Miller Time

Ryan Miller is coming out of hiding...



And he's bringing his game face...




...And of course, the sass.




Everyone's excited.



Hopefully we see a lot of sick saves...




Oh hi, Dominic.

And not so much of this...


I was at that game...sahhh sad.

Hopefully the at the end of the game we'll see a bunch of this:





Maybe in his post-game interview we'll be treated to some of his thoughtful insight, sarcasm, and dry sense of humor...



And if we're lucky enough, we'll see some quintessential Ryan Miller sassiness.




...Now, I hope people don't confuse this Ryan Miller lovefest as me thinking that he's going to come in and save the season and single-handedly carry this team into the playoffs (although that would be kind of cool), of course we can't expect that to happen. So while Ryan Miller isn't Jesus who'll be our savior, at least he sometimes looks like Jesus...



That's a start, isn't it?

So fans, I know it's been a rough couple of weeks...and it's been real hard to find the slightest bit of optimism or hope, but let's try and enjoy the last few weeks of the hockey season and maybe watching Ryan Miller compete will make this team somewhat enjoyable to watch again. Let's all rejoice!




*This entry has been approved by Ryan Miller*


I made that...I don't know whether I should be proud or embarrassed.

Shit Show Extravaganza

Oh my. What a difference a week makes, huh? Last week we were discussing about how far up the Sabres were going to climb up in the standings and we had a superhero disguised as a tall & lanky goalie in net for us. Now people are talking about which golf courses select Sabres are going to be teeing off at come April and we've got some 11 year old Swedish kid in net for us. Oh, hockey. You and your rollercoaster of emotions that you make me ride. Thanks to stupid sprained ankles, lame broken jaws, bum groins, stomach flus, old age, and good old fashioned laziness & stupidity, it's really hard to tell where this team is at.

Well last night can be summed up in one word...disappointing. I have to say the highlight of my night was sitting next to a guy who was eating a banana. It might quite possibly be the first and last time that I'll ever see someone eating a banana at a hockey game. As for the game itself...well, I don't think they looked awful. At times they did. But for the most part I thought they were pretty defensively sound, but those gaffes between the sound play is what will kill you. That terrible turnover at the very beginning of the game and the shorthanded goal comes to mind. I think the shorty is what really killed us. They never recovered from it. Now everyone is so quick to blame Lalime. Hold your horses, everyone. First goal came from a breakaway due to an awful turnover, second goal was deflected, and the third goal went off of Gaustad's skate. Now is that to say Lalime gets a free pass? Of course not. But to lay the blame all on him is ignorant. To me, it looks like a sorry excuse and it's easy to simply make Lalime our scapegoat. I think fans need to realize that Lalime isn't Ryan Miller. He isn't going to be stealing many games for us like Ryan can, and maybe he isn't going to bail out his team after they make costly mistakes as much as Ryan will. It is what it is. He's our backup goalie, not a bonafide starting goaltender like Miller.

So yeah, our goaltending situation at the moment certainly isn't ideal. But it gets better! It seems as though Lalime won't be playing tomorrow night against Carolina because he's come down with the flu. So we've got our little Swedish friend (who by the way looked surprisingly small in the warmups last night) in goal for us. So who's our backup goalie? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? The goaltending situation in Portland seems to be as troublesome as ours at the moment, considering they've been riding Enroth up until he got called up, so if they can't find a decent goalie in the AHL, then where does that leave us? When it rains it pours.

Remember the good old days when we had a really awesome goalie in net for us that threw really cool themed parties and resembled Jesus when he would skip shaving for a few days? Remember when we had a cool Austrian top-scorer who's mouth wasn't wired shut? Ahh yes, nostalgia. So while having both your top-scorer and franchise goaltender injured at the same time is a recipe for disaster isn't ideal, can the Sabres suck it up? It's not like their next opponent is one point behind them in the standings or anything. Or that a loss against them would mean that we're bumped out of the playoffs. Nahhhh. No big deal.

I hope Ryan Miller's left ankle isn't getting any enjoyment out of all the attention it's receiving. Ryan better watch out, pretty soon his left ankle is going to be more popular than he is. It starts out pretty innocent. People will go up to Ryan and ask him how his ankle is, blah blah blah. But then pretty soon girls are going to be asking for its autograph. Kids will be wanting their picture with it. And then before you know, Ryan will be out at a bar and his left ankle is going to leave with more phone numbers than Ryan. So for the sake of Ryan's popularity, and for the sake of the Sabres fate, please heal quickly, Ryan's left ankle. Please? We all miss Ryan so stop being a little bitch and heal for him. Ryan's left ice skate misses you.

