Thoughts Re: Za Isle

Just some quick thoughts regarding the game on Gilligan's the Island...

- The Game:
It's games like these where pessimistic fans (or ~*~realists~*~) get to relish in the team's performance to all of the optimistic fans (or ~*~dreamers~*~) out there and say how the team really isn't that good and it's all just an illusion. It's games like these where optimistic fans are left feeling a little confused and maybe just a tad concerned. The Sabres took a lot of penalties and I thought that maybe the officiating gave them some breaks here and there, yet it seemed as though the team was still trying to find ways to lose. But for some reason that hockey gods only know, the Sabres found a way to take the game into a shootout to get a point. Mostly in part to Ryan Miller playing his skinny ass off in regulation to keep the game close, seems like this is a recurring theme.

Is it just me or does it seem like whenever our goalies are really sharp in the shootout our players can't score, yet when our goalies aren't able to lock it down we get an abundance of goals from our skaters? What's the deal, misturrz?

- Broadcasting:
For the past few years, Rick Jeanneret has deked out on the West coast trip, and we've had to listen to guest announcers and other team's broadcasts. I guess I'm stating the obvious here, but things just aren't the same without RJ. I guess it's not really fair to knock Kevin Sylvester, it's not like he was terrible...you have to take into account that he's new at calling games, and it's hard to follow Rick Jeanneret. RJ's shoes are something that can never be filled and whomever ends up taking his place is just going to be a disappointment. Hockey is just more exciting when Rick is calling the game.

I have to say that I was enjoying how the Isles broadcast had Doug Weight mic'd up for the game. It's always really interesting for the fans to hear the players communicate on the ice, because that's something that we don't get to experience. I wish the Sabres mic'd up their players more often.

- Questions...
I guess this goes back to what I said in the first bullet, but after the team puts up a performance like this it leaves a lot of fans with a lot of questions. When you look at the standings, you see that we're in a 10 point lead for first in our division. We're 1 point from being 1st in the East. Some people are saying that we aren't deserving of our record because of these performances that we put up or when we win certain games, they are from 3rd period rallies after the team had very poor showings in the first two periods. I guess what I have to say is, a win is a win...and while there is always room for improvement, the Sabres earned the 64 points that they have so far, and it's hard to diminish a win in my eyes.

It's fair to say that we need several of our guys to step up and play the role that they're supposed to be in, but until it happens, the team is still finding ways to win and there are still players on this team that are "filling in" for those players, if you will. I also believe that strong goaltending is the most important thing for a hockey team's success, and it's not like we have some slouch in net for us...

- Completely random but I bet you're glad that I mentioned it:
Patrick Lalime's wife and kids came into work today and his little girls are the cuuuutesttt! So precious. While I was taking care of his wife I knew she looked really familiar (I've seen her at Catwalk for Charity a few times), and then her thick French accent gave it away. And then I saw her cute little girls and I remembered people telling me that Lalime had the cutest little kids.

I guess I was being kind of short with people at work today, and my manager was like, "Caroline's in a bad mood... Why haven't any of the Sabres come in lately? Where's Drew Stafford?!" (He seems to come in the most), and then I told her that they are going to be on the road for the next two weeks. See? I'm not the only one that has noticed that it's been a little more lonely without the boys.