For Your Consideration

For those of you on Twitter (and those of you who aren't, I highly recommend joining. Especially now that Ted Black is going to be taking over the Sabres handle from time to time), I just wanted to bring to your attention the fabulous Twitter feed that is Ilya Bryzgalov's. No, he isn't a Sabre...he's actually a Flyer (gross, I know), but his entire Twitter feed is full of gems.

If you're not too familiar with Bryzgalov's personality, please watch this video of him explaining his hockey mask from when he was with the Ducks.


fast forward to about 1 minute into the video

Anyways, back to the main reason of this post, his Twitter page! There's something so endearing about his lack of comprehension of the English language and all of its tricky grammar, but his personality seems to shine through better with his rough translations.

Allow me to post some of my favorite tweets he's made over the past few weeks:

He's taking in the culture of his new city, Philadelphia!












He's a fan of Pumba from the Lion King, I mean who isn't!








...I don't know



So if you aren't already, please consider following Ilya Bryzgalov...he may be my favorite person on Twitter.

P.S. - How funny is it that Derek Roy's Twitter feed is basically full of every single stereotype/assumption that Sabres fans have made over the years about Derek's personality? If the account hadn't been verified by the Sabres themselves, I would have been convinced that it was another parody account. Brilliant.

The Boys Are Back in Town

Well, well, well.

It's been awhile since I've posted anything meaningful related to hockey, and I don't know if this post will exactly be meaningful, but I decided I need to write to get the gears going.

It's mid-September and the days are getting shorter and there is a certain crisp smell in the air that's letting us all know that Autumn is arriving shortly HOCKEY IS BACK!!!! Well, almost. Practically!

Our young prospects are already scrimmaging, and our vets and regulars have been slowly making their way back to town and practicing informally at the Northtown Center. Before you know it we're all going to be donning our blue and gold and shelling out $8 for a beer while cheering (or lambasting) our favorite guys. I can hardly wait!

There's a lot for Sabres fans to look forward to; It will be the first full season that Terry Pegula & Co. will be in complete control, we've made a whole bunch of moves in the offseason, two of our core players will be ready to go, and the team will be taking a fun Euro trip and kicking off the season overseas!

Lots of fun to be had.

The arena is also undergoing a lot of changes, with the brand new locker room, the de-slugging, and the new paint job. But most notably, there will be a name change. It's now called the First Niagara Center, which is now lovingly referred to by fans as the F'N Center. Brilliant.

Although I do have to say that I was a little ticked about the name change, because it makes my header for my blog (which I'm quite partial to) now outdated. At first I thought that I'd have to search for a new header, but then I remembered that I'm really good in Photoshop and with a few clicks of a mouse I can make my current header now up-to-date with the new arena name! Perfect! God bless technology, am I right?

So here it is, the new Hockey Night in Buffalo header! All snazzy and current with the times!


woooooooo!!!

Bring on the 2011-2012 season!!!

Thoughts on the Stanley Cup

Well, the 2010-2011 NHL season is officially in the books and we have new Stanley Cup champions: The Boston Bruins.

I've mentioned before that I wasn't a fan of either team and I really wasn't looking forward to the match up. But of course as a hockey fan I couldn't just tune out the series completely. So I watched and tried to get a feel of the series and I tried to figure out which team I would hate seeing win the Cup less. And honestly, I never really figured that out. It was a pretty even series and both teams each had uncanny similarities...which was highlighted in this brilliantly hilarious piece done by Down Goes Brown.

In the end, I could only find one way to justify which team I wanted to win, and that was Tim Thomas. I really like him and he seems like a real good guy off the ice. It's been fun to watch his success (despite the fact that his success means success for the Bruins), and he was outstanding throughout the entire playoffs, especially in the Finals. I was real happy to see him raise the Cup and in my own little world he was a one-man team out there, making all the saves and scoring all the goals. Yeah...that sounds a lot better than the gross Bruins winning the whole thing, doesn't it?


The only known photograph from that night.

So congratulations, Tim Thomas!! You deserved it.


