We won!!!

Now we have to keep it up and win tomorrow. No pressure dudes (well, some) but, it is important. Winning today was awesome, because Philly can be big and scary, but the guys came prepared, and it went well.

Drew Stafford was being bad ass, as usual, and Gerbe scored the empty netter! Even though I think no one on the earth SAW it outside of the arena, how did he know I love those goals? Nate the great. :)

There was a little bit more fiesty-ness than usual, but that is expected with the Flyers because it always happens that way. The crowds are always loud too. I'm pretty sure I will be going when the Sabres play them again in Buffalo in April, so we need to be just as loud then.

The Blackhawks also beat the Maple Leafs tonight in Toronto, so that helps us, keeps them off our trail a little for now. The Hawks are on a crazy 8 game winning streak, probably because of their awesome goalie Corey Crawford and the awesome first line of Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. :)

Miller was in net today, so that means Enroth will be saved for tomorrow in Minnesota. I hope he can be just as badass as he was last time he was here, and that all the other guys keep it up because a win tomorrow would be amazing. Game on!!

All-Star Weekend 2011

A little bit of a different topic, no so much Sabres related (well, a little) but, it is all-star weekend in Raleigh, NC.

Tyler Ennis was going down to NC, the only Sabre, and he is going on the rookie team. He was picked by Eric Staal's team, which I think is pretty awesome. He will be with other rookies like Tyler Seguin and it will be awesome for him I'm sure. They only showed him on tv for like 2 mins., but it was cool to see him there. I just can't believe no other Sabres made it. Bummer.

I did like the exchanges between team Lindstrom and Patrick Kane as alternate, with Jonathan Toews. Kept Toews hanging on until the last minute to be picked...haha. All the Blackhawks, including a former one, are on team Lindstrom, and Patrick Sharp is all alone on team Staal. I have players I like on both teams, but I guess I have more faves on team Lindstrom, but it will be a fun game either way, doesn't really matter who wins. I'm just wondering who will be the MVP this year and win the car. Phil Kessel already won a car and $20,000 to any charity he wants for being picked last in the draft. Geez, if only it went that well for everyone picked last at something in life...haha.

So yeah, skills competition tomorrow night and the actual all-star game is Sunday night, I can't wait. It just seems like a fun weekend for the guys, less pressure, the game is really all in fun. It is also some of the best players in the league all in one place, and how can that not be awesome to watch?

Happy Drew Year!

So, to start it off, the Sabres played the Boston Bruins New Year's Day. The winter classic is usually an afternoon thing, but was moved up to 8pm due to crappy (translate: not cold or snowy enough) conditions, so the games overlapped. I was kinda eh about the winter classic anyway, I mean I wanted to see Jordan Staal come back and all that, but it was pretty much just like any other game. Buttt, to start with, the Sabres were crazy guys vs. Boston.

The game was so neck and neck the whole time, it was kind of frustrating to be honest. We would score, and you could still be wooing! over it, and they would tie it back up and then we would have to start all over again. The high ending score was crazy, and Drew Stafford got his 2nd hat trick of the year! It was awesome, I am so happy he is doing so well this year. Happy Drew Year was a nice and fitting term for the game for sure. We still ended up having to go to a shootout, but it turned out good, because Stafford scored (again), as did Vanek and Ennis. I have a pretty strong dislike for Boston, so it was nice to actually win this one full out and get the two points. I hope the Sabres can keep up some kind of streak, because it has been a long time, and winning is fun. Come on guys, you like it don't you? Of course you do.

The winter classic was a rainy one, and it looked pretty sloppy out there for the teams, but Washington ended up winning 3-1. It really wasn't a battle of Ovie vs. Crosby because neither of them scored from what I saw, I know Crosby didn't. Oh well, the NHL and NBC had to find a way to sell hockey to a large number of football loving Americans. They don't need to remind me to tune in...haha. Jordan Staal came back and played for the first time this year to the delight of many people, and he did really well. I bet he was happy to be back for this game too after being out so long, and because of how unique the winter classic is.

On a different note, I watched the Blackhawks take on the Anaheim Ducks tonight, and Toni Lydman still does drive me nuts! Wow! haha. Just hearing his name I am reminded of him playing for us and all that went with it. It was different to hear the name just for some other team now. He was doing pretty ok with them the last time I heard, so yeah, maybe the west coast is good for him. I know the Ducks beat my Hawks, and cappy Toews is still out, so tonight's game was kind of a bummer, but eh, it's ok. The Hawks were having a mother's trip to Cali, and it was cute to see all the moms and Toews was on tv with his mom being interviewed as he wasn't playing, and it was completely pretty adorable. She gushes, he kind of blushes and plays it off, and she has a cute French accent and it was just awesome. :)

Yesterday also marked the one year anniversary for my little blog here. I can't believe it has been that long already, wow. I haven't been updating as much as I did last season, but I will try to be better with that in 2011. :)

Ok I feel like I am rambling now...haha. But yeah, that is pretty much it for now. The Sabres play again on Tuesday and they are on the road for a bit. West coast teams are always a bit of a test because the West is really tough, so I hope they can come back with a few wins under their belt, for many reasons, if not just the confidence. We also just need more wins in general, as we all know.

