Miller Time

I don't know how many times I've used the phrase "Miller Time" as my title, but I'm sure there will be a lot more times when I use it in the future considering Ryan Miller is such an important part of the Sabres coupled with the fact that I'm quite partial to him...if you haven't caught on by now. It's a pretty sublte admiration, I know...

I know it's early in the season but I've been so proud of Ryan and how he has been playing so far. A lot of people have been saying that they've been blown away by his performances so far, but I have to say that I'm not...maybe it was me being a little biased, but I expected him to come in this season and play the way he has been. Just because I know when Ryan says something, I can take his word for it...he knows how to back up whatever he says, which is pretty refreshing since we all know that talk is cheap. Whenever he plays a disapointing game, I'm always confident in him that he'll be able to bounce back. When he says he's going to focus on certain things in the offseason to ensure that he can compete amongst the elite goaltenders in the league, I know he's right.

And I don't want to turn this into a "I told you so" post, but I wish I could personally thank Miller because he's been proving me right to a lot of people I know who were doubting him and saying that I was just being a biased fan. Many people have said that I'm just too biased to think with a level head and to realize that he's not as good as I'm making him out to be. Au contraire, my little ones. I'm a pretty humble person by nature, so I don't like being blatant about it and saying "TOLD YAAA" but lately there's been a few of my friends that I've just had to sit back and say, "Sooo....Ryan Miller hasn't been too shabby, eh?" It's a nice feeling...

Anyways, I know it's still early in the season to be proclaiming Miller our messiah, but whenever I'm given the opportunity to have myself a Ryan Miller lovefest, I jump on the occassion. And I still think that he deserves credit for his performances despite the fact that we're only about a month into the season.

Speaking of which...link time! Here is a nice round up of some Ryan Miller lovin' floating around the internet:

- WGR 550 has an interview up with Ryan from a few days ago when he appeared on the Howard Simon Show. Ryan talks about the season so far, Catwalk for Charity...and he shares a cute story about Halloween from several years ago.

- NHL.com has a story talking about how Miller looks Olympic-ready. There's also a quote from Martin Brodeur where he talks about being impressed with Miller...pretty nice! I also like Ryan's sassy quote that reads, "That level should be good enough to make the U.S. Olympic team because I consider myself the kind of goalie who can challenge to be tops in the League. If that's not what they're looking for, then OK." Gotta love it...

- Buffalo.com has a video interview up with Ryan discussing Catwalk for Charity. I like how Ryan points out that it's a great chance for fans to get more up close and personal with the players and be sociable with them. This makes me feel better because there's always a small part of me that thinks I'm being a nuisance when I go up and talk to the players at Catwalk. Whenever I see them out and about and away from the arena, I always try to leave them alone just because I think they deserve their privacy and they don't need to be bothered by fans 24/7, but at Catwalk it's a good time to socialize with them and it's fun for me.

I'd also like to add that I was loving the sassy side of Miller coming out again in last night's post-game interview when he talked about the refs not calling any diving penalties. I know the players and the coaches aren't supposed to criticize the officiating or they can get fined, but it was pretty badass of Ryan to say something... I also liked Harry Neale's comments when he said that the Leafs player should find a job in Hollywood since he did such a good job with the embellishment.

And this concludes my Ryan Miller lovefest...I'm sure there will be plenty more in the future, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did...

Oh, and I must not forget the ~official seal~




Hope everyone has a fun Halloween!

My Blog is a Year Old Today!

One year ago today, I decided to join the blogosphere! It really doesn't feel like a year, but you know how much time flies when you're blogging about your favorite sports team.

My very first post was me introducing myself of course, and I also told my story about how my favorite wonky eyebrowed goalie cut ahead of me and accidently took my roast turkey sandwich...but I let it slide. He was on a bro date with Andrew Peters...who knew that a year later those two would be playing against each other now that Petey is a Devil (ETA: except Petey will only be on the ice in spirit, as I have just discovered he is a scratch tonight). And who knew that I'd still be blogging about it.