And as for the way some Vancouverites reacted to the loss... As each goal the Bruins Tim Thomas scored, and as each minute wound down, I had a feeling things were going to get ugly in downtown Vancouver. I know hockey is an emotional sport, but the concept of rioting over something like that just doesn't make any sense. Way to kick yourselves when you're already down. Your team just lost the Stanley Cup and to add insult to injury you are going to try and destroy your beautiful city and harm your fellow citizens and fans. I don't know...I guess I can understand some havoc and raucousness, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed and was crossed. I just hope when the Sabres are in a similar situation (win or lose) we will have enough respect for ourselves and our city to not to try and destroy it when we are either celebrating or mourning.

I hope the people who injured others and lit peoples' cars on fire are caught and held accountable, and I also hope that the Canucks can some how find a way to give back to those who came to clean up after the rioters the following day.

Blogger Summit Recap

When I first got the invite to attend the Blogger Summit I was very excited but I also had no idea what to expect. I honestly pictured us being in a board room-type of space where we would all be sitting at a table and we would shoot the breeze.

When we were taken up to the 200 level and brought into a room with a bunch of tables with bright lights and cameras and a podium up front for Ted, I was extremely impressed (and also a little intimidated!). We were given our own name tags when we first got there and waiting for us in the room were notecards with our information to place in front of us during the event. I felt so official!



After we all introduced ourselves to each other, Ted Black came in and introduced himself. We were told that pizza and wings were arriving shortly, but beverages were already there if we wanted some. I went and grabbed a bottle of water and Mike Gilbert (Director of Public Relations) told me to get a beer. "We get beer?!" I thought. I don't know why but I thought that was really cool haha. I couldn't help but think if the media members get to have beer during their Q&A sessions. Sure, the bloggers don't have press box or locker room access (yet), but we get beer!

Kevin Sylvester was there to moderate the session and he did a great job adding some insight and he helped with the "flow" of the session. It was also good that Mike Gilbert and other members of the organization were there to provide additional information.

I didn't ask any questions during the on-camera portion, but my first question was asking Ted about the Sabres doing a "24-7"-type of documentary to give fans a more behind-the-scenes perspective on the team. Ted said that he'd be very interested in doing something like that, especially with the team going to Europe. I think it would be awesome to see more behind-the-scene things with the team, I thought the HBO 24-7 documentary was fascinating, so I would imagine that watching documentary in the same vein with the Sabres would be so much fun to watch.

I think my favorite part of the summit was when Ted brought out his Pegula Day app on his iPhone and started messing around with it and said that it would be fun to prank phone call Darcy with it haha.

It was also neat to hear that the Sabres players will be delivering season tickets to season ticket holders next season. That's such a fun idea, and it makes me want to add my name to the season ticket waiting list!

I was very impressed with how much time and effort the Sabres put into this summit, but I also enjoyed how informal it was. We could ask Ted important questions regarding the team, but then we could also goof around and ask silly questions (such as what type of aftershave does he use). I guess that's one of the perks about being a blogger, no?

I'm very grateful that I was able to participate in this event and I think it's awesome that the Sabres are embracing the bloggers and the fans like this. It was also great to meet with all the other people in attendance. We chat all the time over Twitter or in blog comments, so it was cool to finally meet people face-to-face. It is certainly a night I won't ever forget!

Blogger Summit

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I will be making my television internet streaming debut tomorrow night as I will be participating in the first-ever Sabres Blogger Summit with Ted Black and several other Sabres bloggers!

I am very excited to meet with Mr. Black and all the other bloggers who will be in attendance. I really have no idea what to expect but that's what maktes it more exciting.

Be sure to follow myself (and the other bloggers) on Twitter where I'll be tweeting during the event. I'll be using the hashtag #SabreSummit (coined by @SabresDotCom) so it will be easier to keep track of the tweets pertaining to the event.

I hope everyone tunes in!

Beginning of the end

Tomorrow marks the first day of the Stanley Cup Finals, and in a few weeks there will be a new Stanley Cup Champion. For the first time in a while, I am really not looking forward to the series. I don't like Boston or Vancouver. It's easy for me to come up with reasons why I don't like the Bruins, but when it comes to the Canucks it's hard to put my finger on it. Maybe it's kind of like a sibling rivalry...the Canucks are our "sister" team as they were the other team that was founded in 1970. I'm not sure if that has something to do with it, but it probably does. Either way, I don't want to see either team hoisting the Cup. So that puts me in quite the conundrum, doesn't it? I suppose I will just have to see how the series plays out until I can decisively figure out which team I dislike the least.

