Sabres on the Warpath

It's hit the fan

2008-12-05T18:11:00.005-05:00

So, uh. Yeah.

I don't even know anymore. I just don't even know.

Did some nice little stat look-ups last night, when I was bored and pissed at the Sabres (and procrastinating on a paperthatIfinishedat4:00inthemorning). Turns out that... Essentially, the boys are headed for last place in the NHL. Last place. In the NHL. Not last place in the division. Not twelfth place and four points out of the playoffs. Dead last.

See, since that little 6-0-2 start of theirs, they've managed to go a glorious 5-11-1. And they're a hockey team. Not a football team. That 5-11-1 record would have them on pace for... fifty-three points. The average number of points reached by last-place teams in the league over the past seven seasons is sixty. And this isn't just a little slump... This is serious. It's not just a three-game losing streak. It's a quarter of the season. This is who the Sabres are... Isn't it frightening? The extra points they got during that cute run to start the season would perhaps prevent them from finishing in last place; they'd probably buoy the team up to second-to-last.

First to worst in two seasons? Really? ...Really.

At this point, I am not sure that I want any changes. Drastically shaking up such a terrible team would accomplish making them better, sure... But making them better would still only leave them in eleventh or twelfth place, both out of the playoffs and with a mediocre draft position. Keeping the team the way it is would, more likely than not, lead to Tavares or Hedman, and I would be down with either, to say the least.

...What is there to do? I can't even bring myself to theorize any potential moves.

In other news, Lindy Ruff has perhaps not gone off the deep end. At first, I thought that maybe he desperately wants to be fired and not quit, so he's resorted to making stupid comments that blame the goaltender in a 2-1 loss (lulz). But then... No. No, no, no. This is Lindy Ruff we are talking about here. The man loves mind games. He adores psychologically messing with his players. Now, we've all seen how Miller plays when he is angry. He plays out of his mind, to put it simply. If he's got a shutout going, and some horrible call pisses him off, you know he's going to finish the game with 0 GA. When he lets in a goal at a terrible time and does that trademark freak out of his, it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be allowing any more for the rest of the night. The man is a maniac in net when he is angry.

Of course, Lindy Ruff would know this. He would also know that with the way his team is playing lately, it would take either a shutout or only one GA every night for them to win a single game. And, he'd know that Ryan Miller is simply not capable of that. His solution? Make a stupid comment to the media purely to piss Miller off and set him on a rampage of doom for the opposition.

All speculation, of course... But I rather like my little theory. It makes perfect sense, albeit it would indeed give more credibility to the fears that Ruff has lost all control. What think ye? Am I crazy?

All I know is, right now the only good thing about being a Buffalo sports fan is that Ted Rogers is no longer with us. (And, oh, how much having my fears of the Bills' being moved be taken away makes up for this crap we all have to put up with from our teams.)

I am so much more... calm... than how my mind really is right now. I perpetually want to flip out at the Sabres and strangle them all. Realizing that the season is all but lost is not a fun thing to do...

Whatever shall we do???

2008-12-04T01:42:00.003-05:00

NOOOOO!

Toni Lydman is hurt!

I am allowed to be dramatic about this because he is the most consistently good and physical defenseman that the Sabres have. Well, really he is the only person in both categories, but it's more fun to delude ourselves into thinking we've got guys who sometimes show some spark, because that means the potential for that to be permanent is always there.

But, seriously, atrocious giveaways aside (and he's none of those this year), I've always loved the guy. He brings it every game. Always leads the team in hits and blocked shots. Likes to break up plays. I think he's quite underrated, actually... And now that he's out of the picture against the Panthers. Um. Perhaps the Sabres should just surrender and forfeit the game without even playing.