I don't really want to get all sentimental here, but I just want to say that I appreciate all the people who read my blog. I never really thought I'd have a "following", I just figured it would be fun to give blogging a shot since I enjoy reading so many. But I love when people leave me comments or send me e-mails telling me that they like reading what I have to say. So here's to many more years of me blogging about (hopefully) successful Sabres' seasons!

...

Steadfast Foundation's website put up a link of some of the neat auction items that will be featured at this year's Catwalk for Charity. I think I'm partial to the one that has Ryan Miller and Paul Gaustad playing bartenders to a private party at the bar Aroma for TWO Happy Hours...I can only imagine the fun that will arise from that. The one where you can have one-on-one photoshoot with Ryan in his crease is pretty fancyyyyy too.... They always have the coolest auction items. What are your favorites?

I can't believe that Catwalk is pratically a week away...I'm pretty stoked but I just keep forgetting that it's so close! Usually I have a few months to build up anticipation, but it's just around the corner! I already have my dress, which I should post on here because I LOVE IT. I keep trying it on just because I love it so much.

Story Time!

Yesterday at work I saw a blonde dude who was about 9 feet tall walking up to me. Although he was too far away to make out his facial features...I just knew. "That's gotta be Tyler Myers..." I said to my co-worker. And it sure enough, it was.

Now quite a few Sabres and Bills come into where I work and I usually don't say anything except for, "Have a good season!" or, "Good luck this season!" just because I don't want to bother them when they're outside of the rink/field. But I figure that giving them well wishes isn't too invasive, and I'd like to let them know that I appreciate what they do and that I'm a fan in some way without being too bothersome. But there are exceptions where I have to say something other than your generic "Good luck this season!!" Exceptions would be like, oh I don't know, scoring a sick goal in the shootout to secure a come-from-behind win...all the while being a 19-year-old kid playing in his 8th NHL game evaarrrr. So, naturally...I had to let him know all this, just incase he wasn't aware. It was the least I could do.

So before thinking of a way for me to act all smooth about it, I was just like, "TYLER! Your goal last night was SICK!!!" He got a kick out of that and laughed and said "Thanks." and then I just nodded and was like, "Yeah...I screamed when it happened."

So that was that. I figured he must have gotten a kick out of that considering he's so new to the big leagues but he's making such a huge impression so early on... Sorry Tyler, but you're just going to have to get used to crazy chicks harrassing you. It just comes with the territory. Ask the other players about it, they'll tell you. Welcome to Buffalo!!!

Why...

...is the NHL Network playing Game 7 of the 05-06 Eastern Conference Finals? Not cool. I caught a few seconds of it and it reminded me how amazing Miller is during the playoffs. I couldn't bear to watch the rest of the game...lots of great memories during that run, but lots of memories that I don't want to remember. But it did remind me how intense playoff atmosphere is. There's nothing quite like it. But that is neither here nor there, since it's only October. Playoffs?! Don't talk about playoffs...

So instead of watching the rest of that game, I decided to re-watch the highlights of last night's game against Tampa. I literally screamed when Myers scored that goal in the shootout. Who would've thought that game would end in such exciting fashion? I know I didn't. It was one of those games that you thought was going to end in frustration...but the final seconds of each period sure didn't disappoint.

I was also looking forward to this game because I think it's neat when Ryan gets to play against his brother, Drew. It's always fun to watch siblings compete against each other in professional sports. St. Petersburg Times also had a cute story about the Millers playing against each other, with quotes from both Ryan and Drew and their parents talking about ~childhood memories~.

And a big thanks to the Millers for sharing this precious photo with all of us:




Awww...they're just babies. :')

Holy Shit

Fuck yeaaaaaah, Tyler Myers!


Oh, and that game is in contention for being one of the worst officiated games in all of professional sports.

