Did the Air Canada Centre move to Buffalo??

It sure seemed like it tonight, but no matter the amount of Toronto fans in attendance, the guys pulled off one hell of a game, and I hope it can stay that way.

Now we've seen this before though. A change of some sort is made, they get a little pep, they win a game or 2 maybe, but then it's back to suckville, population: sabres. Now if they can, like Paul Hamilton said, build from this win, we should be in good shape. Let's hope they do so.

The Pat LaFontaine stuff tonight was enough to almost make me cry, and long for a time when I wish I would have paid more attention to hockey. The RJ "lalalalalafontaine" call gets me every damn time. I would like to go back in time just for one of those games and hear the call live in person, it would be amazing. Seeing Ted Nolan introduced and the reaction from the crowd for him was also pretty awesome. I think this is the fresh start of something good that I hope will last for a long time.

Tomorrow the Sabres head to the actual Air Canada Centre (now but see wouldn't it be cool if there were more Sabres jerseys there tomorrow than Leafs ones? Yeah it would be), so let's see what the road will bring them. One win down boys, but you have a lot to make up for. Let's see ya do this. Game on!!

Wait, what just happened??!

So yesterday, I guess the Sabres organization, or parts of it, decided it was time to shake it up. I don't know if anyone did any actual dancing (I would say negative on that), but things did get shaken up. All shook up. (K)


So if you have been a fan of the Sabres for anything more than, I dunno, 2 weeks, you probably know Pat LaFontaine. Hell, a hockey fan in general for more than 2 weeks. Great player, great man, just all around great. My dad was setting the stage for a love of Pat LaFontaine early for me and my sisters, so we have known of him since we were really little. If I could not name any other player at a young age, I for sure could name him. So when this news came about that he was going to be a part of the Sabres organization, I pretty much saw the tears forming in his eyes. But wait, they let Darcy go too??! Might as well have told my father santa came already because this was like Christmas for this man. He has hated Darcy since forever (I guess pretty much the whole time he was here?), and it seems a lot of other people had too, or if they didn't before, this year they were starting to. Whatever your thoughts may have been on him, it was time for a change. The job was just not getting done (obviously), and Rolston getting let go too, well yeah, a no brainer really.

Ted Nolan coming back is something I can not say yay or nay to as I don't remember when he was here the first time (I was a child, sorry), but I do know the story my dad has told me dozens of times. He was coach of the year, then fired sometime after. Yikes. Also, google gives you a little note of something when you search his name:

"ted nolan blackballed"

ok then

So I would like to say that I guess he deserves another shot at this coaching thing. Hell, I would have let my 90 year old grandmother try to coach them at this rate. Nothing at this point can hurt now can it? Probably not.

So we now have Patty Lalalalalafontaine as director of hockey operations or some jazz, and a new (old??) coach to shake things up. Now we know this will take time, of course it will. Starting from scratch always does. I am just glad Terry Pegula actually figured that out and now we can put things in motion. Franchises have let go of coaches after courses of single digit losses, but he wanted to take his time. Hell if Darcy can have 16 YEARS, why not give Rolston more than a couple months to see how things turn out hmmm? (Granted the 16 Darcy years are not all on the back of Pegula, but you get my drift). Mr. Pegula had said that he does not give up on people, he wants to work with them, and have everyone work together to see what can get done, but sometimes things just need to change. He is just lucky he bought a team in a city not only known for good neighbors, but also, as it seems, boat loads of patience. Ahh yes.

So, here we are standing on the verge of something new and exciting. Hell I am even going to the game tomorrow, my first one since early 2011 I think? I am just ready to see someone new behind the bench (new, old, new). I am just hoping this can put a spark back into these guys, make them feel like good things are to come. At least I hope they will. At this point, hope is all we really have now isn't it? Oh and if you have a LaFontaine jersey, make sure you wear it with much pride, because that man sure as hell deserves it.

!!!!

Playoffs here we come!

My dad was telling Anthony (a Flyers fan...booo haha) something during the game that I thought was funny and pretty clever....

dad: if we play Philly that would be so crazy
Anthony: yeah
dad: well, a Buffalo boy scored the winning goal on Philly in the playoffs last year, maybe this year it would be a whole herd of Buffalo that would take you guys out of the first round
me: ooh that would be cool
Anthony :|

lol good times

I'm just so happy at this point, and the fact that the boys got both points is even better for us. Tickets for the first round of playoffs go on sale on Monday and I'm already thinking about that because I would love to go, but I know there aren't really a lot of tickets to go around. We shall see about that I guess.

Seeing Pat LaFontaine on tv made me happy to start the night, and when Rob Ray interviewed him I couldn't stop smiling. All of the video of him playing and scoring amazing goals...gahh. I wish he could come back and play here forever and never get older and never leave. :)

The Blackhawks won too which is awesome, but I couldn't watch any of that game. I am just glad they did because the west is so close and they needed the two points.

Tonight has just been awesome. Great job boys, the whole city is so proud! :D

I love when I find stuff like this.

