", as we often joked. But to speak about the Sabres' play of late, I would have to be informed, and information comes from watching hockey games, something I have done very little of lately. Not because I don't like the Sabres- and they have been playing some pretty solid hockey in the last while, but because my life has been very busy. Nothing new there, but I'm missing out on some great games in a tight playoff race.

All that drabble there is to (take up space?) say, Keep up the good work, Sabres. I wish to see more of you in the future. We have a date on Saturday in Columbus, and I'm looking forward to it. 'Til then..

what the what

I was joined at tonight's Sabres game by the one and only Heather B. and we had a great time.

The Sabres decided to show up tonight and played some solid defence-- and Ryan Miller was ON the money as well. Gerbe had a sweet goal that he worked hard for (seems to be a common refrain these days) and Vanek took advantage of a loose puck in front of Brodeur for the easy tap-in to make it 2-0. And there it stood for the rest of the game. (Vanek was all smiles after his goal- as well he should be- those are usually the ones that inexplicably get away!)

it was an excellent night. Heather and I had some quality conversation about the state of the Sabres and hockey and whatnot. :) We also got to get up close and personal with the Sabres and Devils (and Henrik Tallinder and Adam Mair- who I keep forgetting is a Devil. Amusingly enough, I found myself thinking Brad Boyes was Mair a few times tonight.. that's going to take some getting used to.) All in all, a wonderful game. Fitting for my last (regular season at least) game in our seats. We are not renewing the season tickets for next year, so it'll be back to scrapping up a few games a year in the 300 level. Bye 2nd row, it's been nice knowing you!

In other news, I am going to marry Nathan Gerbe and have his little fun-sized babies. (don't tell Derek Roy!) :) I love that man right now-- he is really turning it on and he works SO hard.

I wonder as I wander

So the Sabres seem to be on quite a roll these days. I saw the end of last night's game- and that smokin OT goal by the new guy. What spunk, what drive-- who are these Sabres and where have they been all my life?

Good on them. :) I will continue my practice of sort of ignoring them, because they seem to play better when I do. I can take one for the team.. for a while at least. Doesn't mean I don't care, just means I know when to not care. Or something of the sort.

In other news... anyone heard or seen anything about Derek Roy lately? I miss my boy- haven't heard a peep about his rehab since January. I wonder how he's doing. Maybe I'll send a note to the Sabres suggestion box that they give him a shout..

strange happenings are afoot

Jochen Hecht Scored!

Mike Grier Scored! (on a breakaway?WHAAAAAT?)

The Sabres beat the Senateurs OF DOOM!

Now, beat the Red Wings (you can do it, remember October of last year), trade Stafford and Connolly, and I may be ready to talk to you guys again when I get back from vacation. (assuming I actually get to leave tomorrow, unlike today.)

Peace out homies. I may try to follow trades when I'm in the Southern Hemisphere, but no guarantees.

what a game

I feel like I should write something since I was at the game tonight (3rd in a row!) ..

It was an intense game and there were so many frickin Habs fans there it was annoying! The ones around us were mostly okay but the 2 girls in the row in front of us were just obnoxious. They weren't wearing any pants (tights are NOT pants) and we could see the one girl's underwear- classy, eh? Ugh and they kept standing up and pounding on the glass and smashing themselves on the glasss- it was gross. And then they kept yelling at the random Leafs fans behind us- 1967 *which is, of course, the last time the Leafs won the Cup.* Honestly, it was funny for about a minute- but they kept saying it.. and then we'd cheer "let's go Buffalo" and they'd say "Never won a Stanley Cup". Woo. It's the middle of the regular season. Montreal hasn't won since 1993 so get with the times. And they were only up by 1 goal but they were so cocky about it- so we cheered extra loud and hard when the Sabres scored. And during overtime, we all went NUTS and they just sat there and whimpered. HA!

The poor Canadiens though- they lost about a zillion players tonight- their guys were dropping like flies. That's never fun- and most of them were just random plays or getting hit by pucks or falling wrong. No fun at all.

Nathan Gerbe had a little scrum with (gaghurl) Scott Gomez. It was amazing. Gerbe rocks my socks. :) He's so feisty and little!

I really love it when the Sabres win when I'm there because I get to see Patrick Lalime do his little victory dance- it's so cute! He has different moves for each player too- he and Montador (whom I also love) have a strange sort of routine going on.. it's hilarious to watch. :) He may not be the best goalie, but I have a soft spot for Patty Lalime- he seems like a fun guy!