I suppose that this means Weber will be getting the call-up? He apparently has "medical issues," but according to Lindy Ruff they're minor enough that he might get the call regardless. I, for one, would love to see him up here for a few games again. It would be nice if they called up someone else, too; doesn't matter to me. Maybe Funk... He was the epitome of horrible, kinda, the last time, and I'd love to see if he's improved at all. I mean. When they called up Mancari here and there for like two games a season, every time I was left thinking, "I NEVER want to see him in a Sabres jersey EVER again!" He was slow as molasses, downright terrible defensively, and too nervous to do a single thing on offense. But this time, he's good to go. He's finally "developed," and I like his game. So, yeah. Seeing Funk again would be nice. Then next year, when Spacek and Numminen are both gone, Funk can be what Weber is now, and Butler can be Funk. Or something like that. Yeah.

Essentially, I have absolutely nothing worthwhile to say and am just rambling because I have nothing better to do at 2:00 in the morning, other than writing papers, and I'm sick of doing that.

This goes out to Patrick Kaleta:

Also. The reason I haven't commented on the Avery situation is that the only thing I can think is, "LOL Avery," and that is not very interesting.

Less than two weeks until the semester is over... Oh, yeah. I'm missing the game tomorrow night fo' sho'. Waaaay too many college shenanigans to get out of the way. [insert frowny face here]

Like it's 1999

2008-12-02T22:04:00.004-05:00

Let us all pause to celebr--mourn the death of one Rogers in Toronto.

....Now that we've done that, let's party, because there's now a significant chance that the Bills will actually stay in Buffalo following Ralph Wilson's death.

I've never felt so... gleeful... over the death of another person.

Is this wrong?

I mean. I would not be happy one bit if he hadn't lived a full life, but he did. So. Um. As a Buffalo Bills fan, I cannot think of a single negative to this.

I am slightly ecstatic at the moment, and I can't bring myself to feel the least bit guilty about it. Is that a bad thing?

Please tell me, my lovely fellow Bills fans, that you feel the same... or at least that the thought occurred.

LIES

2008-12-02T19:46:00.002-05:00

"Let's just wipe the slate and move forward."

"We put this part of the season behind us, and we're starting fresh."

"We need to be more accountable."
(YOU THINK????)

Yada yada yada blah blah blah. I will believe it when I see it on the ice. We've played this game before... And the results were not any better than the horribleness we'd become accustomed to. Not that that's Ruff's fault. No. We now all know that it's the players that are the driving force behind their awful play. That fact is simply inescapable after seeing how ridiculously wonderful they were to start off this season.

Jerks.

I'm such a cynic now... I can't help it. I can only act the way their play dictates, and lately it's been. Um. Yeah.

Also, we are trading Max to Toronto pronto for Schenn because I had a dream that we did, and my dreams are always 100% accurate. That's why Ales Kotalik is signing with the Senators over the offseason. lulz

And that'll be all. Why? I've got no tiempo to blogblogblo, when I have finals and papers and all that jazz. I can go to message boards and post for ten-minute sprees throughout the day, but that's about it. Ewww.

Just kill me now

2008-12-02T01:37:00.002-05:00

*bashes head on keyboard*

7y6u6y67y6i86

More analysis to come when I don't have three papers due this Friday.

Back to the lab again

2008-11-29T23:18:00.003-05:00

I like that song, OK?

Anyway.

What a boring game. I mean, it wasn't boring. We played the Habs. Canadiens games are never boring. It was, though, boring in the sense that it was a mediocre game on both sides, and usually, the Sabres and Habs bring their best to the table when they play each other. I'm used to back-and-forth, end-to-end, fastfastfast action, with scoring chances up the whazoo. (OK, so they don't bring their best defense to the table, but still.) All I got from this game was one big, "Meh."

Anyway, I thought that Lalime played very well aside from some rebound control issues (sounds familiar), and that 5-on-3 kill was... my favorite thing ever, possibly. I wanted to hug Lydman and Rivet after that, especially Lydman. In fact for the remainder of the game after that, I had to continually remind myself that the Sabres were, in fact, losing 3-2, and not winning 4-3 or 5-3. The Canadiens would almost score, and I'd think to myself, "It's OK if they score. We're still winning. They'll only maybe tie it. Oh. Wait." It was ridiculous... But that is just how awesome I thought that PK was. Four blocked shots is just disgusting any way you look at it.