Until next time...

Sabres vs. Edmonton Oilers and other stuff

So so so, what has been going on in Sabresland huh? A lot.

First off, Derek Roy is out for the rest of the season. This is a major NO! NO! WHY??!

It is no big news to Sabres fans near and far that this season is sucking...badly. Sorry, someone had to say it out loud. This does not help in the least. I feel so bad for him too, that is a long ass time to not play. Gah.

Secondly, there is big news on the ownership horizon. The Sabres should have a new owner very soon, with it being announced after the World Juniors are over with. We need this though, and I think it will be good. I hope some people higher up leave, and the roster gets shaken up, because it needs it.

We won yesterday against the Oilers, but I was so used to the Sabres losing, I was like "oh we won, cool". It just wasn't a big deal to win one. Ryan Miller did become the 67th goalie to get his 200th win, right after Patty Lalime. End of 2010 is turning out to be pretty ok for Miller, minus the losses and all...haha.

Mike Weber also scored twice last night, the first being his first NHL goal, and an empty netter! Love those! Good job Weber!

We don't play again till New Year's Day vs. Boston (EW!) and that is also Winter Classic day! Penguins vs. Capitals in Pittsburgh. A day full of hockey is always nice.

On an unrelated to Sabres note: My favorite captain (no, not Craig Rivet, do I look like I'm nuts?! haha) is injured, Jonathan Toews. He is out for something like two weeks with a shoulder injury of some sort that he received last night from being smashed into the boards all willy nilly by some big Blues brute. Grrr. Injury comes with the territory, but it still sucks when it happens to anyone. Patrick Kane just came back, as did Marian Hossa, so it seemed like everything was back in order, for like the first 10 mins. of the 1st period, ughhh. Soooo...yeah. Buttt, the Blackhawks have Patrick Sharp who is currently sittin' pretty in the number 3 spot in number of goals with 20, right behind Steven Stamkos and Crosby. I wonder why it seems he doesn't get as much recognition as the other two? It just seems weird. I know a lot of the light in Chicago belongs to Toews and Kane, but come on, Sharpy is awesome.

Ok, guess that's all for now.

So besides winning anything...

I guess there is some other "news" going on in Sabresland:

1.) Jason Pominville has been medically cleared to play again. Thank goodness, because we need someone out there who knows what he's doing. Hey Pominville, can you help us win something again, please??? But yeah, I'm glad he's better for the most part and is coming back, because we need him, and I know the team needs him.

2.) Craig Rivet with not resign as captain. Dammit, couldn't get him to do it himself now it will probably never get done because I swear Lindy is too afraid of these guys to do anything. So yeah, less than stellar captain forever it seems.
-Dreams of Jonathan Toews as our captain, is snapped out of it by brick to the face- Yeah right, like that would ever happen.

3.) Nathan Gerbe has a broken jaw and has to wear one of those hideous cages that Thomas Vanek wore not that long ago if I'm not mistaken. I think it was him anyway. I don't think it was hideous though, I KNOW it was. Poor Gerbs. Get better soon.

4.) Luke Adam was named AHL Rookie of the Month, yeahhhh. I wish he could play more up here, but with more guys coming back, I guess that won't be happening, but I'm happy for him. All the promise for this team lately seems to be in the younger guys and the guys waiting in the wings to play. Hmmm, lack of spark, lack of giving a crap, lack of energy maybe? All the vets are too busy worrying about paychecks and diapers to give a crap about their jobs. Ya know, when that happens, I'm sure somebody would tell you to retire, so maybe some of you should. Yeah, I'm passed pissed on a lot of this stuff.

On an unrelated note, it looks like just as it was promising for Jordan Staal to come back to the Penguins lineup after his summer long battle with a foot injury of some sort, it looks like he got some sort of other injury in practice. My gosh is that rough. I know a lot of hardcore Pittsburgh fans have been awaiting his return for awhile, as have I, and now this. I just hope it isn't too serious, and he will actually be able to play like he was supposed to soon.