Speaking of Steve Montador- he is very flexible. He has a stretching routine he does before the start of each period and WOW it's nice to watch. Sorry, had to get that out there.

There were some serious bullshit penalties tonight. The "goalie interference" on Gerbe was crap- he got shoved into Price- not his fault! And the Kaleta one at the end of the period was uncool. It was right in front of me- he was shooting the puck AS the buzzer went off. He didn't know how much time was on the clock. Crappy call there too. But the ref made up for a little bit later on one of the calls, I forget which one. The Gomez high-sticking was a little scary- any lower and he would have removed Gerbe's head! It was vicious, and I'm glad they called it, even though he made little contact. I hate that punk.

It was a fun night overall. And I didn't have to beat anyone up- that was lucky. :)

good job boys

Geeeez..

This Sabres game is something else.

So far we're 3-0 and wow- this is the most complete game I've seen from the Sabres. It's not over yet but I like what's going on. Lots of scrappin, some goals, some great teamwork.

And all against Columbus, a team which usually beats us.

Some rough stuff:
McCormick has words with Commodore.
Monty had a little tussle with Boll- he did okay- especially considering his opponent.
And then..
All the Kaleta haters need to back off a little after that tilt with Dorsett. That was some old school minor-league style brawling right there. Nice job!

And some random, out of order thoughts:

Royzie's pass on the 2nd goal was SICK. That whole play was well executed. The boys are actually playing like a TEAM instead of a bunch of punks who've never met.

Now we're at 4-0. No, make that 5-0. WOWZERS.

Of course this would happen. I was going to go to the game tonight.. but things got a little crazy during the day. I was planning to take my nephew but my sis wanted him to go to this other thing so I said.. whatev. But then I couldn't find a friend to go with me on such short notice.. and I didn't feel like going alone. I also wasn't feeling terribly great- been having a headache (it's sort of sinus-y and PMS-y-- a gross combo) for the last 2 days, plus I was tired. AND the Sabres always play like crap against CBJ so I wasn't worried about this being a good game.

Well whaddya know? They have the frickin BEST GAME OF THE SEASON tonight. Oh well. I knew if I had gone they would have lost so if I stayed home they'd win.. figures.

yeah yeah

SABRES hockey is baaaaaaaack!

Royzie scored the first goal for the Sabres. Man was it pretty.. wooooweee. :) Good job, lad. :)

Can we PLEASE just part ways with Connolly now? I am tired of his lazy play. Get some hustle, bro. Lindy needs to put Niedermayer on the 2nd line, keep Goose at 3rd and throw Gerbe in the mix on the 4th line and let Connolly sit. I would take 42 Gerbes over one Timmay. Sick. Of. Him.

Can I say how happy I am that Sabre-killer Spezza isn't playing tonight? It's such a relief. my dude is like the boogeyman for the Sabres. It's better when he's not there. Alfie has been suspiciously quiet tonight too. (knock on wood) In fact, all the Sens seem to be a bit slow. Fine by me. :)

Gotta go do some laundry. Last time I left the room, Royzie scored. ;)Didn't work this time.. maybe when I go to put my nephews to bed in a little while..

Nope, kids are in bed and still the score is 1-1. 3rd period now.

WOOOOO Royzie with another goal. Vanek was on the doorstep, so even if it hadn't bounced off Leclaire's skate, he probably would have popped it in. Either way, a goal is a goal. 2-1 Sabres!

Oh my goodness the end of this game is crazy. 1.3 seconds left? ahhh just end it!

YAY! Sabres WIN! Over Ottawa, even. Way to go boys! YYYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

**though I'm a little worried about Royzie. He blocked that Kovalev shot point blank late in the game on the penalty kill. It clearly was hurting him but he gutted it out and finished the shift and blocked another shot (he shared that one with Pommers.) I don't believe he was on the ice any more during the game. Then at the end when they won, he was sitting on the end of the bench (they did a pan of the bench and Lindy walked by and patted him on the head.. lol) and he did jump on the ice but didn't go all the way over to the congratulatory line for Ryan Miller. He just came out at the end... doesn't look good, but I hope he's just a little sore and it's nothing serious. My boy is on fire, you can't shut him down now with an injury!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

Post game EDIT: Just saw the new Green Team commercial. How adorable is Goose? And Hellllooooo Mr. Montador. I LIKE the new hair. I liked it long but the short and messy thing might be even hotter. Not gonna lie, I have the hots for Monty. :)

damn it feels good to be a gangsta

WOW. I went to the Sabres/Flyers game tonight and it was fun.