Vanek was back to normal Vanek tonight after that poor showing last night. Not only did he score two goals, but he could have had five. That's what I'm used to seeing. I really desperately wanted him to get the hatty, though. For weeks, every time I've updated my Facebook status, I've thought, "Dude. I really want Vanek to score a hat trick against the Habs so I can change this thing to, 'et les TROIS buts de Thomas Vanek!' and laugh at Canadiens fans in general." When he got that second goal tonight, not gonna lie, I didn't think, "Vanek is so awesome!" or "I love Thomas Vanek!" or even "What a sweet sick nasty goal from Thomas Vanek!" No. I thought, "That much closer to having my dream status!" Pathetic of me? Yes. But I don't care.

I also have to hand it to the officials tonight, because they actually called things on the Canadiens, and I didn't see any blatant missed calls except for two, and they were one for each team, so that was a wash. Usually... Well, come on. We all know how officiating usually goes in Montreal. It's just a given. Expected. So I was pleasantly surprised tonight to see that they actually kinda sorta did their jobs and didn't ignore every single freakin' penalty on the God's-gift-to-mankind Montreal Canadiens. Well done, good sirs. Well done.

I don't have any major complaints about tonight, beyond my strong opinion that if the Sabres had been just a bit more physical (and by just a bit, I mean A LOT), they would have easily won this game, just because that's how you beat the Habs; and after quite a few games this year, we all know that they do, in fact, have it in them to hit other teams into oblivion.

And, now, to shower, pack, and get ready to head back to college tomorrow morning. I'm not looking forward to leaving. In my ideal world, I would make my college be right here, so I could have my friends and Buffalo together and never have to... choose. Because it's sad when I come home and go through a Tim Horton's drive thru and think, "Holy crap! That chick's got a ridiculously strong accent!" when really, it's not strong at all, just standard fare for a Buffalonian.

HOCKEY!!!

2008-11-29T00:12:00.003-05:00

I thought that perhaps I should update this.

There has not been much to say. Beyond Miller's blog update and the ever-entertaining Tim Connolly Injury of the Month, what is there, when I do not watch games?

...Only, wait. I watched the game tonight. I had a feeling that the idea of watching the Sabres in glorious HD on our rather big television would be far too tempting to resist, and I was right.

The game was much better than what I had become accustomed to before I started my Buffalo sports hiatus ten days ago. They were beautifully physical. I greatly enjoyed all the hits and all the times that Craig Rivet and Paul Gaustad took exception to Jordan Staal's being near Ryan Miller. At least this time there was no spearing necessary.

I must complain about the officiating, though. I must. It is unavoidable. Why is it suddenly a penalty for Patrick Kaleta to hit and/or touch other players? The first penalty called on him tonight was ridiculous enough... He was given a roughing penalty essentially for allowing some dude on the Penguins to slowly push him to the ice. Honestly what in the world... I could have inflicted bodily harm on a referee right then and there, but then later on, when he was given a boarding penalty for hitting Satan? Oh, please. Please, please, please. Spare me. I was incredibly mad, which basically means that I just kept shaking my head and saying, "What? What? What?" And if I were there in person, I would have said something to the referee, more likely than not. I missed who the officials were because I missed the first two minutes of the game due to the fact that my mother was still in the room and had control of the remote at the time. I mean, there were plenty of ridiculous calls in the game and plenty of non-calls to go around, but those two calls on Kaleta I think sum the officiating up pretty well, better than any of the other individual calls of the game.

I adore Drew Stafford (FOR TONIGHT ONLY) and Paul Gaustad for scoring two goals each tonight. I thought that Vanek did not have a very good game... It would have been an excellent game if he were, say, Jochen Hecht, but for Vanek, I thought it was weak. I know that, up until ten days ago anyway, he was dominating every single game every time he stepped onto the ice, and now I expect more out of him. I am sure that he does, too.