Meanwhile, the Sabres are still well into the offseason and I really haven't missed them... After the elimination, I think every fan goes through a depression where they think, "What am I supposed to do now?! What is my purpose in life?!" And believe me, I felt like that. I couldn't imagine going through months with no Sabres hockey, especially considering how much fun that season was. But the depression comes and goes, and eventually I realize that I sort of embrace the offseaon because it's time to put the Sabres on the back burner and enjoy other things that I like to do. And that's what I've been doing. Enjoying not having to go to class and complete assignments, enjoying going out with my friends, planning little getaways, going to concerts and festivals, and everything else that the summer brings.

And then Sabres.com posted a story about the locker room renovations. I thought to myself, "Hey, that's pretty cool. Everything sounds like it's going to be a kickass facility for the players." And then I saw this picture on the team's official Facebook page. And my heart did a little back flip.



It's Ryan Miller!!! Going over the locker room plans with Terry Pegula!! When the season ends, the players all disperse and go their seperate ways, and I know that it will be months until I get to see their faces again. So when I get a picture of Ryan Miller right in the thick of the offseason going over the locker room plans with Terry Pegula, it's just like a little bonus for me! And it may or may not have made my day when I saw it. If I had more shame I would probably be a little embarrassed admitting that, but...I don't.

So even when I think that I don't really miss the Sabres, I do. And me getting excited over this picture just proves that there's no way that I can stop liking this team, even if I wanted to.

And I'm not going to lie, the picture of Darcy Regier and Ted Black breaking the locker room wall was pretty awesome too:




I will be sure to update as soon as I figure which team I hate less in the Finals, as I'm sure you're all eager to find out.

A little entertainment in the offseason...

Considering it's mid-May and the Sabres were eliminated last month, there is not much to say regarding the team...and to be honest with you I thought the second round of the playoffs was pretty lackluster, so things have been pretty quiet around here to say the least.

So I thought I'd just leave you with this, incase you haven't seen it already.

Here is Pasi Nurminen, goalie coach for team Finland, exiting the plane as the team celebrates their IIHF World Championship victory:




An even better view...



Hope everyone is enjoying the offseason!

Numba 3

I'm not a subscriber to The Hockey News, but thanks to the wonderful world of blogging and fan forums, I've gotten word that Ryan Miller was number 3 in THN's Top 50 players in their 2010-2011 yearbook edition. He was only behind Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin...shocking! According to Sabres Edge, the next goalie on the list is Ilya Bryzgalov at number 20.

It's awesome to see Ryan Miller being discussed in the same vein of Crosby and Ovechkin when it comes to talent, importance, and marketability. It's nice to see that has become another face of the NHL and it's certainly deserved.

Speaking of Ryan... He was featured on NHLPA.com's In Studio feature. It's just a short 2 minute interview where he talks about what music he likes (The Raconteurs), his hobbies (photography), and his best hockey memories. Nothing we haven't really heard before...but it's nice to see our beloved players during the offseason!



Can't believe it's already late August... The bad news is that I'll be going back to school in the very near future. I'm actually looking forward to it, but I could use a few more weeks of summer. But the good news is that hockey will be here before we know it. Soon, the players will start trickling in from their hometowns or wherever they spend their offseason, they'll play some shinny hockey together at the Pepsi Center, and then training camp will be upon us! Then there's some preseason and all of a sudden the 2010-2011 season will be in full swing.

Since August can be pretty slow in the hockey department, I decided to read "The Game" by Ken Dryden. It's a book that I've always heard about and everyone has recommended, and I decided that it was finally time to pick up a copy and read it. I have to say that it's an absolute must-read for any hockey fan...or anyone who is remotely interested in hockey. It is truly a gem. Ken Dryden gives fans an inside look into one of the best hockey teams in history and what it was like to play goal in Montreal during that time. He gives us a rare behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to be a professional athlete, from life spent on the road, what goes through your mind during a game, the celebrity of it all, the money, the affect it has on your family, your relationship between your teammates and coaches, and everything in between.

What impressed me the most is how timeless the book is and how it's still relevant today. The book was written in 1983 and a lot has changed in the NHL since then, but this book seems to stand the test of time. It's a testament to intelligence of Ken Dryden. It's truly a special book and if you haven't read it yet then I suggest you go out and get a copy ASAP.