Now, granted, the Flyers were really the Philly Phantoms (AHL) and I had only heard of about 4 guys on the ice (literally, I think the only names I recognized were Shelly, Carcillo, Guerin and Mezaros.) But all of that is beside the point because the Sabres scored 9 BEAUTIFUL goals and won the game 9-3 after falling down 2-0 about 5 minutes in.

It was a ton of fun. I had my youngest nephew with me and he had a good time counting all the goals and cheering. :) It was great to be back in my brother-in-law's awesome seats in section 116. I missed hockey in a serious way. :) I know it was just the preseason, but the Sabres played hard all night and didn't give up when they had the game in the bag. Every goal was a work of art and many were from a lot of determination and excellent passing.

I love love love the Roy-Stafford-Ennis line. Such energy, such skill! Sign me up. (and don't lose it, boyos!)

I still hate Tim Connolly. He looked completely useless and LAZY out there tonight. In a game your team is DOMINATING, you should be more involved. Blah on him.

And Royzie was top-notch tonight. He was all over the place. THIS is the Royzie we know he can be.. lets just hope he remembers it too. : )

Let's Go Buffalo!!!

I am SO ready for the season.

the kids are alright

Helllllooo Tyler Ennis. I don't know if I've said it here or not but man I like that kid. He is the real deal and he is so fun to watch. Lots of moxie, and tons of speeeeeed. :) Tennis the Menace indeed.

And Nathan Gerbe looked great in his playoff debut. I love him, every time he plays I just want to grab him and squish him. He's SO LITTLE!

I've also been very impressed with McCormick. He's not as flashy and Gerbe and Ennis but he's a tough kid who hits everything that moves and he's got some quick feet himself.

What a fun game tonight. The building was rocking again, of course and the boys finally gave us a proper effort. (FOR THE WHOLE GAME!) I must say though, I felt much better with a 3 goal lead than the dreaded 2 goal lead. No real meltdowns, though they let Boston have a ton of chances in the 3rd, they also kept the pressure on themselves.

Lots of hitting, lots of blocked shots, lots of hustle and calm, smart play. Ennis's move to snag the puck and pass it to Roy who set up Pommers for the 2nd goal was just SICK. There were a couple of moves like that tonight. The Sabres finally showed that they can play hard and solid for 60 minutes and it totally paid off for them. Good job, boys. :)

A few notes:

-What do we have to do to get Tim Connolly to HIT SOMEBODY? He shies away from contact more than any hockey player I've ever seen. It's absurd. I'm sorry dude, but if Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy can hit Chara (and they both did, separately and together), then you can frickin lay a hit on someone.. anyone. You're a big enough dude. Quit being a wuss.

-I'm seeing shades of the old sparkplug Royzie that I miss so dearly. He really seems to thrive playing with Ennis and Gerbe. (maybe cuz they're all the same size.. lol) Whatever it is, he needs to keep doing it. He played hard tonight and had an assist on the scoreboard but was good all around.

-GOOOOOOOSE! He was very much a leader on the ice tonight, by example. He and Grier were going hard all night and the rest of the boys too their cue from those two and actually got involved physically as well. I usually like Goose, but I thought he was looking a bit rough in the last few games. Glad to see him back in form.

-I hate Chara. 'Nuff said. He was a -2 tonight! YAY!

-In the post-game interviews, Paul Hamilton asked Gaustad if he slashed Chara to start that scrum at the end of the game and Goose said "I don't know. Did I?" It cracked me up. I was literally in my car laughing. Just his tone of voice.. so innocent. awesome.

The mood tonight was crazy after the game. People were cheering and dancing in the streets and just acting wild. It made me laugh because this wasn't even a deciding game. But it does mean that the Sabres have at least one more game.. and if we're lucky, at least 2 more...

Let's Go Buffalo!

Let's go Buffalo!

So I'm back to my proper Sabres-supporting self. I did wear my Devils shirt under the Sabres jersey, and flashed it to some folks behind us as a way of authenticating my Devils fan-ness but I was cheering for Buffalo tonight loudly and proudly. :)

I thought the game was fun. It had some frustrating and some slightly boring parts but overall it was an enjoyable experience. Royzie- ahem I mean Mair (I didn't see him touch it at all, must have been a deflection?) scored a beautiful goal that I saw from start to finish- as it happened right in front of me. I often miss the actual goals at the arena because there is so much going on that the goal itself is lost on me, but rather the sensation of scoring, and the puck in the net are all clear, where the logistics of the goal fade away. This one was clear as day- it looked like slow-motion going in. It was really cool to watch.