To The Max

I have to say that I was quite shocked that Maxim Afinogenov got booed last night. Both shocked and very disappointed. Rick Jeanneret said on WGR 550 before that game that he expected Max to get a warm welcome from the fans because Max had been a Sabre for so long. He said he wouldn't expect him to get quite as warm as a welcome as Marty did, just because everyone absolutely adored Marty, but he expected some sort of welcome nonetheless. So did I. When I heard the boos when Max touched the puck I was just really surprised and quite frankly it pissed me off. Everyone seemed to have a strong opinion on Max...but I would have thought that the fact that Max was a Sabre and a Buffalonian for 10 years would hold some sort of respect amongst fans... I'm not afraid to admit that I was a Max supporter while he was here but at the same time I also acknowledged his shortcomings and I realized that Max leaving the team would be beneficial for both Max and the Sabres. I wasn't expecting Max to re-sign with us and I was glad to see that he landed a job in Atlanta.

Over the past few seasons Max's production declined and many people got frustrated with him. It seemed as though Max needed a change of scenery, but while Max's production was extremely dissapointing, his effort surely wasn't. Max gave an honest effort every single night that he played. All he wanted to do was play hockey and help his team...and it was unfortunate for everyone that it didn't work out the way he intended it to. But regardless, Max worked his ass off every night. I'm sure everyone can recall a game where it seems as though all of our players just completely took the night off and let the other team win...and is there anything more frustrating than that? That's why I always respected Max...he never took nights off.

And while I am a Sabres fan through and through...as soon as I heard the boos from the crowd all I wanted was for Max to score a goal. It was strange for me because when Stafford scored with 3 minutes left in the game, it got me a little excited and I thought to myself, "Hey, maybe we can tie it up." But then when Max scored directly afterwords, I was just real happy for him. Poetic justice, if you will.

This quote from Max just made me sad...

"When I was here I tried to play for the fans," he said. "I appreciate them. They come to the games, and I try to put my best into the game. Hopefully, they still like me, and I love them, too."

Aw shucks, Max...well I still like you.

On a lighter note...the other day at work I helped Drew Stafford find his lost iPhone. I'm proud to report that it was successful.

Quotable

Not going to do a post game analysis of last night's game...we all knew that the Sabres were eventually going to lose a game in regulation. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts to the loss though...

The Buffalo News has an article talking about Miller being run this season, and how it's a little more sensitive around the locker room after Miller got taken out by Scott Gomez and he was out for over a month. It's a nice read and I like Gaustad's quotes saying how he's not going to tolerate players running into our goalie just because they are trying to change the momentum in their team's favor. Yeah seriously, fuck that noise. But this quote by our one and only Ryan Miller really takes the cake...

"I don't have Scott Gomez's picture up at my house, staring at it while I eat dinner, working up enough psychotic energy to go slash him in the throat. That's not the case."

Seriously, Ryan? Does he realize how quotable his words are? I hope he does. Pure gold. First he says that Mike Grier is his hero and now he's trying to deny that he doesn't have Scott Gomez's mug plastered up on his wall so he can think about getting sweet, sweet revenge. Okay, but doesn't that scenario just sound a little too specific to not be true? We all know how zen-like he can be, with him meditating before games and everything, but I think everyone is also familiar with his batshit crazy side...you know, the best side of Ryan Miller. I totally think Ryan wants to slash Scott Gomez in the throat. A little graphic, Ryan...but it's better that way.

Rockin' the Wingzzz

So Tuesday I went to my first Sabres game of the (regular) season and it was...well, it was pretty damn awesome. Just a few things I feel like I should mention...

Things that make me happy:

- Me sticking to my main decision about having the Wings game being my first game of the season...a lot of my friends tried to convince me to go to the home opener and forget about the Wings game, since the Sabres always lose to the Wings anyways...

- Being surrounded by cocky Wings fans during a 6-2 Sabres victory

- Patrick Kaleta's first multi-point game of his career.

- The Ellis-Gaustad-Kaleta line in general.

- Once again...Tyler Myers. Kaleta's goal was all thanks to Myers, watching him carry the puck into the zone like that was wonderful and I just had a feeling the Sabres were going to score on that play. Still can't believe that it was only his fourth NHL game.

- Vanek's injury isn't as serious as once believed, and he shouldn't be out for WEEKS (WEEKS!!) like Lindy once feared.

- The fact that Lindy has decided to keep the lines intact instead of shuffling them around despite the absence of Vanek...why mess with a good thing? I'm especially glad that means the Ellis-Gaustad-Kaleta line will remain. Mair replacing Vanek should be interesting to say the least.

