Not Looking Back

Well...it feels weird (but a very GOOD weird) to say this, but I am in playoff mode! It's been two years, two very long years since I've seen my favorite hockey team in the postseason, and dammit, I'm excited that it's about that time of year again. I've never been one to make predictions, so I never predict at the beginning of the season where the Sabres are going to be standing at the end of the regular season. Obviously, I hope for the playoffs every year, so I just sit back and try to enjoy the ride and hope that they will make it.

After the Sabres' impressive road trip I've been asked if I was feeling the "playoff fever" yet, and to be honest with you, I wasn't. That's not to say that I thought that the Sabres weren't going to make it. I mean, come on let's be serious...despite the fact that they struggled for a bit before the Olympic break, the Sabres just started off too strong to fall out of playoff contention. And it's also not to say that I wasn't optimistic that the Sabres could do some damage in the postseason. But for some reason...the playoff fever just hadn't taken over on me at that point.

Then I went to the Sabres-Habs game last night. Funny how quick the mood can change at a hockey game. It went from one of the more frustrating games I've attended to one of the most thrilling. When the Sabres finally scored on the power play with 2 minutes left, I was very relieved that they scored, but I honestly I thought in my head, "Nice...now let's watch them dick around for the next two minutes." But as soon as they scored again, with about 49 seconds left in regulation, I think it's safe to say I was overcome by playoff fever. I couldn't believe it! You just never know with this team...they honestly can find any way to win. And that's the kind of team you need when competiting in the playoffs. They find ways. Some people said they didn't deserve to win that one, and I can understand that sentiment, but good teams find ways to win.

The final 2 minutes, 5 minutes of overtime, and the shootout made those previous frustrating 58 minutes totally worth it, from a fan's perspective. I had to deal with cocky Habs fans for 58 minutes taunting Sabres fans in our own barn and acting as if Carey Price was "Jesus Price"...they went from the most jubilant fans in the world to the most upset fans in the world in a matter of minutes...and it was awesome! I tried to get an "Olé!" chant going after the win, but no one in my section complied, but I made sure to sing it every time I walked past Habs fans on my way out.

I can't remember the last time I cheered so much after the Sabre scored their 2nd goal to tie it up. It was awesome, and it was a playoff atmosphere in the arena, despite the fact that half of the fans had already bailed and left early (which by the way, was kind of nice...because it made for a much faster exit out of the parking ramp). It's always fun to be stuck in game night traffic after a win, because you get to honk your horn to the tune of the "Let's Go Buffalo!" chant (beep-beep-beepbeepbeep) and you've got your windows rolled down as you cheer with the rest of the Sabres faithful who are roaming the streets.

You have to give props to Lindy for pulling Miller when the Sabres went on the power play with 3 minutes left to go. Balls to the walls, baby! You could tell that Ryan was ready to get off the ice, he kept banging his stick on the ice to get Lindy's attention and he seemed a little annoyed when Lindy told him to wait for his signal, it seemed as though he wanted to get off so the Sabres could get the extra attacker ASAP. It certainly worked, and I was glad to see that Lindy didn't waste any time pulling Miller again as soon as the Sabres scored. The ball was in their court, and I'm glad Lindy didn't wait to put the extra attacker on once again.

I was also happy to come home to another gem courtesy of Rob Ray and Patrick Kaleta. I had the game recorded, and right before they went to a commercial break, they talked to Rob Ray who down by the ice and his mic picked up Patrick Kaleta shouting, "Fucking geek!" to Dominic Moore. Rob Ray's reaction was priceless. It wasn't quite as comical as this, but it was still pretty damn funny.

So the Sabres have another chance at getting a win against the Sens before the regular season is over, and it's certainly going to be interesting. I think I speak for most Sabres fans when I say that the Senators scare me, and I'm just hoping that last night's win against the Habs coupled with their winning streak will give the Sabres the extra confidence that they'll need. A win tomorrow night would also clinch a playoff spot for them (yes...seriously!), so there's added incentive.

My sights are set on the playoffs and I'm not looking back...it's been awhile and I'm just hoping that the Sabres can enter the postseason on a hot streak, because a hot team in the playoffs (along with a superstar, wonderful, spectacular goalie...Hi, Ryan!) can really make things interesting.