And that play in the 2nd period.. was it the 2nd? when the puck totally crossed the line but the Sabres swiped it out last minute and then played out about 2 more minutes of clock time before the whistle-- I swear that was a goal. And I thought that in days past the team could ask for a review by the next whistle but maybe that rule is dead or maybe they just didn't want to bother but it looked like it went over to me. Anyone who say the game on tv want to weigh in on this? Just curious.

The people sitting around us tonight were great. There was a cute guy next to me, a SUPER cute guy right behind my friend, so I could see him out of the corner of my eye by turning to see her, then another hottie (in a Devils jersey no less) down the row, and even one of the ice cleaner fellas was looking pretty fine. It was a nice night for some eye candy. Then there was a dude in the first row who kept banging on the glass like a crazy man any time the Devils were close- it was hilarious. He would stand up and dance and just act like a moron but in the funniest way possible. We were all laughing at him.. then the ghuy next to me stood up and clapped when Kaleta smashed a Devil right in front of us and I lost my mind laughing. It maybe was something you had to be there for but it just struck me as really funny in relation to the other dude and I laughed, and then I couldn't stop laughing. It was so random and just absurd.

And as usual, I got to enjoy the stylin hair of the Zamboni driver- this time I took some pics of him. We named him 'Twister', which is a tribute to his '80s hair and rockin style. We also named one of the ice cleaner guys 'The Boss' because well, he looks like he's in charge. Or at least he looks like he *thinks* he's in charge. Too much fun. I shall share pics eventually, but I'm tired.

All in all, a good night. Fun crowd (at least around us), decent game- some fine work by Mr. Miller tonight-, got to see MARTY- which is always grand-, and the Sabres got a WIN! I like it!

what a game!

WOWZERS.

As terribly as the Sabres played on Monday, they were that good tonight. I know the grammar in that sentence is atrocious, but you know what I mean, right?

That was some kickin stuff. A few highlights because I'm too tired to string together anything coherent:

-Ryan Miller was brilliant tonight. He made some sick saves to keep the Sabres in it.
-'Call him Hank, Call him Henrick, Call him Tallinder' absolutely OWNED everybody on his goal! (and I LOVED RJ's call of it which I heard on the post-game) It's too bad you can't get an assist on your own goal, because he would have had one. He's really been great over the last few months. ;)
-WOOOO Nathan Gerbe! He played with tons of energy and was very involved in the play all night. A little sparkplug.
-I thought Hecht did a great job of shadowing Ovie (and Semin and Backstrom too) tonight. It seemed that every time Ovie got near the pick, YoYO was all over him. It worked!
-I am still more than a little enamored of Steve Montador. His post-game interview was cute when he talked about how Gerbe was a huge body in front of the net. LOL
-I wore my Tyler Sloan jersey but totally cheered for the Sabres! Sloaner didn't have the best night. He was on the ice for 2 of the Sabres goals. Whoops! And he still thinks he's a defenceman though he's playing on the wing. Oh well, he's still an amazing skater.
-Speaking of Sloaner, I made him a sign, but didn't get there in time to show it during warmups. I am always running late... maybe next time! IT was still sweet to get to see him play.
-All around, it was a fantastic group effort, something I wish we'd see more of from the Sabres. If they can play like this every night they would really be somewhere.

-AND PLEASE, someone tell me that you saw Lalime 'dancing' after the game as he was passing out head nuzzles and high-fives? It was totally awesome and I wish I had it on video. I think it's cute how he is always so happy for Miller when he gets a shutout or a big win. Lalime is a good team player!!

And that's about all I have for now. Stay safe and don't get snowed in! ;0

Wooohooooo

4 in a row!! :) Good job, Sabres. I only watched a bit of the game though. I missed the first because I was auditioning for a play.. came back to my car and it was 3-0 Sabres at the end of the 1st. Not too shabby. They scored the 4th goal while I was driving home.

Came home, turned the game on about halfway through the 2nd, and of course that nasty icky loser traitor bum Gomez scored while I was watching (and my boy Monty was on the ice too) in the 2nd. Gross. I folded laundry during intermission/the start of the 3rd and was sorta still checkin the game while visiting with my sis when the Habs scored goal #2. It was then that I turned the game off (as I told myself I would do when I got home if the boys started falling apart.) So I went off to check e-mail and such and then peeked at the score a few mins ago when there were 25 seconds on the clock and it was 5-2, then it was magically 6-2 and WOOO the Sabres won! :)

So I can't comment on the game itself but I like the score. Royzie scored again and added an assist and Pominville woke up!