It's A-Comin'...

...Hockey season, that is.

The Sabres have announced the date for this year's Puck Drop, which kicks of the start of hockey season! It's an all-day event occuring on September 18th which (scarily enough) isn't that far away. Which really means that hockey isn't that far away either when you really think about. What I'm excited for is the 40th anniversary jerseys they will be unveiling. I love the promo pic they used on the announcement:


Vintage!! (said in Regina George's voice)

The Sabres have also announced the team's preseason schedule. Preseason is always fun because the games are essentially meaningless, you get to see players from the minors that you probably haven't seen play before, and it gets you back in the swing of things when it comes to following hockey again. The Sabres only have two home preseason games this year, their first game against the Leafs on September 25th, and their final game on October 3rd against the Philadelphia Flyers.

I guess I should say something about Tim Kennedy. I'm guilty of not posting very frequently in the summer, and in result whenever something news worthy does happen, by the time I want to weigh in on it, the topic has already been beaten to death. My sentiments on what happened is that if this happened to a non-Buffalonian similar to Tim Kennedy's role, I don't think fans would think much of it. A lot of Sabres fans have been complaining over the past few years that the Sabres have a hard time getting rid of their dead weight and they seem to hold onto their players for too long. With Ennis coming along, Kennedy just didn't seem to have a role on the team anymore and the Sabres had to find a way to release him.

With that said, I think it also just flat out sucks how the events unfolded, and as a fan, I can't help but feel awful for him. I'm sure it was quite an unpleasent shock to Kennedy to find out that his hometown was taking the steps into buying out his contract, but hockey careers can take you on unknown paths sometimes and I'm sure he'll find somewhere to play eventually.

In better news, the Shaone Morrisonn (I almost spelled his name correctly without having to look it up! I only goofed up on wanting to add two s's to his last name) signing will be a nice addition to our team. The Sabres have also signed Williamsville native goalie David Leggio to back up Enroth in Portland. When I first heard of the news all I basically thought was, "Oh...that's nice." Then last night on the news I saw an interview with him....and, well why didn't anyone tell me he was so hot?


Helloooo, Mr. Leggio.

Ryan Miller might have some competition. Probably not in the goaltending department, but in the porn stache wearing department.

Observe...



I don't know... Does he have Ryan beat?



Someone doesn't look too amused with that notion...

By the way, if you type "Ryan Miller", on Google, the 2nd thing on Google's suggested search is "ryan miller mustache". This warms my heart in more ways than one.

Ahh, hockey...I've missed you.

Steadfast at the Empire State Games

Hey guys... I know this is short notice but I figured I'd share anyways. Ryan Miller's father Dean and brother Bryce are in town for the Empire State Games to raise some money for The Steadfast Foundation. They have a booth at the Pepsi Center where they are selling autographed Ryan Miller items for very reasonable prices. You can also go and see a continuous loop of Ryan on his webcam talking about MYESPN Highlights over and over and over. (Hey kids, it's Ryan Miller...)

Anyways, I went yesterday to help sell the items and I had a great time helping out and spending time with Dean and Bryce who were very nice and friendly as always!

They are going to be here today (Saturday) and Sunday from around 10 am - 7pm I believe at the Pepsi Center. So be sure to stop by if you're in the Amherst area!


Bryce and I at the boooooooth!

Mind Games

Inception is the movie of 2010 so far... Go see it! It seems lately, a lot of movies have been all about mind blowing special effects, but all too often the plot leaves a lot to be desired. But not only were the special effects fantastic, the idea and storyline behind this movie is unique and thought provoking. Great acting and a great musical score (Hans Zimmer) as well. Leo, you done good.

#30 turns 30

Happy birthday, Ryan Miller!!



Today our all-star goalie turns the big 3-0. This past year has been a great one for Ryan, and he's got a lot to be happy about. He had a career season with the Sabres putting up excellent numbers, he became an ~American hero~ tending goal for Team USA in the Olympics and he earned himself a silver medal, and to top it off he won the Vezina!