There isn't really much else to say... I only hope that the Sabres can make it three in a row tomorrow night. I'll even likely watch the game again! I actually decided a couple of days ago that it was time for my little vacation from Buffalo sports to end, because I suddenly couldn't stand the thought of missing even one more game, when previously I was like, "This is great! No being stressed out over stupid sports all the time, and I have all the time in the world to hang out with my friends and with the guy I happen to maybe be in love with! SWEET!" Out of nowhere, that changed.... I went from YAYAYAYAY YEEESSSS THIS IS THE BEST IDEA I'VE EVER HAD!!!!!!!! to I reeeeaaaallllyyyyy miss the Sabres and Bills... Just out of nowhere, like a light switch went off. It was nice to be reunited with one half of my loves tonight. The other half will unfortunately have to wait until next week, because this week I will be in a car somewhere in Ohio when the game starts.

My Bengals fan friend and I enjoy arguing over who is more tortured by our sports teams. I always win.

And, yeah, that's it. Just good to see a nice effort from the boys for my first game back from break. All my wounds are healed now. I won't hold a grudge... I promise.

On Lovely Things..... ummmm yeah

2008-11-23T15:42:00.004-05:00

I have decided that not watching the Sabres for the time being does not mean that I cannot make fun of them. Jaro Spacho is hilarious. Can I just say that? Absolutely hilarious. I adore the songs he chose to be played at the last game. Well, mostly I just adore the fact that they consisted of U2 (what a surprise with this team of U2 lovers), the Rolling Stones, and Pearl Jam... OK, those all go together. And then, randomly, "In Da Club," by 50 Cent. You just know that Kotalik made Spacek pick that song. Overall, I think that Sissy is the biggest source of amusement on the team this season. First, the pigeon and the fact that the word "pigeon" came out of his mouth... Then the fact that he has actually been interviewed multiple times during games this year... That is just incredible in and of itself. He is by far the best interviewee on the team. He has such keen insight and avoids hockey cliches like woah. I mean, I think he does. Usually I am too mesmerized by his voice to really pay attention to what he is actually saying. I have a rather disgusting tendency to squeal in excitement when Spacek is interviewed. It is basically the opposite of my reaction when they gave Kalinin his yearly interview. I always felt so bad for that guy and secretly always kept rooting for him to play better, even when others had given up on him. In interviews, he always just looked like he wanted to disappear into a hole in the floor.

Anyway. Spacek. Most entertaining Sabre of the season. He's very entertaining during games when you randomly hear him shout obscenities. He'll be in the corner doing his thing, getting the puck, when suddenly he accidentally? passes the puck to the other team and immediately thereafter shouts out some profanity. Never hear a word from him all game or see his lips move, except for that. Oh, apparently his name is actually spelled Špaček. Excuse me for not getting the proper Czech spelling down. Probably I totally messed up the pronounciation by spelling it the way he has to spell it for us stupid Americans to say it right.

Apparently Tim Connolly now has a broken rib? That's a new one! Of course, all of his injuries are completely independent of one another and have absolutely no connection whatsoever. That's what is so terrible about it. So far he's had a concussion, a disc in his neck that was pressing down on a nerve (which is actually not that uncommon among athletes and is almost always misdiagnosed for months as post-concussion syndrome) a stress fracture in his leg, a bone spur in his hip, a pulled groin, a cracked vertebrae, and a broken rib. What's next? Seriously it is ridiculous. HOW can ONE hockey player have THAT many INDIVIDUAL injuries? Insane. There are plenty of injury-prone players in the NHL, to the extent that I would say every team has one, or perhaps 0.8 of them, but they almost always have recurring injuries. Not so for Tim Ho (see what I did there?). I really do feel terrible for the guy. He needs to get himself one of these:
It might hurt his stickhandling, but clearly it would be marvelous for rebounds. He'd just need to stand there, and the puck could bounce off him, gain velocity, and go right into the net. It would also be marvelous for blocking shots. He would literally have to move out of the way in order for the puck to not hit him.