C'est tout. :)

Doings around the league

Well.. what an interesting night in the NHL. Ovie (I do like him but I can't condone this) got what was coming to him- dude you don't hit someone knee on knee- it just isn't cool my man.

Bad form.

And Keith Ballard- W.T. F.??? I don't even know what to say about that.. I can get being mad when a guy misses on a breakaway but still has time to score.. but WATCH YOUR STICK! Don't hit your own goalie. Yeeeeesh.

In other news, the Sabres won and Ryan Miller got another shutout. Way to be! :) He looked so relaxed and collected after the game. He looked pretty well rested, for a guy who just played out of his mind 3 nights in the last 4. Impressive. :)

I mostly listened to the game tonight but I caught glimpses of the action as well. The radio feed and VS were not in sync, so it was like I was living in the future- I would hear things before I saw them.. weird.. so mostly I just listened and sneaked a view every so often for a replay or some such.

I did spot Monty's fight, such as it was. And I will say that kinda really dig him. I think he's hot, not gonna lie. I like me a man who isn't afraid to be scrappy. Just sayin.

Oooh shiny- Blackhawks and Blue Jackets tomorrow night. I think I'll try to watch that! :)

Whoa, the Blue Jackets scored 2 empty net goals? WOW. And tooo R. J. Umberger, good job with the hat trick, buddy.

Oooh, Drew Miller plays for the Red Wings now? That's cool.

And that's about all I have for tonight, faithful readers. Stay tuned...

something strange is going on

I'm attempting a live blog for the first time in a long time, we'll see how it goes.

This is a really bizarre game time. A lot of the games today are at odd times. I know it's the day after Thanksgiving and all but it's a Friday. Weird.

I know I've said this before but I really dislike the Flyers' uniforms. The colors are just garish and the way that the names look pasted on.. it is old and strugglin lookin. Not a fan of them at the best of times, and this throwback look makes me want to hurl- and possibly gouge my eyeballs out.

I am a little cranky today so if the Sabres start playing like crap, it's going to get ugly. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my fam- my parents, brother and one of my sisters made the trek and I have tons of things to be very thankful for. However, I am currently having hideous menstrual cramps and still suffering from what I call the 'food hangover' of Thanksgiving, this feeling huge and hurting, bad combo.

But if the Sabres decide to play well (for once) and actually WIN while I'm watching, that will make me feel better! *hint, hint*

So far I haven't commented on the game at all. That's not a good sign. Even though I've got the game on, I've been typing this and answering endless questions from the nephew (not that I mind too much, I think it's adorable that he likes hockey so much) but it's a bit distracting. I need to focus.

GOOD EFFORT, STAFFY! A nice end to end rush with Timmy and some hustle by Drew results in the Sabres first goal. :) THAT is what we need to see, hustle, initiative, and a good heads-up play. Please, sir, may I have some more?

I missed the whole Kaleta/Ross incident (was folding laundry) but I would appreciate some input about the whole deal if anybody wants to enlighten me.

I'm bothered by the fact that for some reason either my TV or the feed is declining to show me the score and time and all that. Oh wow, it just came back.

WHOAAAAA wait a minute. HOW was that a 2 minute roughing call when Richards (even if it was unintentional ) got his STICK up in Myers' face? Yeesh. And now Laperriere got whacked in the face with the puck. Man oh man.

It still feels weird to be watching hockey in the middle of the day.

Roy, when you try to run through 3 guys with the puck, it's usually not going to work. Just a note. What kind of messed up power play is this, Sabres? YOU have an extra man... did you fail to notice this? Oh, look- power play is over. Not like it mattered too much to the Sabres.

WHAT THE? Helloooo Sabres, how did you let Richards be alone in front of your net? I only could see 1 d-man on that play, and it was Montador, he was covering Carter.. who was (supposed to be) on Richards? Hmm I think it should have been Butler. Oops.

OH NO OH NO OH NO WHAT?????? How did the Flyers just score again? EWWWWWWW NO! (oh and btw, RJ, it bounced off Timmy Connolly, not Tallinder or Myers) That was a knuclepuck if I've ever seen one!

---intermission---

Awwwww Goose loooked so uncomfortable while his Dad was talking..
Royzie, what is up with that hat? LOL
Lindy also looks awkward to have his Dad talking about him.
Montador looked a bit like Royzie there, not sure what was up with that.. I've never though that before. I love his hair though, just gotta say. /fangirl
The boys are cute, they seem like they must be modest young men.
YAY thank you Sabres for FINALLY giving us a little something of the boys off the ice. I like seeing all of their dads- I hope they post that video online.. so I can re-watch it and analyze it. Hahaha

It's snowing. Like raining snow. This happens often where I live, but this is only the 2nd time it's snowed this year. I'm not one of those people who hates snow- I like it! So, it's about time. :)
---back to the game--

And, we're back! Rivet and Carcillo do a little dance (make a little love, get down tonight) and that wasn't terribly exciting. I'm a little scared of Carcillo- he's kind of a beast so I'm glad Rivet was able to live through it.