Quick Thoughts

I missed the Penguins game, but I was getting scoring updates and I watched the game on DVR tonight... I definitely missed a good one. I was on the phone with my mom when Stafford was getting ready to take the penalty shot, so I heard that he scored. Later in the night I got a text saying that he scored again, and then I had a feeling that the Sabres might pull out of that game with a win. So I wasn't surprised to see the the Goose and Pominville scored en route to the Sabres victory.

It was especially nice to see the team get a win for Miller, whose been argurably the best goaltender up until this point who has done his job as a goaltender and then some in helping his team win games. He's always there when the team decides to take a period off by coming up with huge and timely saves, so it was great to see the team rally and come back with a win when Ryan had a rare off night. I'm sure the extra playing time for Lalime is great for him and he's getting more and more confidence each time he starts, which is great. I think the win last night was great for the many fans out there who were enjoying the Sabres' success, but also thinking in the back of their minds, "Can we still be competitive without Ryan Miller?"

Kudos to Lindy Ruff too, pulling Miller in favor of Lalime in the beginning of the 2nd period proved to be an excellent decision, but I was most impressed with how he chose Stafford to take the penalty shot. Drew had a lot on his shoulders with his lack of production as of late which lead to him being a healthy scratch in St. Louis, and it was real smart of Ruff to put him to the test on the penalty shot. Not only did Stafford deliver, but the combination of just scoring a huge goal on a penalty shot and just being benched the previous game seemed to have lit a fire under him and he scored another huge goal to help the Sabres battle back.

As much as I don't like seeing Miller getting benched, because it usually means that things aren't going so swell, I do have to say a part of me enjoys the little meltdowns that those moody little goalies have from time to time. So I had to say it was funny for me watching him throw a temper tantrum in the hallway. My dad and I were discussing how it must be awkward for the equipment guy to go and pick up the equipment and we were saying he must be like, "That's okay, Ryan. You can just set those anywhere..." I also miss his angry interviews after a tough loss, where a seemingly innocent question would end up getting the ever feared "Miller death stare" in return. Ahh, memories...

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great New Years Eve and here's to the Sabres having a successful 2010.

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.

If you don't know by now, I'm talkin' 'bout Chi-Town.

Ah, yes. Chicago. A great city. Now complete with a great hockey team. It's hard for me (and probably a lot of Sabres fans agree) to find much to dislike about the Blackhawks. First of all, they're a Western Conference team so that automatically makes it easier for me to like them and wish them success. Second of all, the most obvious reason is because South Buffalo's Pat Kane is on the team and is quickly becoming one of their franchise players. Also, I think they are reminiscent of what the Sabres were coming out of the lockout. They're young and they're proving themselves to be one of the more respected Clubs in the NHL. They've also inspired a healthy fanbase in the Chicago area. Plus, everyone's favorite red-headed defenseman is now with the team (don't worry Soupy, I won't boo you when you come back to HSBC).

What I am trying to say is that I'm pretty excited for tonight's game. It will be a challenge for the team, for sure. But hey, isn't that what sports is all about? I was pretty excited for the Detroit match-up as well, even though I wasn't expecting us to win...but I was surprised for how long they did hang in Ryan Miller hung in there for. Anyways, it will be interesting to see our boys compete against them. Last year when Chicago came to town it was a lot of fun. It was a perfect scenario for us; our hometown boy scores a goal (the only goal for the 'Hawks) but the Sabres still won and I thought it was a pretty entertaining game. All in all, it was a fun game to be at. We were all Sabres fans, but everyone was there to cheer on Kane as well. I wonder how Brian Campbell will perform against his former team for the first time. Like Ryan Miller said, he's going to have to do better than the spin-o-rama.

Speaking of goalies, Lalime will be between the pipes tonight against his former team. Let's see how he does. Everyone knows that Miller has been phenomenal lately, but if we want him to keep that up then he's going to have to get some rest here and there. Plus, it gives us a chance to get Lalime some action so he doesn't end up getting too rusty. Perhaps having him play against his former team will give him some more incentive to play better and show them how he's doing with his new team.

Continuing with the goalie talk, Puck Daddy has a nice write-up on goalies that come up big when their team is shorthanded and everyone's favorite hippie goaltender came up ontop proving that he's a big difference maker during the PK. I also liked what Miller said the other day about goaltending, how he compared it to a golf swing:

“It’s kind of like a golf swing. That’s how I try to explain things to people. You go to the range and you’re thinking about six different things: Where is the weight on this foot, back hinge, the elbow, all this stuff. Goaltending is a lot like that. My stance, my hand positioning, where I am in the crease, how much I challenge, my glove side not being too low or too high, trying to get dialed in. The last few games I’ve felt good… I’m starting to feel more like where I think I need to be.”