- The guy sitting behind me at the game who kept saying funny remarks about Mike Grier every time he touched the puck.

- The little girl sitting behind me who exclaimed to her dad, "DAD!! Look how big that player is!!!!" when she first saw Tyler Myers on the ice.

- Annoying the hell out of my brother by chanting, "MILLER! MILLER! MILLER!" every 10 seconds while driving to the game and walking to the arena (I get excited, ok?)

- Me being able to chant, "MILLER! MILLER! MILLER!" after he stopped Filppula's penalty shot.

- Where The Wild Things Are comes out tomorrow!! I know you've all read the book, and the movie DOES NOT look like it's going to disappoint!

Things that kind of bum me out:

- I won't be able to watch the game tomorrow because I have to work :(. DVR delay just isn't the same, but I guess I'm going to have to make due. I'm going to get my hockey fix during the day by attending the open practice in the morning.

- I brought the wrong lens to the game yesterday, so my pictures are less than stellar. Despite the fact that I was sitting three rows from the glass. I tried to take some pictures but they all came out kind of "meh." It's a bummer because that's the only game this season where I'm going to be super close to the glass and I could have gotten some real nice shots of the players.

- I didn't turn up in any of the pictures on GettyImages.com...one of my favorite things about looking at pictures from sporting events is the looks on the spectator's faces. One day I wish to be captured in an unflattering way at Sabres game...it's a tough goal but I am determined to fulfill it.

- COLLEGE. Ahh...the stresses of being a college student. I'm in the process of switching majors and even possibly transferring schools and it's just stressing me out big time right now...I'm just trying to keep everything in perspective because if I don't I might give myself a heart attack. Just trying to get through this semester...

- The Fire Dick Jauron billboard on the 190... Look, I get just as upset over a terrible loss as the next Bills fan, but putting up a billboard that reads, "Fire Dick Jauron!" or whatever it's going to say is just tacky... Despite him not being the greatest coach in history, he's also a human being with a family and a life outside of his coaching job. Believe me, I'm sure Dick Jauron is well aware that he's not the most liked Buffalonian at the moment, and he doesn't need a huge billboard that calls for him to be fired to remind him of that. We're classier than that, Buffalo. Just mi dos centavos.

Things that just confuse the hell out of me:

- My professor's accent. I know it's not her fault that she's hard to understand, but it makes Art History so much more difficult when I can't understand what she is saying. And she gets cranky when people ask her to write something on the board more than once. She's all, "I alveady vrote da vord on da board lahst class..."

- SpongeBob and Sandy are getting married?! What the...I always thought SpongeBob was gay...

YAY!

So this is my first attempt ever at updating my blog while under the influence of alcohol...yes I am drunk. And yes tonitght I am very excited because my two favorite players had special nights...Mike Grier scored our only goal and my favorite wonky eyebrowed goalie Ryan Miller got a shutout...yep. That is my post game analysis. I also made a picture to express my feelings...I am impressed because I just made this even though I am pretty drunk. Photooshop and I are friends.




love yaaa boyz.

Let's hear what my favorite goalie had to say about my favorite forward:

"Mike Grier, you are my hero," Miller said.
How [precious...I agree wholeheartedly. Ryan Miller should have said, "I am my own hero too.Because I am awesome." Yes.

Quick Thoughts

As I was watching last night's game, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Here we go again...". It just seems all too familiar for me to be watching the Sabres get chance after chance, yet they fail to convert... The results usually end up with a frustrated squad and another tally in the "L" column. Those games that they let slip away and at the end of the season when they are 2 points out of a playoff spot you can't help but look back to those kind of games and shake your head. The games where the Sabres have all the chances in the world, but then the opposing team scores a goal and the team just gets completely deflated and that's the game...

But last night was different. Obviously I was very happy to see the team win last night...2 points is 2 points no matter how you look at it. But for me it was reassuring because it seems like those were the kind of games that the Sabres would lose last year. But the team didn't get frustrated and as soon as Phoenix scored, the Sabres wasted no time to tie the game up, and then they finally converted on the PP late in the game which proved to be the game-winner. They got it done. Now, let's move onto my favorite players of the game...there won't be any surprises here.