Gee guys, really? Way to negate a power play. (not like we can do anything with it anyway) Holding the Stick is just one of many hockey phrases that sound dirty. (yes, I'm 10 years old)

WOOOOOT The Sabres finally remembered that power plays mean they have ONE MORE GUY on the ice than the other team does.. and used it! Good job Goose! I mean HONK HONK HONK!

Wow, Butler is one of 2 players in the NHL born in Missouri? What an interesting stat.

Oh my, what a commotion- Rivet and Carcillo pt. 2. That was a bit more spirited... and I love how Carcillo flew over for the fight. It was a little wild.

I missed the end of the 2nd period because the little guy and I went outside to catch snowflakes for a while. But the score is still 2-2 so that's good.

---- Intermission Part 2-------
More chatting with the Papas. :) WOW Ryan Miller looks like his Dad in a serious way. I think I've noticed that before but man.. that is bustin.

I find it interesting that the Supercuts commercials only show men. Do they really think that men are the only people watching hockey? C'mon.

Goose has 6 goals for the season? Good for him. Some people (Derek Roy, I'm looking at YOU!) need to step it up..

----3rd period----
What is with the officiating today? That was obviously a high stick on Kennedy and yet no call? The Flyers guy (didn't get his name) WENT TO THE BOX. he knows he did it.. yet they can't call it? LAME.

Wow Laperriere is a hard core dude. I remember him from when I first started watching hockey. I mean, really- take a puck the mouth, go away for a while, come back with however many stitches and less 4 teeth.. and keep playing? WOW.

WOOOO Connolly- "Top Shelf where mama hides the cookies!" GOOOOOD JOB! And WOW, that was s siiiick pass by MacArthur-- 3-2 Sabres! (now, please remember how to play hockey for a while, guys.)

Harry Neal- must you always talk about how the Sabres haven't allowed a PP goal- IN THE MIDDLE of a power play? That is asking for the Flyers to score! C'mon dude, don't you understand the power of hockey superstitions? Yeesh, man!

How unnatural is Derek Roy in that stupid Celino and Barnes commercial? I mean, it's awesome that he's donating money (if he ever scores another goal) but he is a terrible actor and he can't even say 'hello I'm Derek Roy' and sound like he means it. Pathetic.. but at least it makes me laugh.

WOOOOOO Wait a second- now it's 4-2.. that line of Connolly, Stafford and MacArthur is just ON FIRE today! I like it I like it!

Um, really? The tripping call on Butler was WEAK. He was going for the puck- had the puck ON his stick, and the Flyer just ran into his stick. Once again, that is a weak call. It ended up not being a big deal as the Sabres killed that penalty, but I am not impressed.

I know why I don't do this more often.. these get long because I always find that I have more to say than I thought I did.

What happened to Goose? Why is he broken?

oooh RJ, you made my day by saying 'A little too much mustard on that one'. I love that phrase so much! :)

Oh no! Poor Rivet.. he's been so solid this game and now he goes down awkwardly into the boards. It looks like he jammed his leg/knee/something. Whatever it is, it's NOT GOOD. :(

ANd those bastards in Philadelphia frickin BOOED him! I've heard that they do that.. but I've never noticed firsthand. What a lack of class. I mean seriously that is just disgusting. Regardless of your team affiliation, they are HUMAN beings and when you see someone get hurt, you shouldn't boo him as he leaves the ice. That is just Low. I am sickened.

C'mon Ryan Miller! He has been pretty ON today, just a little over a minute left, baby.

Dude, when they showed the guys on the bench during the timeout, Mairsy looked like he was gonna kill someone with his eyes. And, just for the record, Scott Hartnell has HIDEOUS hair!

Alrighty, the Sabres won! AND (more importantly) they played a good game. Great job, guys!

quite a few

Wow, it's been some days since the last post I made. Sorry for being a hockey-slacker! I'll try to get back into it. it's not that I don't care, it's just that I've been busy this week. I haven't seen a Sabres game since the terrible effort against the Flyers. I missed that pathetic show in Boston, as I was taking in the much more entertaining "Guys & Dolls" in Springville, was having a girls night (much-needed) with my friends on Wednesday, took my nephews to see the NU Purple Eagles (lose) on Friday and at a dinner dance for church last night.