Positive Vibes

Well today's update didn't really reveal anything new. With this injury, I guess it's just a waiting game and you have to feel it out to know when you're ready. So I think I've done all that I could with writing an encouraging letter to Ryan's ankle, so everyone send your positive vibes over to Ryan and his ankle in hopes that he recovers quickly. Instead of developing a stomach ulcer over this, I am just going to be positive about it, because that's just how I roll. The good thing is that Ryan said that the swelling has gone down and there wasn't much to begin with, and that the doctors have called it a "minor" high ankle sprain. Ryan is also using a walking boot, but said that he only really uses it when he's out and about and within the next few days he won't need it...which is good right? I'm assuming it means he's not completely immobile which means he can do some sort of workouts to stay in shape and such. Honestly, I'm not a professional athlete so I don't know what it means but I am just assuming. I'm sure he'll do all he can to remain in top shape without risking himself to any more injury.

So while we play the waiting game with Ryan's injury, believe it or not the show must go on and the Sabres will be playing all of their games on schedule. That means that Patrick Lalime is going to step up and be our number 1 guy for a little bit, while Jhonas Enroth has been called up to backup Lalime. A lot of fans have been disappointed with Lalime, but I have always stood by him. I think he's a lot better than his numbers would lead on. And now he's got a chance to get into a rhythm. As for Enroth, people have had high hopes for him as he's been considered a top goalie prospect around the league. I can only go by the reports I get from the games in Portland, but apparently he's been struggling as of late, which may be because he isn't used to the long AHL schedule. Perhaps him getting called up to the NHL will put some jump back into his game. But depending on how long Miller is out and how Lalime performs, we may not even see him in action at all. So can a Lalime/Enroth tandem hold down the fort until Miller returns? Stranger things sure have happened. We all know how important Miller is to this team, but we must remember hockey is not a one man show and that it's a team sport. While Ryan is a key component in our team's success, this team is capable of winning games in his absence. While I'd want nothing more than for Miller to return from his injury as quickly as possible, Patrick Lalime is getting my full support now that he's our main man between the pipes.

Now a lot of people have been toying with the idea of Miller being out for the rest of the season and not even being ready come playoff time. I'll say this. Let's just take it one game at a time. Regardless of Miller's injury, we should not be looking ahead to the playoffs yet. We still need to make them. So while I don't even want to process in my head where this team would be sans Miller in the postseason, I am not going to consider it because we simply can't be thinking that far ahead. We honestly have no idea what's going to happen, regarding both Miller's status and the team's fate.

Tomorrow's going to be real interesting. We've been saying how every game is "huge" so much that it's getting old, but now it's for different reasons. A victory tomorrow would obviously mean we gained 2 big points which helps us in the playoff race, but it would also be extremely reassuring to the Sabres and for the fans. We'll say to ourselves, "Hey maybe we can do this." But if it's a loss, well, we've all seen how the fans and the media reacts. I'll be at the game tomorrow supporting Lalime and the rest of our boys.

So my fellow Sabres fans, whip out your incense and meditation books (Ryan would be so proud) and send some really awesome and hippish positive vibes to Ryan Miller and his left ankle. OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. I can tell Ryan is trying to stay in a ~positive vibe hippie mode~ because he's still sporting that fantastic Jesus facial hair. Don't shave it bb, you look good. And hey, maybe looking like a mad earthy hippie will improve the positive energy. YOU NEVER KNOW. I've heard a few theories thrown around that the reason why Ryan Miller plays so great in the playoffs is because he looks like Jesus which makes him play more godly. Until they can prove that this theory is wrong, I am going to say that it's right. So in conclusion, Ryan, and the rest of you Sabres fans, reveal your inner hippie (we all know it's there) and work your magic. And since we're all feeling so earthy and loving, maybe we should take advice from one of my favorite movies/musicals...Jesus Christ Superstar (which is coming to Shea's in April and I am OH SO EXCITED). One of the best Jesus and hippie-loving rock operas there is out there. Take it from them, just try not to focus on the bad and try to remain positive. Everything's Alright!