- Tyler Myers... He continues to blow me away. As exciting as it is to see him perfom, I'm trying to be level-headed and I keep reminding myself that he's only a kid and he's bound to have some serious gaffes out there that might lead for some of his supporters to turn on him...but as of now I am just loving watching him out there. I think he might be the real deal...it gets me real excited to not only imagine how he's going to turn out later in the season, but in the upcoming years. It was a pretty scary moment when he was lying on the ice after his assist on MacArthur's goal...good to know that he only got the wind knocked out of him. Welcome to the big leagues, Tyler.

- Mike Grier... Have I mentioned that I'm still pretty excited that he's back? Seriously...it's going to be the last game of the season and I'm still going to be like, "I'm just so glad that he's back!" Sometimes I need to tell myself to get a grip. I don't want to turn all fangirl on Mike, but watching him kill those penalties out there last night really isn't helping my cause. Makes me remember why he was my favorite Sabre before he departed. His presence out there is just what the team needs when its late in the game and things can get pretty chaotic out there in the dying seconds.

- Patrick freakin' Kaleta... He's just so good at what he does. The more he gets under people's skin the more I like him. He's that type of player that you hate but you would welcome with open arms if he were to ever join your team. I do find it laughable how many fans around the league can't stand him. I was browsing through some blogs and message boards and there were so many fans saying how that hit on Prucha was very dirty and he should be suspended. That's real cute...just goes to show you much he agitates people. Hey Prucha, keep your head up next time. Not only is he a great energy player that can fire a game up, but he draws a lot of penalties. Let's just hope he doesn't draw penalties in vain...although Vanek did score the game-winner on the PP, they were only 1 in 7 for the night. I think if they keep at it like they are they'll be just fine, though. The goals will come.

- Ryan Miller... You really didn't think I was going to make an entry and not mention mah main man, right? Seriously though...he had just as much of an impact on the game as the players that I mentioned above. While the Sabres were getting chance after chance but failing to convert, Miller did his part to keep the team in the game by making timely saves. He had about 4 or 5 huge saves that I can remember on the top of my head that shows that Miller is one of the best goaltenders in the league right now. I don't care what anyone says. People say I'm biased because he's my favorite player, but it's only a matter of time before the nay-sayers have to admit that the dude is one of the best. I'm real excited for him this year...it's going to be a big season for him. Can't wait. Now if he would only update his blog then he would be PERFECT. Just kidding...except not really.

I'm also liking what I'm seeing from Hecht so far...last year was a pretty tough year for him, and I know it's still extremely early in the season, but perhaps we'll be seeing a more solid season out of Jochen. LaBarbera was also excellent. It's so frustrating for fans to see your team have all these scoring opportunities but it doesn't show up on the scoreboard, but you have to give credit when the goaltender is playing his heart out. He had a great game.

Looking foward to Saturday...

Hockey Is Here!

Yes, I know it's hard to believe for some Sabres fans...but the NHL season is upon us. The home opener was such a tease; and it almost feels like it's the offseason all over again waiting for the next game. Luckily, Thursday is almost here... I'm anxiously awaiting to see how the players come out after a 5 day break. Let's hope they come out with as much fire as they did against the Habs, I have a feeling that they will.

The Sabres have a bit of a logjam now that Adam Mair has been cleared to play. Let's not forget about Toni Lydman who is still out with a hand injury, but he shouldn't be out for long. Mair returning would put the team over the roster limit, which means someone has to go, which has led to a lot of speculation amongst both the fans and the media. I've heard some people suggesting that we send Kennedy back down...while others are saying that Ellis might have to be waived. I honestly don't know what to think and it's times like this when I'm glad that I'm not in charge in making such decisions. I think having Kennedy up with the team will be more beneficial than having him sent back down to Portland, and I've always admired Ellis's work ethic and I truly think he's deserving of a spot with us... Lindy has recently both given Ellis and Kennedy praise to the media, so I really don't know what the decision is going to be. And once Lydman is ready to return, I think it's obvious that Myers isn't going anywhere yet. He played a hell of a game and got nothing but praise from both the coach and his teammates...I think they are just as eager to see how he does as us fans are.