He's now entering what happens to be my favorite decade for men... I don't know about you ladies, but I think men in their 30s are in their prime. We all know it takes a little longer for men to mature (and we know deep down that they never really fully do) so once they're in their 30s they've calmed down a little bit and they no longer act like their freshman in college (or sometimes, freshman in high school). Yes, they're wiser and more experienced and they still look good. Yep, men in their 30s are the best...welcome to the club, Ryan.

I hope wherever Ryan is he's celebrating his birthday in styyyyleeee and he's enjoying his day. He certainly deserves it!


Interesting side note, it also happens to be Maya Arulpragasam's (aka M.I.A.) birthday, who is one of my favorite musicians. Her 3rd album, /\/\/\Y/\ was released a few days ago, so if you're into her music you should check it out!

ESPY TYME

The ESPY Awards are this Wednesday and our favorite goalie is nominated for best NHL player! I did my part by casting my vote for him (did you?!) so let's hope Ryan's award winning streak stays alive and he picks up that cute little ESPY trophy. The other nominees are Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Sedin, and Steven Stamkos... I'm sure most NHL fans are a little sick of Crosby and Ovechkin getting the accolades, and Sedin and Stamkos certainly aren't talked about as much as Crosby or Ovechkin...but Ryan Miller is simply better and deserves to win, amirite?

Thanks to a heads up from Ryan's good friend and event planner, Therese Forton, she informed us on her website and blog that Ryan will be calling in at 8 am on Wednesday to 97 Rock to talk about his ESPY nomination and the upcoming Catwalk for Charity. So if you're an early bird, hearing Ryan on the air would be a nice way to start your morning, don't you think?

Speaking of Catwalk for Charity, I mentioned it in my last post that the date and theme has been announced, and already my head is swirling with ideas on what to wear! I don't know about you, but I love themed parties and events, and I always try and get into them by dressing accordingly. I love thinking ahead and planning on what I'm going to wear, so the last few days I've spent some time thinking about what I'm going to wear. Hell, a few months ago I started thinking about what I should be for Halloween this year (what SHOULD I be?), so it's not really crazy for me to be thinking this far ahead about what I'm going to wear at Catwalk. In my last post I said I wanted to wear one of Lady Gaga's outfits in her Telephone music video, but then I started thinking... While showing up in a studded leather bra and underwear wearing a leather jacket with pop cans in my hair will surely bring me a lot of attention, I'm not quite sure if it's the kind of attention that I would want. Plus, while I think Lady Gaga is fun and all, let's be honest...a lot of her crazy looks can be stemmed back to Madonna. So why would I want to rip off someone's look who already ripped off their look from someone else? ANSWER ME THAT! So I decided that making up my own look would be more fun and a little more original... And so far I've come up with this:




Yeaaah! If I was a 20-something girl in the 80s (or a 20-something hipster in 2010), then this is probably something I would wear. Run DMC were a major part of the hip-hop movement in the 80s and they're one of my favorite rap groups so it makes sense that I would wear one of their t-shirts... I'm thinking about cutting the neckline to make it reveal one of my shoulders for more of an authentic look. And let me tell you, I would feel like one of the coolest, baddest chicks around with my studded belt and chain and my fingerless lace gloves. Hell yeah! Don't you ever wish you could go back in time, but remain the same age you are now? I always wish I could go back and be in my 20s in the 90s so I could go out clubbing while dancing to all those amazing 90s dance and club songs. And now I wish I could go back in time in the 80s so I could strut my stuff in those duds.

One thing I'm probably going to leave out in my look is the hair. I know, I know...hair is an essential part in completing in 80s look. And while it's fun to dress up in past trends, between you and me, I think there are just certain past trends that should be just that...past trends. So I think I'll give my dignity and the ozone layer a break and stay away from that can of Aqua Net.

A Midsummer Update

So it's been pretty quiet around here and I haven't addressed any of the Sabres' free agency moves, because I've been completely enamored by LeBron James and his decision on where to go. But now that his decision has been made, I can finally move on and blog. HA! Just kidding...I don't give a shit about what's his face and his hour-long specials about this groundbreaking moment in sports history.

