Comeback Kids

y so srs, Spacho? (my Dark Knight reference...since it comes out on DVD tomorrow!)

So after the Sabres beat the amazing team that is the Tampa Bay Lightning, it became obvious that they were well on their way to a 2008-2009 Stanley Cup. If that game wasn't enough for you naysayers, then I think tonight's victory over the Penguins just made it clear. In all seriousness though, I'm glad that the boys have put up a nice little win streak.

Nathan Gerbe has had his first taste of the NHL, and during the Tampa Bay game he was a +2 and he had four shots on goal. I'm not sure what his stats were for tonight's game, but I know he was on ice for Derek Roy's goal. The officiating again was questionable at best. I thought that delay of game call on Vanek was bullshit. He was clearly trying to play the puck but it was kind of hard for him to do that when he has four Penguins ontop of him spearing and crosschecking him. Crosby drew a penalty which looked like a dive on his part, but hey, what else is new? He again threw another little temper tantrum after the time expired in the third period and he could not put it past Ryan Miller before the final buzzer sounded. Keep crying, Sid. I liked his sucker punch on Hecht, but good ol' Jochen just laughed in his face. Speaking of Jochen, how about him dropping the gloves?! Against Lecavalier, no less. He gave him a nice shiner too. Awesome.

Ryan Miller was superb tonight. He had several highlight-reel saves, and he was the best penalty killer on the ice. He really held his team in the game despite the fact that his team were down two men three times during the game. He looked very confident and he was extremely sharp. Just a great goaltending performance by him and I am proud.

I liked the fact that the Sabres were crashing the net and getting "ugly" goals. It can be really hard scoring these days in the NHL, and those are the types of goals that you're going to need sometimes to get a win. Good job by the boys to get the job done. Kudos to Vanek for getting his 20th tonight, and it's also nice to see Derek Roy going in the right direction. I also noticed a great sprawl by Gaustad to clear the puck out of the zone during a penalty kill, and he also had a monster hit (though he did get one in return). If the Sabres can put together a nice win streak then they're right back into the playoff hunt and they should be able to regain their confidence which is so key in a game like hockey.

Oh, and how much more fun is it to listen to the locker room interviews after a win? Obviously the players sound more happy, but in the background you hear them all talking, celebrating, and music playing. When it's a loss, it's dead silent save from a few bangs here and there which from what I gather is the players frustratingly packing their equipment.

I guess I should touch on the rumor about the possibility of the Sabres being for sale. I guess as of now all I can do is go by what the Sabres camp themselves are saying on the matter, and that is that the story is false. I'm sure Golisano has listened to offers, but that's nothing to be alarmed over. I remember during the horrible bankruptcy days, the NHL really supported keeping the team in Buffalo. Buffalo is one of the best US hockey markets that the NHL has, and in a league that's struggling to find good markets, I can't see them messing up a good thing in Buffalo and relocating a team. I say the team is safe in Buffalo, regardless of its ownership. Although I would not trust having Balsillie anywhere near this team.

I think I'm going to have a fun post tomorrow that may or may not be related to hockey at all. Stay tuned and Let's Go Buffalo!