Looking at the schedule, after tomorrow night's game, things will be in full swing again for the Sabres. Their schedule is pretty consistent for the first few months...they basically play every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday...I wonder if that consistency will be good for the team as they will develop some sort of rhythm. Maybe it will make them "gel" better, or maybe I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

Tuesday, the 13th is my first game of the season and it's against Detroit...I'm pretty excited. I just love going to the arena for the first time for a game... I've already been to the arena several times this season to watch the players practice, but obviously it's a completely different atmosphere when you're there for a game. It's sort of funny how you go there during the day, and the atrium is eerily empty, and the only thing you can hear is the player's skating and shooting pucks off in the distance. You then go and watch the players practice and the arena is pretty empty...it's odd how small the arena seems when there's no one in there. Then you go later that night and the atrium is full of fans and there's energy and excitement buzzing everywhere you look. People donned in hockey jerseys, hawkers shouting for you to purchase game night programs, the little ding sound that the ticket scanners make when the ushers scan your tickets... You get to your seat and the arena just seems so huge when it's packed with fans. It feels like you were in a completely different building a few hours ago when you were there in the morning to watch the players practice. It's like night and day...okay well it literally is.

There is also a cause for concern that I feel like I should mention...not sure if I'm looking too much into this, but I was on Ryan Miller's website the other day, and I noticed that there's no link to his blog anymore. If you follow the direct link to his blog, it's still up, but why is there no link from his website to his blog anymore? This makes me a little concerned...I don't know about the rest of you, but I love his blog. It's both funny and really insightful, and it's one of the better "celebrity blogs" that I have read. I always got so excited when he updated it! I hope Ryan hasn't decided to hang up the blogger skates and give it up for good...he seemed to have a knack for it, even when his web editor would make him go back and edit his entry to ensure that he wasn't pissing off some of his fans. If he doesn't update it by the time Catwalk for Charity rolls around (which is soon, yesss!), then I might have to address this problem to the big guy himself...and ask him what the hell is up. I understand that he's a professional athlete and he's very busy with the condensed NHL schedule and the Olympics coming up and blah blah blah...but hey, I need my dose of sass and wit and Ryan's blog was perfect for that. I wonder if him partcipating in the Olympics has anything to do with it... I know some sports leagues are pretty strict with social networking sites such as blogs, Facebooks, Twitter, etc...and they prohibit players from using them during certain times on game days. I remember during the Summer Olympics, I was browsing through some of the athlete's websites and a lot of their blogs were taken down because the Olympics prohibited the athletes from keeping a blog while they were competiting. Either way...I hope this isn't an end to his lovely blog. Do it for the fans, Ryan!

I think I had something else to say but I got too wrapped up in my spiel about Ryan's blog being in limbo...

Hypocrisy At Its Finest

I should probably make an update about the Sabres game last night, considering this is a blog about the Buffalo Sabres and for the past few months I've been blogging about how I'm SO EXCITED for the season to start. I would probably mention how despite the overtime loss, I was pretty impressed with what I saw from the team. I would talk about how I thought Tyler Myers looked really good and I can't wait to see him in upcoming games. I would probably say that I was liking the way the Sabres seemed to be not putting up with any bullshit from the other team, and it seemed as though they were getting under the Habs' skin a lot... I would also comment on how I thought it was pretty shitty that we lost the game due to a sketchy goal and an unfortunate bounce, and how those flukey plays seem to be all too familiar for Sabres fans...