In other news, Ryan Miller updated his blog.

"So after a very nice start to the season our team is in a little bit of a rut..."

You think so, Ryan? Really? I hadn't noticed. There's no reason at all that I've decided to quit watching your team suck for two weeks. No reason at all.

"But that is how things work in sports sometimes, not everything goes your way and the team has to find ways to push through frustration."

Sometimes, Ryan, semicolons can be your friends. I know, right?! It's so hard to believe sometimes. But it's true. (Why, yes, I am a nerd!)

I am checking out his tunes on YouTube right now (I don't know about you, but I soooo exploit YouTube on a daily basis in order to listen to songs from the '90s that I love)... "Skinny Love" is quite calming. I'm listening to this one first because I adore the steel guitar. I could actually listen to this song over and over again, kinda like what I do with "The Trapeze Swinger" by Iron & Wine (best song in the world; LEESTEN TO EET ON YOUTUBE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!). This song reminds me of that one in a very good way (though it's not a quarter as good). And now for "Thrash Unreal," which according to YouTube I have already watched/listened to before. Probably it was at like 3:00 in the morning when I was up studying for chem and perusing random music on YouTube via the "related videos" thing, because I... don't remember this song at all. But it's catchy.

Overall, I very much approve of Ryan Miller's taste in music. I know that was so imporant for all of you to know. Now you do.

It disturbs me that my life is seemingly better without the Sabres. Very much so. Last night, rather than watching them lost 4-2 to the NEW YORK ISLANDERS LOLOLOL STUPID SABRES, I was able to play euchre and scum/capitalism (which, after being either scum or vice-scum the entire game when I am usually no lower than middle man and actually usually president or VP, I advocated changing to socialism) with friends for hours on end and throw a spontanouse dance party in the cafe on campus because they were being AWESOME and playing... just the best music they've ever played there in the time I've been coming to this college. There was techno music, of course, but then they played all the songs that are played at sports games... "Livin' on a Prayer," "The Cha Cha Slide," "Cotton-Eyed Joe," the hockey song (I only know it by that name... it's the theme song for NHL '96, which I used to play all the time when I was little), ""Eye of the Tiger," "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," etc. We either danced to or sang along to or both to every single song. It was incredible. We got everybody else to join us, too... until about 1:00 in the morning. Eeeeexcellent.

HOLY FREAKING CRAP I JUST LOOKED UP THE SCORE OF THE BILLS GAME AND THEY SCORED FIFTY-FOUR FREAKING POINTS? WHAT THE FREAKIN FREAK FREAK FREAK?!!!!!! THEY ARE NOT THE 2007 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS! HOOOOLYYYYY CRAAAAP!

Wow, Bills. Just wow. Way to kill the Chiefs. Wow. Epic lulz, too, because Trent Edwards had two rushing touchdowns. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I feel slightly better about Buffalo sports right now. I said two weeks, though, and I'm sticking by my word even if the Sabres trade for Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik by the end of the day.

Failure follows me wherever I go

2008-11-21T21:59:00.002-05:00

The Pirates lost 3-2 in a shootout. I am sure that the Sabres did not fare any better. I have no idea what the score is, or was (no idea if the game is over yet or not; it should be)... but I am positive that they lost. I should not have to address why I believe that. The reasons are as obvious as the fact that Paul Gaustad is really terrible this year.

OK, I'm curious. I have to look up the score.

BAHAHAHAHA 3-0 PHILLY! I KNEW IT!

There is no end in sight. I am convinced that I made the right decision in taking a break. It's nice to be entirely apathetic for once. Buffalo must be cold and dreary and empty at the moment.

The only bad thing about not watching Buffalo sports is... there's nothing about which to write.