So yeah, that's the news for now. We play back home Wed. against the Bruins I think it is (have I been so uninterested I have yet to look, or care? maybe), so yeah, that should be really dandy. As images of this past spring's playoffs replay through people's heads, the rest of us will just sit and pray to the hockey gods we can win one, because the Sabres are getting down to the Bills level, and that is just scary. Please send help. Game on!!

Let's back this up a bit shall we?

So, I'm going to go back a little bit here and go over the game I went to which was Sabres vs. Blackhawks on Oct. 11th. It was the first game I went to this season excluding the Toronto pre-season game (which as it turns out, was a lot better then any other game that has been played so far), because I did not attend the home opener. Not like it matters, we have lost all of them at home. I don't really know what's going on. -shrug-

In true creep fashion, I wore a Jonathan Toews shirt to HSBC (yeah, you can yell at me later, I love the man, whaddya want?) and yeah, maybe it was a bad omen. Not only did we NOT win, but I was almost in tears at the whole Pominville thing. I have never seen anything like that happen at a game I was actually in attendance for, and it scared the living crap out of me. Then I felt bad wearing the other teams colors, then it was all downhill for me from there. There were a ton of Blackhawks fans in attendance as it was, which was kind of weird, and then Patrick Kane scored a goal on top of it. I was waiting for Patrick Kaleta to come out of somewhere, anywhere, and kill him right then and there. Oh boy. My dad was just pissed off we lost again, and I was just kind of shaken up by the whole thing, and pissed that Pominville's streak of consecutive games was taken away. Non-intentional and all, doesn't matter, he won't be able to get that back. Total bummer if you ask me.

I do however like the new video opening on the jumbotron for the 40th anniversary, it makes me all smiley and just...yeah, I really like it. Makes me cheese out like crazy and I love it, sue me. Going back over all the decades is really cool and I'm sure has a nostalgic feel for a lot of fans.

So let's go over this:

-Pre-season was pretty ok, not too bad.

-Regular season has been eh, won against Ottawa (which was WEIRD) and have lost since (which would also be really weird seeing as we may never win again???!)

-People that did eh last year are still doing eh, while some are a lot better, while some who were pretty good are doing eh.

-Still too early to say really, I'm sure things will pick up soon, but of course we are all antsy and want to win just one to make sure it can still happen. We also want to make sure that this team isn't full of hockey game losing zombies.

-Jason Pominville being out has put Nathan Gerbe back in the lineup for sure which is awesome, but Shaone Morrisonn being out with a groin injury has also but Chris Butler back in the lineup. Pros and cons people, you figure out which is which.

Ok, guess that's it.

So I've been thinking...

that this will be a really, REALLY good Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers have been the so called "underdogs" the whole time, and the Blackhawks, well, they of course came primed to win it all. That's what pisses me off about how the Sabres were. I know this is reopening a can of worms all over again, but hear me out. Those dudes DID NOT look like Chicago out there. Of course the talent is way different, but aside from that. There is something about the Blackhawks. The spark, the wanting of the cup, wanting it more than any other team. The Sabres I don't think ever had that. It was like, you know what, I'm ready for vacation now. It's sad to think that they could be in this very same spot at this very same time if they just gave a crap, which they didn't. I will miss the team all summer long, and that makes me nuts probably, but it is what it is. Next year we will probably have the same team altogether, and we'll have to see what can be done with it. Mean time dudes, have fun doing whatever, golf or some junk.

I loved watching Ryan Miller last night during the intermissions on NBC. Like, do you remember how it was to face Dustin Byfuglien, like when he was in front of you in the net? He probably has vague memories seeing as the Sabres took them on like twice this year if that, and how can anyone remember? Geez. Ask some more stupid questions guys. My dad couldn't stop remarking on his ugly tie. I couldn't stop feeling happy just to see a Sabre on tv. -sigh-

I also can't get over the weird pronounciations of players names on the Blackhawks. Byfuglien looks like BYE-FUG-LEEAN and it pronounced BUFF-LIN. Ok then. Also, Toews. Looks like TOES, but is pronounced TAVES. Right, and people have trouble with Gaustad? Ummm, there is no way to pronounce it GOOS-TAD unless you failed a couple years of elementary school...there is an A. Oh boy. (This is all just for amusement if you can not tell...lol).

So until then, go Blackhawks! Patrick Kane can bring the cup on a little journey to Buffalo and maybe Darcy will cry into it and we can try to throw it at Tim Connolly. Oh, and I hope we are still thinking of maybe trying some maneuvering to get Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to Buffalo? Probably couldn't do both, so maybe just Toews. Yeahhh, that would work quite well. A trade of a 19 for a 19? Oh you KNOW that would work out great. Just like trading 9's to New Jersey. (I like living in a hockey fantasy land if you couldn't tell). :)