Birthday Shenanigans

Good news, everyone! The Sabres West Coast trip is going to be televised! The Sabres and MSG put their thinking caps on miraclously figured out a way to broadcast these games to one of the biggest hockey markets in the USA. I believe this is a sign of the second coming. Even though we'll still be without Rick Jeanneret, we'll at least be able to watch our Sabres on TV...I know, I know. It's crazy to think that in the year 2009 we have the privilege of being able to watch hockey games on TELEVISION. Technology these days never ceases to amaze me.

Well yesterday was my birthday! I celebrated it pretty low-key. My family took me out to Mother's, a really nice bar/restaurant in the Allentown area. I love Mother's. Usually after hockey games I'll be starving (sorry but Arena food does not equal a meal...unless you're in the 200 suites) and I'll pick up some food from there. Their kitchen is always open late, so if you're ever in the area in the late hours and you're hungry and you could kick back a few, I'd suggest going to Mother's...but it will probably be very crowded. But it's always a good crowd, sometimes a Sabre or two will be in the mix (or...Alex Ovechkin when the Caps are in town. Just sayin'). Today is my mom's birthday so it's pretty cool that our birthdays are only a day apart.

Anyways, I had a real nice dinner last night and tonight I'm going downtown to celebrate with my friends. So that will be fun. I start school on Monday so I guess tonight will be a combination of celebrating my birthday and also saying farewell to my several weeks off...which I enjoyed so much. It feels weird that I'll be going back to school again, but I know May is going to roll around before I know it so it's not too bad. I'm also taking less classes this semester so hopefully it won't be as stressful and as crazy as it was last semester for me.

I'm most likely going to watch the All-Star Games Skills Competition tonight before I go out. That's always the most fun for me when it comes to the All-Star Games. The players are just loose and messing around and having fun with each other. The game itself is just...eh. I don't really watch it in its entirety. I think it's cool when they mic up the goalies when they're on the ice. I remember one year Marty Turco was mic'd up and he was talking to the announcers and he was like, "Hold on...I have to make a save." Good times.

I heard that the NHL is going to suspend a player for one game if they decline an invitation to the All-Star Game without being injured. I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. The NHL treats the voting process like a joke (Vote For Rory or cheating Habs fans, anyone?) yet they're going to suspend a player if they decide not to participate? Ridiculous. If they want to take a break and relax during one of the only breaks they get during the 82-game schedule then let them. Some players have wives and children that they don't get to see much during the season and they also just want to rest up so they can prepare for the second half of the season. I mean, I'm sure the All-Star Games is very exciting for a lot of players and they love attending, but for those who would just rather stay home and relax, then they should be allowed to without any consequence.

Alright, enough of me ranting... I mainly wanted to make a post so I can show you my creation! Regardless of your political standings or who you voted for/who you support, I thought Barack Obama's HOPE poster that was used throughout the campaign was pretty cool. I just like pop art and I thought the poster was really neat. So, I went along and I created THIS:



Isn't it fabulous?! Now I think sports and politcs go together like oil and water, but I made this just for fun. Not a political statement or anything like that. Although, if Ryan Miller ever announced that he was running for President I would TOTALLY vote for him. Just kidding but not really. Man, I see everyone walking around with that Obama HOPE picture as a t-shirt...I want to screenprint my creation on a t-shirt and rock that shit around. It would probably sell more than the Obama shirts...in Buffalo at least.

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.

Back Blogging

So it's been a little while since I've updated. Firstly, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy holiday. I appreciate it. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.

My Christmas was nice and I had a good time with my family. My Aunt who lives in India was in town and I got to hang out with my adorable cousin, Amartiyah. He's around 6 years old and he's so smart. I get such a kick out of him. I am really intrigued by the Indian culture and hopefully if all goes according to plan I can visit my Aunt in India next summer. I'd love that. I'd be in photographer heaven. I just love everything about their culture. I love the music, the food, the clothing, the history... it's a whole new world to explore. Anyways, my Aunt brought me some bindis for me and I love them!


Aww yeah!

So the main reason that I haven't really updated is that my younger brother has fallen seriously ill. He got real sick on Christmas and the day after he was admitted into Children's Hospital. I've been a little out of sorts over it and it's been a hectic week. Things were getting a little scary but fortunately he has been getting better. Slowly but surely he is starting to look like my little brother Andrew again. I think the worst is over with and he's on the mend so I am thankful for that. I can finally breathe again.