However, it seems that the Sabres are back on track, at least for the moment. I heard the end of Friday's game, and I liked what I heard. :) I've read about the other 2 and it's good stuff. I am happy that the boys are playing with an edge and standing up for each other. Royzie finally seems to have remembered how to score goals, which is great, Miller owns everyone, and we are still getting scoring from all 4 lines. There is much to be thankful for, and I just hope the boys keep pushing and don't let up just because they got a couple of wins.

I watched the first part of practice on Thursday, as the boys were at the Pepsi Center, and I was there with my nephew, as we usually are on Thursdays. He is so into hockey.. it's just super cute. And he asks me to identify all of the boys as we see them.. it's pretty funny.

Some random observations from practice:
-before hitting the ice, the Sabres usually go to the upper level of the facility to lift weights or some other manner of off-ice warmup sort of exercise. It's ONE flight of stairs, BEFORE they do any work. Yet half the guys take the elevator. Seriously, dudes? The ELEVATOR? I think they crammed 10 guys into it on Thursday for one trip. It was a bit silly. All of you Gaustad fans will be happy to know that Goose is saving energy by taking the stairs. ;)

-James Patrick is extemely foxy. I have not really, properly noticed this before but it is so true. He is just suave and very good looking. I felt that I should share this since I was really struck by it on Thursday.

-You can tell that Patrick Lalime has children by the way he notices little ones. I had my nephew with me, and we were sitting in the rink near where the Sabres took the ice. Lalime was the first player out and he looked over and smiled and waved his glove at my nephew. It was really cute. Matt Ellis also noticed and waved. This is not to take anything away from the other guys, because I understand that they are there to work and they are focused, but those small gestures really meant a lot to me and the little guy.

-I hinted at it in my previous post, but it's time to come out with it. I AM TOTALLY INTO STEVE MONTADOR. I know next to nothing about the guy, and he's not even the sort of hockey player I typically notice/go for, but there is something about him that has captured me. I've been puzzling through it in my mind for days now and I can't quite explain it, but I can no longer deny it. Maybe it's the fact that he played right defence, and because our seats are 2nd row just inside the blue line, I see him up close and personal when I go to Sabres games, maybe it's the hair (I do like a man with good looking, long, hockey hair), maybe it's the hawk-eyed gaze and how focused he is on the ice- man lemme tell ya, that dude is SUPER tuned in to the game when he's out there and concentration is HOTTT-, maybe it's his crazy gap-toothed smile, but whatever "it" is, he's got it. And I'm in. I need to research him more, and I may post about him again soon but there it is. Y'all heard it here first.

That's all for tonight, but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a fantasy hockey recap *I ignored my teams all week but actually had a decent showing* and then a very special announcement and possibly a hockey SAB. No guarantees, since this is the final week of rehearsal for a play that I'm in.. but I will try!

Holy Goal Scoring, Batman!

I actually missed most of the game tonight- I was in and out of the room and missed all of the 2nd period.. but caught the highlights and all I can say is..

HELLO Buffalo! We DISMANTLED the Red Wings tonight. Just out and out owned them up one side and down the other. I can't comment much on individual play but anytime the Sabres want to score 6 goals and only allow 2 I will take it. :) Also, superb work on the Penalty Shot, Mr. Miller.

And I forgot to set my fantasy team (again), whoops. Good thing for me I left Osgood on the bench so I didn't have to absorb his 9.16 GAA! WTF Ossie? Where you at, my man? I mean, I'm glad it happened against the Sabres but whoaa..

That's about it for the moment. I think I'll even have a hockey SAB for us tomorrow. :)

Welcome all welcome all welcome all my friends

Yippie, I went to my first (reg season) Sabres game tonight! :) It was grand.... oh how I love hockeytime!

Some thoughts on the game:

-I really liked Myers. He played pretty solidly- but he does occasionally get caught too deep in the zone- however, he was not bad for only his 2nd game. :) And his heads-up play to keep the puck in the zone for that first goal was REALLY GREAT. (and right in front of me) Good job!!

-The dudes behind me were raggin on Butler all night.. I didn't think he was that bad, but seriously, I was not happy with Hank. (sorry Heather!) He seemed lazy tonight, or slow. He shied away from contact and wasn't playing with much hustle. It was disappointing and I have no idea what is up with him but I want old Hank back.

-Royzie was decent. He made some really slick plays a few times and had some great chances.