I found all this stuff while cleaning out and organizing our shed today. I can't believe all the good stuff I didn't know went out there. I love that Patty Lala is on the cover of that book, and now it will stay in safe keeping with my stuff, not out in the shed, lol. Also stumbled upon a Miroslav Satan rubber ducky??! Yeah, I dunno, my dad said someone got it for him AFTER he was traded, so we just threw it out...haha. I also found my Sabres carnival puck! It wasn't MY exact one, because mine was signed, but it was my dad's or something, so it's better than nothing. I also found a bunch of official game pucks my dad caught (I don't know how he got one more than once, geez) and also some of his hockey equipment from when he played years ago, and a Sabres goalie mask and also a trophy he got for being mvp of his adult league. It was pretty cool to see that stuff, because some I had either never seen or it had been a longgg time and I didn't remember. It's also cool looking through the 05-06 media guide and seeing all the guys that are still here, and how young they looked then...haha. The one ticket stub my dad wanted to throw out, or he said it could go in the trash, but I told him I would take it. I didn't even notice until we were back inside the house that it was signed on the back. I was like "dad, this is signed by someone, I just can't tell who" he turned it over and said "oh, it's signed by Lindy Ruff, can't you recognize that?" I could after the fact, but at first I couldn't at all. Pretty awesome. I also took the Robi signed Sabres fan only parking sign, even though it was my dad's...haha. He said I could, so of course I took him up on that.

So this was my Sabres happenings for now, as hockey is still going on without them. I hope the Blackhawks make it, as they are now tied in their series with Vancouver if I'm not mistaken. Philly is down by 2 games, and I want them to beat Boston....badly. Come on guys, take 'em down! :)

Sabres vs. Bruins--Game 2

As an after thought, I am frustrated at this game. I know it's so early, but I guess that's what happens when you amp yourself up for something great and it turns out...less than great.

It started off innocent enough. NBC wet their collective pants over Ryan Miller and Tyler Myers (in true national network fashion, the rest of us Buffaloians are used to it all pretty much...haha). Ryan Miller played in the olympics and was awesome. Tyler Myers is young, tall and also awesome, but we all know that already. Let's get on with this hmmm?

Matt Ellis scored a goal, which I'm sure made him feel pretty damn awesome, seeing as his are pretty few and far in between. Pominville scored after my dad yelled at him through the tv for about 15 mins. straight (he probably did it just to shut him up...haha), and Tyler Myers scored and did a cute little jump for joy. Then that big idiot Chara (mature, I know) must have gotten all mad about something and scored twice at some point, and before we know it, we are down by one (these are all out of order, I realize this, ha). We were leading going into the 2nd, which is usually always a sign of a win, but not today. We were one upped in the 3rd until the very last minutes, when an empty net was scored and we end up losing by 2, therefore breaking our leading in the 2nd record. What a downer.

The whole thing with Thomas Vanek just made me so frustrated and sad. It's like, how much more in the injury dept. can this team take? We already have two forwards out, and now a third. I don't know if he will play Monday, as no details are available other than it's a lower body injury. It looked like it hurt like hell is all I can say. WGR was saying that if Drew Stafford is ready Monday, he can go in if needed, but who knows at this point. According to my father, Nathan Gerbe can not be called back up because he was just sent back, and there is a time period to wait or something, so I don't know. Random notes:

-I didn't even know/notice Tim Connolly was playing today. I don't know what his problem is lately, but he needs to step up, especially if Vanek ends up out for awhile.

-Tim Kennedy has been kicking ass lately, setting up plays, getting all over the place, just doing everything he needs to and being a great team player in general. For not playing in the NHL that long, he is doing an amazing job.

-NBC seemed to get some lovely scenic shots of Buffalo for the game today, it was pretty cool.

-There was an NHL/some car company commercial with Pat LaFontaine in it and I almost jumped for joy, it was so awesome. I wasn't paying close attention to the people in the commercial until I saw him put a jersey on with his name on the back and I yelled to my dad. It was so cool to see him, it made me want him to just come back on our team and play, I don't care how old he is. If Mark Recchi and Chris Chelios can do it, he can too, he is right in the middle of the two in age. Think about it Patty huh? hehe.

So, game 3 goes to Boston, and we just keep going along. Hopefully Vanek will be able to play, because we really need him and he just came off injury, so I'm sure he is just as bummed out about this as the fans and the rest of the team are. Here's sending get well wishes your way Tommy! Game on!!

The things I remember...

I remember being just a small child when my parents took me and my two younger sisters to a Sabres carnival at the aud. There is a picture of my youngest sister in her sabres shirt inside the Sabres locker room, and she had to have been about 2 or 3, so I was about 8 or 9 at the time. I remember the big appeal of the carnival was going around and being able to see players and get their autographs and get pictures, along with food, games, etc. all going on. My dad loves Pat LaFontaine, always has, so that was a big thing, to get his autograph. Me and my middle sister especially. I got my awesome shirt signed (and I think I wore it a lot before the autograph, but after that, I didn't wear it anymore, dad's orders...haha):




The shirt was a gown on me, but I still loved it so much. My sister actually missed her oppurtunity for an autograph a couple times because they would bring Pat somewhere and then move him and tell you to come back later and blah blah. I have this story down to an exact science from the times my dad has told it to us, to other family, to strangers, etc. haha. So my sister is in line, like really close, and then they move him once again. Well, she was about 5 or 6, so she just starts whaling right there in the line of people. Pat's big pregnant wife (hehe) comes over to see what's going on, because she wasn't far from the line. My dad tells her, and they take my sister to him and he signs her little Sabres hockey stick. So all is good, and we all get autographs. I wish I could remember more from that day, but I can't. I know I got an autographed puck also that said Sabres carnival and all that, but it is nowhere to be found anymore which bums me out big time. My dad I think even remembers who it was signed by, but the name always escapes me.

I just wish they still did things like that, but I don't know, maybe that would be too much to take on. Who knows though, maybe someday they will have another one or something like it for the fans. Nice thing to look back on though.