Anyways... In summary, Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder are no longer Sabres. We've acquired Jordan Leopold and Rob Niedermayer, Patrick Lalime re-signed, and our Buffalo boys are going to salary arbitration for one reason or another. While none of these moves are particularly cutting-edge, Darcy has been a little more proactive than he usually is and I like adding players like Leopold and Niedermayer. It remains to be seen if their stints will be successful in Buffalo, but they seem like solid moves. Darcy doesn't go out and try and lure star players with huge contracts, which some fans hate...but I think it's more logical to make small tweaks and adjustments instead of "blowing it all up". Darcy likes to improve from within, and because of that we have seen players like Vanek and Miller become the players that they are today for our team. And we've got a group of young players like Ennis, Myers, Kennedy, and Gerbe who can hopefully follow lead.

OKAY! Now that I've somewhat addressed the moves that the Sabres front office has made so far, now it's time to talk about much more important (and fun) topics...such as Catwalk for Charity! You know, the event of the year as far as I'm concerned. This year's theme seems to be a rock-star, punk, 80s theme... Looks like I'm going to have to whip out my leather and studs and heavy eyeliner. Sounds good to me. What do you guys think Ryan would do if I showed up looking like this?


I'm k-kinda bussaaaay

Soooo...obviously I look forward to this event every year so I can't believe it's approaching already. You can guarentee as the date comes closer I'll be posting more and more about it and how excited I am for it, but until then you can always click on my "Catwalk for Charity" tag and read all about my experiences from past events, but I'm sure most of you already have.

So with all the recent Sabres news and the announcement of Catwalk for Charity V...I'm feeling preeettaaay, preeetttaaay, preeeettaaaay good about next season. I'm also enjoying my summer a whole lot and I've got the intense sunburn to prove it. SPF-whatever doesn't do shit for me and my fair Irish skin.

I feel like I've got a whole lot to say but I don't really have the time to put it together, so until then my lovely readers, I bid you adieu...

Precious Jewels

Well...I am happy to report that I didn't have to have a Kanye moment! We were victorious my friends! And by we, I mean Ryan Miller and Tyler Myers.






Smiles all around... Look how proud and happy they are! Their speeches were so cute... They both seemed very humbled over the fact that they had won. Ryan seemed a little nervous giving his speech which was both adorable and endearing. It was a fun season to watch the Sabres and especially Ryan Miller. He worked hard to get in the position that he is in right now and he deserves all the accolades that he's getting. I'm so proud! He also won the NHL Foundation Award where he was awarded with $25,000 to go towards The Steadfast Foundation which is awesome.

Overall, I enjoyed the NHL Awards... Myers and Miller walked away with some hardware and I thought the Getzlaf/Ryan bit was really funny. The best part was the painting competition. And I got to see Miller and the rest of the hockey players all dressed up and lookin' snazzy in their suits...and we all know how well Ryan can rock suit which can displayed both here and here.

So congratulations, boys...you two really deserved it. Now go and enjoy your summer!

NHL Awards Are A Go!

In the offseason, you take what you can get... There are three important events that occur in the NHL's offseason: the NHL Awards, the draft, and free agency. If you're more interested in what your favorite team's management intends on doing to try and improve your favorite team in the immediate future and down the road in the years to come, then free agency and the draft is probably your favorite part of the offseason. If watching NHLers stroll down the red carpet pretending they're attending the Oscars and then watching them awkwardly accept awards onstage, then the NHL Awards is probably the most exciting time in the offseason for you. Well where do I stand? I think the answer is obvious...

I actually have to admit that I've never really watched the NHL Awards before. I've seen the pictures of the NHLers looking all snazzy on the red carpet wearing their tuxes with their hot dates or their families...and obviously I've paid attention to who the winners were, but I never really sat down and watched them on TV. But that has all changed now that my favorite 19-year-old 6-foot-8 rookie defenseman and my favorite wonky eyebrowed goalie are up for awards!

Tyler Myers is up for the Calder... Look, if I really wanted to break it down as to why I think Tyler should win, I really could... But I feel like if you're reading this blog then you've probably read arguments for and against Myers all over the place. To sum it up... Tyler Myers was NINETEEN YEARS OLD in the beginning of the 09-10 season without having played in A SINGLE NHL GAME PRIOR. Now bearing that in mind, now take a look at his STATS. I rest my case.