Anyways, so the one thing that helped me forget about my brother's illness was some of my favorite comedy (Chris Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm) and hockey of course. I went to the game tonight. There's a whole lot I can say about it, but you know what? I had fun. I needed to blow off some steam and I said to myself before the game, "Win or lose, I am going to have a good time." And I did. I would have liked to have seen a better effort from the team, but I am not going to get too hung up over it as much as I usually do due to the circumstances. I usually go to the games with my little bro, but since he's in the hospital I took my friend Scott. Maybe that's where we went wrong, since I can't recall a single time the Sabres have won a game when we have been watching them together. I blame myself. Oh and it's official: Ryan Miller now has a beard. It's not scruff, it's a beard and I am loving it. I hope he doesn't shave that shit until after Catwalk for Charity. He probably will. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


Lookin' mad earthy boo.

Sorry if you were expecting this post to be full of insightful knowledge about hockey and the Sabres, honestly it's just an entry of me rambling. I'll get back on track after the new year...

Merry Christmas!

Or Happy Hanukkah for those who celebrate it (my dad's side of the family is Jewish, so when we go over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Christmas there's a menorah hanging out near the Christmas tree...pretty cool). Any way how you celebrate your holiday, I hope you have a good one. This will be my last blog update until after Christmas, so I don't really want to harp on the controversial goal last night. I'd rather my last update be a little more positive and upbeat.

All I'll say about it is this: It was a close call. Some people are saying it was a blatant high-stick, while others are saying it was clear that it was a good goal. Honestly, I think I can say this with no bias that I think it was a high-stick and therefore it shouldn't have been ruled a goal. However, I do think it was a close call that could have gone either way. And let's be real here, Sidney Crosby hadn't scored a goal in 9 games prior to that, a career-long scorless streak. When Sidney Crosby is in question, things are going to go his way more times than not. It is what it is. Last night I was pretty angry about the call, but after I've let the emotions of watching a hockey game calm down, I do realize that it was a close call that really could have gone either way. Whatever the ruling would have been, there would no doubt be one side saying that they got the call wrong.

Moving on (that was a little more time that I planned on talking about it), let's both weigh the positives and the negatives. First of all, the Sabres are playing a lot better and I really do like what I'm seeing from this team at the moment. They aren't playing bad at all. I would say they're playing pretty good. Sure, they aren't perfect...which is why we have lost two straight in overtime. But you know what? I'm still liking what I'm seeing. Before when they were losing, they just looked pretty bad. They were very undisciplined, not smart, and they were making too many mistakes. Right now, they need to learn how to hold onto their leads better. With the way they have been playing lately, I think that they'll be able to get it done. It's reassuring to see the scoring being more spread out and having more players on the team contribute. Disicipline is still something that I think they'll always need to learn how to control. Last game they were very good at staying out of the box until Paille took a very undisciplined roughing penalty. And that's all the Pens would need, as they scored to tie it up and take it to overtime. Other than that, the team did a much better job at staying out of the box and playing smart.

So to wrap this up, the positive: The Sabres are playing much better hockey and I've been impressed for the most part with them.
The negative: They still need to learn how to control leads better, but seeing how they have been playing as of late, I believe that they'll learn how to do that and the wins will come easier. Oh wait, I thought of another positive: Ryan Miller still hasn't shaved. He's got some serious scruff going on and if he holds out shaving for a few more days it will no longer be considered scruff and it will be promoted to a beard. Clearly, this is a sign of good things to come.

Alright, enough hockey for me until after Christmas (literally, right after Christmas, seeing as our boys will be in DC on the 26th to take on the Caps). Like I said in the beginning of my entry, I hope everyone enjoys their holiday. For me, on Christmas Eve I go to my grandparents' house on my Dad's side in East Amherst for dinner. My aunt, step-uncle and his three daughters (step-cousins?) live there too so it's a lot of fun. After dinner we open presents and watch A Christmas Story. Then on Christmas Day after we open presents we'll head up to Niagara Falls to visit more family on my Dad's side. We eat a nice dinner and I see my family who I usually only see around Christmastime. Then after that we'll head home, but shortly we leave to visit my Mom's side of the family. This year it's going to be at my cousin's house in Derby. I'm pretty excited.

Right now I'm about to turn on some Christmas movies and eat the cookies that my mom is baking...Mexican Wedding cookies yum. So in the words of Clark Griswold... "Later, dudes!"

SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD

Awww yeaaaaah, Ryan Miller with a 40-save shutout. That's our goalie. Goalies get a lot of shit after a loss, sometimes deservingly so, and sometimes not. What a response from Miller after a 5-3 loss. The hockey speaks for itself. I'm proud of him. And how cute is it to see Lalime congraluate Miller after a big win? Especially a shutout. He's all excited for him, it's adorable.

And I just loveeeee the fact that they play Sweet Caroline when it's a Sabres victory. My song. :')


I'm glad for Ellis for netting a goal during his first callup after being waived. Must feel good for him. I'm glad the Sabres finally won at home...in a big way. Hopefully it will spark the confidence they need to start winning at home and it's a sign of good things to come.


And...Ryan Miller had a 40-save shutout!! Oh, I already mentioned that? Oh well... Oh and might I add...homeboy was sporting some scruff again tonight, and I like it. A lot.


Zanggg baby boy, lookin' good.

That was a fangirl moment, okay? Don't judge me.

The Injury Bug bites, man.

So it appears that the Injury Bug has hit the Sabres yet again, but what else is new. Our little Nathan Gerbe took quite a hit against New Jersey that will have him sidelined for two weeks. Craig Rivet is also out for at least two weeks, which really sucks. But I really wasn't surprised when he said his knee wasn't 100%. You could tell he wasn't playing the way he likes to play, and I suspected it was because of his knee. Knee injuries suck and they usually take awhile to heal. I hope when he does return he's 100% and he can play his game again because I was very impressed with him and what he brought to the team. Poor Goose and Patches also took a beating in practice the other day. Hockey is such a rough and tumble sport, your teeth aren't even safe in practice. Let that be a lesson to all of you kids out there. In better news, Patrick Kaleta has been cleared to play, that'll be nice for the team to have him back again.

Isn't it strange how three days off seems like two weeks in hockey? I can't wait to see them play again. It seems like it's been so long since they played against New Jersey...good thing tomorrow night they'll be playing against....New Jersey. My question of whether or not Ryan Miller has shaved will finally be answered. I've been left hanging for three days! I'm guessing he has, but it would be pretty badass if he hadn't. These are the questions that keep me awake at night. Only kidding. But I love me some Jesus-looking goaltenders.

Um, so uh...speaking of Jesus, I decorated my Christmas tree last night! Here are some peekturessss:


The flash kind of ruins it, but the lighting was poor so without the flash made it pretty blurry...you get the idea though.


My Saves for Cancer ornament I bought when Ryan Miller was at Rotary Rink lighting the Christmas tree.



I strategically placed this ornament near the Ryan Miller one...oh yeah I'm clever.

So tomorrow I want to do some window shopping on Elmwood to get some ideas on what to get my friends and family. I'm thinking maybe I'll head on over to the arena beforehand to watch the boys practice at the morning skate. I haven't been to a morning skate in a long time and I figured it's probably best to go during the week because not that many people will be there. We'll see...

Holy Vanek!

Hey, we won! I admit that I wasn't feeling too good about our chances tonight. Saturday night. Back-to-back. Not the team's favorite conditions to play under, for some reason. It wasn't reassuring either that the Devils scored 8 goals last night compared to Buffalo's 1. But all of that garbage means nothing because we won!

Just some quick thoughts:

- Good for Patty Lalime getting another one in his W column. Looking at his stats, people can get down on him but I am confident in having him as our backup goalie.

- I was also very glad to see Stafford scoring on a wide open net! Atta boy, Staff. Seriously, last night was painful seeing those two wide open nets that he missed. Yikes. I'm sure it felt damn good for him to get that one tonight.

- This is probably the matronly part of me coming out, but poor little Gerbe. When those two Devils sandwiched him on the ice I couldn't help but feel bad for the little guy. He's what, 4'11? Cut the dude some slack.

- I just have to say something about Nathan Paetsch. I started thinking about this after he took that elbow to the face. He practices with the team, travels with the team, just to end up in the press box the majority of the time. The only time he gets the nod is if one of his fellow teammates is injured. It's got to be sort of a tough life, you know? I mean, in retrospect, he's in the NHL. How many hockey players can say that? But still. I just remember last season he was always taking a lot of hits and I believe he had a few hits to the head that resulted in a concussion. And then tonight he gets an elbow to the face. But you know as soon as Rivet is ready it'll be back up in the press box for Paetsch. That's just the nature of the game. But he'll keep trying. He'll keep practicing with the team and he'll keep traveling with them. It's not that I pity him, because I don't. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I respect him. I salute you, Nathan.