It's a nice analogy because it gives people who probably aren't that familiar with being a goaltender better insight into what goes into being a goalie and all the things that you have to think about at once...pretty interesting. In the words of Mr. Lalime, Miller certainley has been a "treat" to watch. In so many different ways, Patrick, in so many different ways...

In more lineup news, it looks like Chris Butler is scratched tonight with Numminen playing, according to The Buffalo News. It seemed as if Numminen was going to be the one scratched since he was paired with Nathan Paetsch the past few practices, but it appears not so. Butler certainly can use the ice time, and I don't think it would hurt to have Teppo sit out a game or two every now and then considering his age, but what do I know.

And now, my dear readers, I leave you with this stroll down memory lane. How can we ever forget this classic? Brian Campbell is forever immortalized in the Greater Buffalo area thanks to YouTube and excessive sweating:



Thanks for the memories, Soupy.

Slumdog Millionaire

Looking back at the Detroit game, it certainely is frustrating that we came out with zero points after hanging in there for so long, but I guess it is what it is. They're the best team in the NHL and the defending Stanley Cup Champions. And we're...not. To say the least. Those type of losses always piss me off the most, though. But I'm over it now and I am looking forward to Chicago. It makes you wonder who will get the nod. Ryan Miller has been great, and he's had three days off to get some rest. Does that mean he'll start against Chicago or Dallas? Both? I know he's been playing great lately, but if we want him to continue on like this for the rest of the season and hopefully the playoffs, he's going to need some rest. Honestly, I don't know what game I'd play Lalime in. He's a former Blackhawk, so maybe it would be nice to have him play against Chicago. But then again, they're a very good team and you'd want your #1 goalie in against those guys. Does Ryan play against Dallas, so he can get some extra rest after facing 95 shots or so over the past two games? Or is that where you put in Lalime since they're not as dangerous as the 'Hawks. Decisions, decisions.

Anyways, I mainly wanted to make a post completely unrelated to hockey but I thought I should throw some in here, since this is a hockey blog. But I wanted to talk about the new movie, Slumdog Millionaire. I saw it last night and it was spectacular. It's the best movie I've seen in a long time. I especially took an interest to the movie because it's based in India, and I think I've mentioned before on here that I am real interested in the Indian culture. It's a very unique and wonderful story. It keeps the audience in the plot the entire film and it shows a real honest side to India - both the good and the bad. I thought the cinematography was great and so was the soundtrack. Last night I believe the film won Best Picture, Best Original Score, and Best Director at the Golden Globes. I bought the soundtrack last night after seeing the movie and it's great. One of my favorite musicians, M.I.A., recorded a song for the movie and it also features her hit song Paper Planes along with a remix of it. It's a very entertaining and touching story, go see it! Here's the trailer for it, but it really does not do it justice:



I also have to give props to one of my favorite actresses, Kate Winslet. Last night she picked up two Golden Globes for her performances in Revolutionary Road and The Reader. I haven't seen either movie yet, but I really want to. Especially Revolutionary Road. Titanic is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it's exciting for me to see Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio team up again. Plus the story looks very intriguing.

Sweet, Sweet Victory.

My favorite hippie goaltender earned his first shutout of the season tonight! And that means...



Guess who's back? Back again. Shady's Miller's back. Tell a friend...
(Not like he was really gone, everyone has an off night. But I had to fit in an Eminem reference somewhere.)

Yes yes yes. Our boys sure turned it around tonight. I'm proud of them. They played as a team and they all worked for that win. I really enjoyed all the shot blocking and seeing Roy and Pominville scoring tonight. What a great play by Paille and Kaleta for that goal too. It's great seeing those type of players putting up points. And of course Thomas Vanek was on fire tonight. Scoring goals and being defensively responsible. I liked his backchecking effort tonight.

Kudos to Lindy Ruff and the coaching staff for straightening the kids out. I'm glad they took the meeting and the practice to heart and they really did work for that win. They played great in the first and kind of hung back in the second, but Miller was right there stopping the shots and keeping his team in the game.

The power play still needs work. Maybe if/when Connolly gets more back into stride he can help improve it. Monday night will be a test for them, for sure. The Devils can be a tough team to beat, and the Sabres struggle against them. Let's see how they'll do...