BUT that's not what this post is about at all. There are more pressing issues at hand. Guess what I did? I got a Twitter! Which means I am just a big hypocrite. I know I've at least mentioned it a few times on here how I thought that Twitter was a completely pointless sight and I just didn't "get it"...well, due to peer pressure I am now on Twitter. And to be honest...I still don't get it. All of these @'s, #'s, and RT's are confusing the hell out of me ok. But if you feel like you can bear with me being such a Twitter rookie, and you might actually be interested on what the hell is on my mind at any given moment, you should probably "follow" me. I've already added some of my favorite bloggers on there, so if a random person called "fly_as_hale" has recently added you on Twitter, that is moi. I'm not sure what's going to come out of my brand new Twitter account...seeing as I rarely update my status on Facebook, I've always assumed that if I ever had a Twitter account that it would be awfully neglected. Or, I might be one of those people who updates their Twitter accounts every 5 minutes... Let's all hope that it doesn't turn out to be the latter. I've also been known for being spontaneous at times, so maybe in a weeks time my Twitter account won't even exist and we can all forget that this ever happened. So for all of you Twittering folks out there, how about you recommend me some good Twitter accounts to follow? Both of the celebrity and non-celebrity variety.

And so, the Twitter experiement begins...

Oh, and can you guys believe that we have to wait until Thursday until the next Sabres game?! (Was that something that I should have said on my Twitter?)

It IS Time!

...that was supposed to emulate how Rafiki said "It is time!" in The Lion King. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyone, anyone?

Okay, Moving on... SABRES HOCKEY STARTS TONIGHT! YAYAYAYAYAYA!!!! Insightful, amirite? It's the finaaaal countdown. Do do do dooooo, do do do do doooooo.

It's beyond exciting just thinking about the game tonight...the fact that we're going to be watching meaningful hockey again. I'm really looking forward to seeing what our new additons can do for our squad...especially Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy. I hope Myers sees a lot of playing time, because I'm real anxious to see how fairs in the big league. He tore it up in the juniors last year and a lot of people have agreed that he's developed enough in the juniors and he's ready for the NHL. Only time will tell. It was easier for Lindy Ruff & co to make a decision on whether to keep Myers up or not due to Lydman's hand injury. I'm willing to bet that Myers will get his 9 game tryout and who knows what will happen from there. Will he go down to the juniors or is he going to remain a permanent member of the Sabres? Obviously it all depends on well he plays and how well our other defenseman perform. It's obvious that Tallinder really needs to step it up this season or else he's going to end up being traded...and I'm sure Myers is aware of that. Players are vying for spots and I hope it makes for some fun and exciting hockey.

I'm also extremely looking forward to seeing Grier back with us. He's one of my favorite players and I think everyone remembers how important he was during our great 05-06 run...I think his hard work and attitude will be influential for some of our young guys, and also for some of our not so young guys that still seem to act immature. I'm not naming names but I think we can all agree that certain diving, whining midgets with questionable fashion decisions players on our team really need to grow up...I wouldn't consider us a young team anymore even though we giving some of our young guys a crack at the roster. We've got plenty of players on this team who have seen both the ups and downs of a full NHL season and there's really no excuse for some of our guys to act so immature at times. So that's why I think it's great that Grier is back with us. I think other hard working players like Ellis, Montador, Kaleta, Gaustad, and Rivet to name a few will also be essential pieces to a successful season...

Anyways, I'm about to head off to the Sabres first open practice of the season...should be fun. I went to several of the training camp sessions which I thoroughly enjoyed...I've been there so much that the arena employees are starting to recognize me. Yes, I am a rink rat... I'm sure the practice this morning will be pretty crowded given that it's a Saturday and it's opening night.

Another important tidbit about the upcoming season that I know all of you are dying to know about...I'm pretty sure Miller is going back to his old mask this season. I mentioned it in a previous post that I heard that through the grapevine...and the other day the news showed some footage of the players practicing and Miller was wearing his old mask again and there are pictures from the morning practices showing Ryan sporting his old mask...


Oh hayyy!

He's got some new pads though...what do you think?


Prettaayy neat.

Speaking of our wonky goalie, it warmed my heart to see him being such a hardass full of wisdom about our team again...ohh it's been too long since we've been graced with his insight and sass. Sabres TV has an interview with Ryan up where Miller says how he's sick of talking about "accountability". (I also liked the part when the reporter said a metaphor about robbing a bank and Ryan was like, "What are you talking about...") He says that it's time for the players to just "shut up about it and do it." Couldn't have said it better myself... Well, maybe I can...

Caro sez...
"DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!!!"


My excitement from the Sabres-Leafs preseason game also represents my excitement for the start of the 2009-2010 season.