Now onto the real story. Thomas Vanek. How fitting is it that he scored our 10,000th goal in history? He just does so much for our team. I loved his hustle tonight and he's so great at backchecking. OH and not to mention that he's leading the league in goals...no biggie. You just gotta love him right now. Keep on keepin' on, Thomas.

Oh and one more thing. Has anyone noticed that Ryan Miller has been growing some scruff? He looks good. I'm liking the facial hair. He looks good when he's all clean shaven too, but I've always had a thing for dudes who know how to sport good facial hair. Which is why it was so awesome when Ryan had long hair and his playoff beard. Dude looked like Jesus. And really, is there anything cooler than your goalie looking like Jesus? Nothing that I can think of on the top of my head. So I've noticed that he hasn't shaved the past few days and when they showed him on the bench it looked like he was sporting a little bit of a beard. I'm sure he'll shave it soon. But for the time being, Ryan, you're looking mad earthy boo. Loves it.

Hey Ryan, go eff yourself.

So I was going to make a fun post today which was me posting my Christmas list! But I have three final papers to write by tonight so I guess I'll have to save it for another day. I should be getting on those papers, but I had to laugh at this...

Ryan Miller claims that a ref told him to go *bleep* himself last night. I love this shit. Can't you imagine the situation? I know I can. Although he's a goalie, and they're supposed to be in their own little world, Ryan's always been pretty involved in the game and I notice him talking to the refs a lot. So Ryan innocently asks a question and in return he gets a big old, "Go fuck yourself!" That shit is pretty funny, but at the same time it's pretty ridiculous that a ref would act so immaturely. I have a theory that the ref was just really pissed at Ryan for making all those saves. He made it harder for the Pens to get a win which meant that the ref had to go to more trouble and make more calls against the Sabres to help ensure that the Pens would win.

In all seriousness, it would be nice to see some accountability on the refs part. I was at the game when the Pens came to town and it was one of the worst officiated games I've been to. Last night was no exception. I've seen and read about other shitty officiating jobs around the league too. I know the refs can't be perfect, but at the same time they have a very important job to do and I would like to see more consistency and more accountability. Don't the players and coaches get fined by the league if they criticize the officiating? So I don't understand how these poor officiated games can be fixed if no one can really properly complain about them.

Oh well, after the shit show that was the officiating and the multiple 5-on-3s, Ryan had the ultimate "Go fuck yourself!" as he helped lead his team to a victory. Atta boy, Ryan.

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!

Miller Time

My favorite hippie goalie got ANOTHER shutout! Back to back! Talk about a rebound from that Tampa game. All you Miller nay-sayers can bite me. You had your way with me last year always hounding me about his play, but right now I can say, "I was right, so sorry." Some people actually suggested we trade Miller for Huet last year....yeah. Laughable, I know. Who's overrated? Who's average? NOT Ryan Miller, that's for sure!


Ryan knows what's up.

Anyways, more on the game and less of my Miller lovefest. The Sabres were just perfect. Very smart. And our captain was back! So good to see. I was glad to see the Sabres get one past Weekes in the first, because it might have been frustrating for the team to come out of that period scoreless after all of those chances. The PK was strong. I liked seeing players block shots, especially Kaleta at the end of the game. And did I see Tim Connolly blocking a shot? I'm all for blocking shots, but it just makes me a tad nervous seeing Timmy doing the deed. The past two games the boys have played smart and as a team. Everything was clicking. So many scoring chances (if it wasn't for Weekes' phenomenal play we would have been up by 4 or so goals), great defense, fantastic goaltending, and the PK was great. It looked like the officials were really trying to help out the Devils by giving them power plays, but the Sabres stayed strong and focused and killed off all the penalties. I especially liked Miller remaining focused after he got that delay of game penalty that he disagreed with. Ain't nothin' getting past Ryan when he feels he's been screwed.


Now, I know that this is a hockey blog and everything around here should be all about HOCKEY, HOCKEY, HOCKEY; but I just have to say that tomorrow all of my fellow Americans better get your asses out and VOTE! Please. I'm so excited to vote. This will be my first election where I'm eligble to vote, and it's a pretty damn historical one to boot. I'll feel accomplished going out there and making sure that my voice is heard. So please, if you don't want to take my word for it, take it from these sexy A-list celebrities and DON'T VOTE!

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...