-I really LOVED the pressure the Sabres managed to keep FOR THE WHOLE GAME. They really didn't let up the pace at all and it FINALLY paid off for them. That was really great to see because that is something they have certainly struggled with.

-Miller played very well tonight. He came up with some SICK saves and the right time to keep the boys in it. That is the Ryan Miller we all know and love and that's who we need to see night in and night out. I think his stellar play really kept the boys going.

-I liked Montador. He was good on the point during those power plays especially.

-Speaking of the power play, they have to got to get that in gear. They finally put one away after 29038098654 minutes of PP time. (which is not to say they didn't have chances galore, but it was grand for one to finally go in!) Gotta work on taking advantage of that opportunity.

-Go MacArthur. He had a rough pre-season but looked pretty great tonight with the goal (a really smart play to hold on to the puck like he did.) and an assist on Vanek's goal. Good on ya, Clarke.

-Kaleta was fantastic tonight- super feisty: fighting, hitting and drawing penalties left and right, just like he's supposed to. He's fun to watch. Goose was ready to go with Upshall too, but I think Scottie was afraid. Haha.

-Jason Labarbera. WHOA. This dude is not amazing (career stats-wise), but he sure played a good game tonight. I was somewhat surprised to see him in net after Bryz had the shutout against the Pens last night, but it worked out pretty well. The Sabres had 39 shots on goal, and he stopped all but 37. That is not too bad of a night, if I do say so. He should feel pretty okay about it, all things considered.

-I had so much fun being AT a Sabres game again.. ahhh hockey. :) I started a few "Let's Go Buffalo" cheers. (if you heard some from 116, that was me, and the dudes around me LOL) I love love love that!

-The guys next to me were hilarious. The guys behind me were fun too, and one of them was super hot. He plays hockey too, and spent all game pointing out little things the players were doing to the kids he was with. It was really neat to listen in.

-I took a few pics tonight, and they are on facebook, along with some other random ones from the day.. Link is HERE, and hey, add me as a fb friend if you haven't already! :)

-Ran into Clare, Frostee, Kim and Kelsi (who I was meeting for the first time) in the concourse. That was cool- great to see you ladies! :)

And I think that's about all I have. A great Sabres win tonight. Hopefully more to come! :)

And it's official.

In typical Buffalo fashion- the Sabres officially lost a playoff spot in game #81. URGH. Boys, if you had a few more games like last night... a little earlier in the season, we wouldn't be here?! I know that you know that but yeesh. Or maybe a WIN or 2 over Atlanta would have been enough to turn the tables. Only 4 points.. (if the Rangers win again) 4 points.. ahhh so few yet SO MANY.

Alas.. there have been some fun games to watch this season, and I have certainly BEEN to more than a few Sabres games live this year. *including some absolutely HORRID performances* but some were good. I'll probably do a game recap sometime in the coming weeks.

I didn't see last night's game, nor will I see Saturday's but they are on the DVR and I plan to watch them Sunday or Monday. :)

Goodbye Sabres.. it's been an interesting ride. Perhaps next year. It all goes back to the motto of Buffalo- Almost but NOT QUITE.

*sigh*

Good thing I already have backup teams in place- the Devils, Red Wings and Blue Jackets(WOOOOOOO!!!) ---and I'm not a bandwagoner, I've liked all of those teams for longer than I've liked the Sabres, actually. --

U Can't Act.com

Oh my goodness.. this is hilarious:Stop Bad commercials! Thanks to Frostee for the link.

The Sabres aren't quite dead yet! I wish I had been able to watch the game tonight. Alas, I was at play practice. **By the way, my friends, I'm in "The Odd Couple"- shows are April 16-18 and 23-25 @ 8pm, April 19/26 @ 2pm at the Springville Center for the Arts. E-mail me if you want more info!!

Right.. so where was I? Oh yes, the Sabres won! I listened to the second half of the third period in the car on the way home and heard Vanek and Goose's goals! WOOOOHHOOOO! :):)

And it's Wednesday, isn't it? I guess you will be wanting a Hockey SAB, eh? Well I have one.. it's a bit silly but it's all I've got, and since I stiffed y'all last week I figure I shouldn't do that again.. here you go:



-Brett Hull... Buffalo's favorite player

AND



-Brett Hull, Track and Field coach at Hamilton College.

SO they don't really look alike, but I found Coach Hull while doing some Subway marketing and I couldn't resist.

WOOO! My sis just texted me- the Blue Jackets have clinched their first ever playoff berth!!! :) Congrats to Ricky and the fellas. :) YAY OHIO!