About Time

That I update this. I've been really busy lately with the semester winding down. I am still a little stressed over registering for classes for the fall semester, but I think I have things figured out somewhat. There are still some questions that I still need to ask myself and decisions that I have to make, but right now I am just focusing solely on the fall semester and not quite looking beyond that in an attempt to not get too rattled.

But who wants to hear about that? Let's talk about much more exciting topics, such as the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Well to be honest, it's hard for me to talk about them because I haven't watched much. It's really frustrating. Between school and work, it's been real hard to watch any TV. I just watched The Office from last Thursday and I still need to watch SNL from last week. But anyways, it's been hard for me to watch any playoff games, but I've been keeping up with the reports and checking the scores whenever I can. But obviously that is not the same. Last night I tried to make up for it as I planned on heading out to watch the games with my friends. But when I got off work, my feet were throbbing and I laid on the couch to give my feet some R&R and I didn't really leave the couch for the rest of the night. I was content watching the playoffs in the confines of my own living room.

I have to say that I feel bad for Columbus. I just thought that it was pretty neat that it's their first playoff berth in the history of their franchise, but unfortunately for them they have to face the Detroit Red Wings in the first round...not an easy feat for any team. Detroit never ceases to impress me. Just seeing how much space they create for themselves amazes me. Players like Datsyuk are just so entertaining to watch. Seeing Detroit manhandling Columbus is sort of expected but a little disappointing...it would at least be entertaining to see Columbus win a few games to make the series interesting.

I've gotta say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Bruins-Habs game as well. I have a lot of respect for the Canadiens, and you can't question the passion of their rabid fanbase, but I am kind of enjoying watching them fall. This year the fans thought they had some sort of entitlement to the Cup above any other team due to the fact that it's their centennial year. It was annoying, and it's nice to see Boston put them in their place. Seems like Montreal is going to have a little trouble in the goaltending department. Price hasn't really been the same since he missed some time due to an ankle injury. I remember during his rookie season, Habs fans were projecting that he'd be the next great goalie and that he was already miles above plenty established goalies in the NHL who have been around for several years. Gotta love those Habs fans... already knowing that their team would be the 2009 Stanley Cup champs before game 1 of the 2008-2009 regular season began and they thought that their 12-year-old goalie was destined to be the next Patrick Roy. Way to jump the gun, guys.

I haven't watched any of the Caps-Rangers series, but I have to say that I am disappointed that the Rags have taken both games. First and foremost because I strongly dislike the Rangers. And secondly, the Caps are an exciting young team and I hope they live past the first round so I can watch them compete more. Like Montreal, it looks like the Caps may also have a little trouble with their goaltending. I don't know how much confidence Theodore is going to have going into MSG after being benched after game 1. So will Boudreau go with Jose or rookie Varlamov? Not an easy decision. You have to give credit to Henrik Lundqvist though. I can't really comment on his play because I haven't watched the games, but from what I've gathered, he's really been spectacular. Goaltending is always important, but it's so crucial in the playoffs.

So in Sabres news, Sabres brass have announced that both Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff will be here next season. This has been such a hot topic to discuss in Sabreland for the past several months and I have remained pretty quiet about it, and I intend to remain that way. Firstly it's because it's a topic that's already been beaten to the ground, and I'm sure it will continue to be in the forthcoming months. Secondly, I just think people are being too dramatic about it and it's really annoying me. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of fans out there who have a strong opinion about this and they know how to express it in an intelligent, level-headed manner. But then there are people out there (as there always is) that are just kind of disgusting me with their shortsidedness and their lack of knowledge. I read on a Sabres message board where one fan was trying to compare the day that Larry announced that Ruff & Regier would be staying to the day that we lost Briere and Drury. Really? Get a grip, people.

There's a good handful of fans who believe that Lindy is not the problem and shouldn't be fired, while there's also a good portion of fans who believe that it's time for a change and Lindy needs to move on. I have to say that I believe that Lindy is not the problem and I have no issue with him remaining here. He's a great coach and I don't like speculating on certain things such as what type of relationship he has with specific players on the squad just because frankly I have no idea. How would I? I'm just a fan. I am not sitting in on the team meetings. I am not in the locker room. I am not practicing, traveling, or playing under Lindy Ruff. So it's hard for me to judge. Lindy has been here for over a decade and I have seen how he's coached the Sabres throughout all the roster changes he's seen over his tenure. Sometimes a coach can only do so much, and I honestly don't think it's all on Lindy for this past season. No one is exempt from taking some of the blame, but I think most of it has to be on the players. They are all professionals, and a lot of these guys have seen the playoffs and know what it takes to get in the playoffs and be successful in them. They've also been dealt with a lot of adversity and I just don't think they have learned enough from that, since they yet again failed to make the playoffs.

Then there's Regier...I have a real hard time having an opinion on him. It's just because I lack a lot of knowledge and insight into what it is to be a GM. So I don't feel as though I have a place to sit here and pretend I know more than him (like the media and so many fans do). I'm not saying that it's not okay for fans to be critical of him, and I'm not saying that fans always have to agree with every move he makes. It's just that I can't stand fans who play armchair GM and truly believe that they would know how to run a sports franchise. Please. I think that it can sometimes be a thankless job...the smart moves that Darcy makes will go unnoticed over time, while his shortcomings will never be forgotton. Same goes for Lindy.

So I know I kind of danced around that topic, but I am just going to go ahead and play the Switzerland card and remain pretty neutral on it. I'm sorry that this post lacked a lot of insight, but I can't really give a proper analysis on any of the playoff series because I haven't watched much. I just figured that I should update this so I don't forget about it.

Oh by the way, I finally uploaded all of my photos on my Flickr. I got some real nice shots of Ryan Miller doing his little zen meditation routine before the Red Wings game. I also uploaded some other shots that I've taken around the city recently, but the recent Sabres photos can be seen here.