Now...onto my favorite...the main reason why I am so excited for the Awards because it should be a big night for my main main, Mr. Miller. I know falling short in the playoffs was disappointing, but despite that, this season was so much fun for me to watch because Ryan really became a household name and showcased his talent to people all around the world in the Olympics. It really was Ryan's year and he is getting some recognition for it by being nominated for three awards in the NHL. Everyone knows that he's nominated for the Vezina, but he is also nominated for the Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award and the NHL Foundation Award. I think Sabres fans are well aware of Miller's role he plays as a leader on the Sabres and all he does for the WNY community off the ice with his Steadfast Foundation, so it's really nice to see that he's nominated for these two awards and it would be great to see him win.

Obviously, the most important award for him would be the Vezina... I always knew Ryan was capable of being a Vezina candidate, and I would be overjoyed to see him get it. Bryzgalov had a spectacular season too, but I just feel like this is Ryan's award (I'm not even going to bring up Brodeur because I feel like he was just nominated as a filler. It's really between Miller and Bryzgalov). Not only did he have a phenomenal NHL season, but his Olympic run was nothing short of amazing... I know the Olympics shouldn't play into who wins these awards as they weren't NHL games, but let's be real here...they are going to be a factor and I don't have a problem with that because it directly benefits Ryan's chances at winning Ryan's performance in the Olympics benefitted the NHL even though they weren't NHL games.

Honestly, if Ryan doesn't win the Vezina I'm going to have to go all Kanye on their asses. I'll get onstage and be like, "Yo Ilya I'mma let you finish...but Ryan Miller had the best 09-10 season of all time. OF ALL TIME!"


Let's hope it doesn't have to come to this.

The festivities start tomorrow... I'll be sure to report back with everything that happens. And by everything I mean what happens to Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller. Eff everyone else. Especially you stupid Hart Trophy nominees... RYAN MILLER HAD THE BEST 09-10 REGULAR SEASON MVP PERFORMANCE OF ALL TIME... OF ALL TIME!

We Interrupt This Hiatus To Bring You...

...this:




I didn't realize how much I missed Ryan Miller until I saw him being both awkward and awesome at the same time while giving us a tutorial on how to be a goalie in the NHL. He looked so snazzy in his suit and I enjoyed listening to his thoughtful insight on the game and each team playing. I did feel a little sorry for him that he had to be between Pierre McGuire and Mike Milburry... Pierre and Mike kept shouting back and forth while Ryan was being his typical calm and collected self and Mike kept cutting Ryan off and telling him to agree with him. But other than that...it was such a nice treat to see Ryan being his awesome self again! Even though he and the Sabres haven't really crossed my mind so far during this offseason, he has been missed! Really!

Oh, and apparently there was some crazy hockey game going on in between the intermission reports. Who would've thought...

Okay...going back on hiatus now. Carry on...

Hockey...and stuff

Just wanted to check in since I've been pretty M.I.A. lately, my posts will be few and far between this summer, but you know...it is what it is.

Here's a little rundown of my thoughts of what's been going on during the playoffs and what's been going on in my life. First off...

- I MET LINDY RUFF!! Like, for realll met him. I've seen Lindy in person twice before. Once when I was with my dad in the players hallway about two years ago, and another time I saw him in a store on Elmwood over the winter. But a few weeks ago, my mom and I attened a fashion show fundraiser to benefit Roswell Park at Nektar martini bar on Elmwood, and Lindy and his family were in attendence! It was a nice moment for me to shake his and hand talk to him, because I've always been a big fan of Lindy's and I always like defending him when some fans aren't happy with him being our coach. I didn't have a camera, but I re-created the moment with my glorious Photoshopping skills:



Juuust kidding. Lindy was very nice and gracious and I wasn't looking like a giddy school girl (although I was freaking out on the inside as I was trying my best to look cool and calm with a martini in my hand). It was a great event for a really good cause and it was a nice surprise to see Lindaaaayy there.

- How crazy are these playoffs? I really have no ill will against the Bruins for eliminating us, but seriously, how awesome was it to see them choke away a 3-game lead? They completed it by choking away a 3-goal lead in Game 7, no less...talk about symbolism. I mentioned it on Twitter but the people behind the "History Will Be Made" campaign must have been going apeshit over the result of that series. It's crazy to think that the only two teams left in the East are the 7th and 8th seeds... Especially considering it took 82 games and a shootout for Philly to get in the playoffs. Just goes to show you that old saying "anything can happen in the playoffs" is true.

- With that said... I think I'm rooting for Chicago to win it all. I like the city of Chicago and the Blackhawks are a fun team to watch. Philadelphia fans are vile and I just worry about the lives of Habs fans if they were to win it all...although them getting eliminated will probably be just as dangerous, but whatever. San Jose, well I guess I wouldn't care but I just like Chicago more.

- I'm finally done with school! My last exam was Thursday and I still haven't really registered the fact that I'm on summer vacation now. I'm starting to think about what I want to do in the summer and where I want to go. I've got a few plans in mind but right now things are all up in the air. I know I want to take my annual trip to Chicago in August for Lollapalooza, and I also want to see Kings of Leon in July when they come to Darien Lake. I'm also excited for one of my favorite musicians, M.I.A.'s third album which is coming out this summer. The singles she's released so far have been so different from each other, and they've all been so boss. I'm especially looking forward to seeing the music video for her latest single, XXXO...which I'm assuming will be less violent and graphic than her music video for Born Free. You never know with Maya though.

Hopefully a few changes are coming my way in the near future which should make my summer interesting.

St. Ryan

So it's only been like a week into the Sabres offseason and I'm already doing nonsense like this... While I should have been working on a presentation (that's not overdue or anything...) and studying for my finals next week, I was making this instead:



I think I really outdid myself this time, it's even better than my Miller Obamaized creation. I was inspired because I saw that image with Elvis's face, and I thought...welllll....DON'T MIND IF I DO. And I got to work.

Too bad it's the offseason and that image won't be relevant for a few months. But I'll whip it out in June when the NHL Awards roll around.

Anyways, I should get back to... I mean... START studying and working my presentation. Carry on.

Coming Around

Well, it's safe to say that I was pretty bummed out when the Sabres were eliminated. I was just getting used to the feeling of them competiting in the playoffs and as soon as it came, it went just as fast.

But really, looking back...it was a good season. There were a lot of things to like about the 2009-2010 season, despite the fact that they got bounced in the first round. I wish they could have done more damage in the playoffs, but it's another lesson learned. We saw some great things this past season, and we can only hope that the team will take that and move forward and they'll be better for it next year. I'm so sick of always looking forward to "next year", but you have to be patient. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, and it's not an easy road to get there. This season was a lot more fun and exciting than the past few seasons, and I think we started to see our team evolve into something special. We've got exciting young players like Myers, Ennis, Kennedy, and Gerbe...and our young guys from 05-06 are now becoming experienced veterens.

I liked what I heard from the press conference that Lindy, Darcy, and Larry gave. I liked that Lindy's contract was picked up for one more year and that he was very adament when he said how much he wants to win a Cup in Buffalo. I liked that he said he's real excited about our team moving forward. I liked hearing Mike Grier saying that he's interested in re-signing with the team.

While I wasn't ready for our season to end two weeks ago, I think that it will be nice to get a little break from Sabres hockey for a bit. It sucks to know that we won't watch them again until October, but on the other hand there's a whole summer out there for us to enjoy. Summer is my favorite season and it will be nice to enjoy it and not have to worry about hockey for a bit. My semester is almost finished and it's a very hectic and stressful time of the year. But in two weeks it will be finished and I'll be able to enjoy the summer. I'll enjoy the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but I've never been one to jump onboard with another team and root for them. I just like watching good hockey... And from watching, it seems as though Vancouver has a real shot and winning it all this year. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

Right now I'm making a few changes in my life that I think will be for the better, although it's a little scary moving forward...but at the same time I'm excited and I'm glad that I'm doing it. With that said, my mind has been elsewhere for the past few weeks, and I expect that me blogging will be a little scarce for a bit. But that's to be expected anyways, considering this is a Sabres blog and the Sabres are currently galavanting around the streets of their hometowns, on the golf course, or whatever else NHLers do in their offseason.

So in the end, I'm looking back at last season on a positive note. It was a good season, and I had a lot of fun watching them. My favorite part had to be the Olympics...it was just so fun to see Ryan Miller compete in such a large spotlight and see him getting a taste of being a national celebrity for a bit. Being such a big fan, it was fun to see him getting the recognition that he deserves and I was so proud of him.

There a lot of good things to look forward to when it comes to the Sabres. So until then... I'll see ya when I see ya...