So far, though, this is really working. It's beautiful, in fact. I don't have to watch our forwards try to make teh pritty playz at the expense of everything Lindy Ruff has told them to do. I don't have to watch our defense screen our goaltender. I don't have to watch Derek Roy be an idiot until I am blinded with seething rage and want nothing more than to jump through the screen and demand that he be benched. I don't have to watch Ryan Miller give up any stupid goals. I don't have to watch our defense (not just defensemen, but forwards, too) equate actually playing defense with simply skating around in their zone without any real goal in mind. I don't have to watch Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville be the only good players on the entire team night in and night out. I don't have to watch Jaroslav Spacek and Henrik Tallinder give the puck away two feet away from Ryan Miller. I don't have to watch Andrew Peters be a better hockey player than Drew Stafford. I don't have to watch Craig Rivet hobble around and absolutely suck at playing hockey because his knee is crap. I don't have to watch opposing players stand in our crease all night long while Andrej Sekera just stands there. I don't have to watch the team lose anymore.

If only the Bills and Sabres had never been good at the beginning of the season... Then I could just take their ridiculously terrible play in stride and laugh it off with that trademark self-deprecating Buffalonian humor. Or, if one of the teams were still doing well... That would be nice, too. See, it's not that both teams are terrible right now that it is the reason I'm not watching for at least two weeks. It's that they were both good, both 5-1 at the same time, both, in my mind, somewhat contenders... and both have since let that slip away. It's been the worst few weeks I can remember as a Buffalo sports fan... I'm glad I stepped away. I'm grateful for it. I need perspective, desperately. I can't get this involved in one thing... It's not healthy, especially when things aren't going well.

I'm so disappointed in the Pirates for losing. I was really hoping they'd offer me some relief, but no. At least they appeared to battle hard, albeit their play seemed undisciplined at times, over the radio on the internet.

Relaxation

2008-11-21T19:46:00.006-05:00

I have found an excellent place to keep track of the Portland Pirates.

This pleases me. Immensely, in fact. The complete inability to watch games is going to put a bit of a damper on my fandom, but at the very least, I can read a live blog! I can also listen to games online. There's one going on right now; I'm in the process of downloading a plug-in so I can listen to it. YAY! I can listen! I could watch, too, but I don't exactly feel like spending $140 so that I can watch two weeks of AHL hockey, or even the $6.00 required to watch only individual games. Right now, it's scoreless at the first intermission. It saddens me that I won't be able to hear the awesomeness that is Gerbe-Kennedy-Mancari play together, but I am glad that Mancari has been playing so stinkin' well.

Oh, dear. The game just came back on... This commentator sounds like he is in college. It is strange. That is all about that.

I love not even having any idea of the score in the Sabres game right now. It is so freeing, and it's probably a good thing, I'm sure, because the Sabres are probably losing 89-4 or something like that.

My favorite Sabres prospect is Kennedy... just throwing that out there. He always has been, ever since we drafted/traded for him. I watched him with Michigan State whenever I had the opportunity, and that championship game two years ago was really just the icing on the cake for me when it comes to him. Kennedy scored the tying goal to make it 1-1 with about ten minutes left, and he had a sweet pass from behind the net to Abdelkader in the crease to score the game winner with just under twenty seconds to go in the game. BC pulled their goaltender, then, and essentially... Mueller, yet another Buffalo child on the Spartans, scored an empty-netter. Great night to be from Buffalo! I loved Lerg in that game, too... Can't say enough good things about a 5'4" goaltender with severe asthma who has enough natural athletic ability to make highlight reel save after highlight reel save. But Kennedy was just... He was the best player on the ice the entire game. And Gerbe scored the lone goal for BC (and of course won the championship the next year).... It was a good night to be a Sabres fan as well as a Tim Kennedy/Spartans fan. But, yeah, I've always followed Tim Kennedy, and now I will likely always keep track of the Spartans, just because of him and all the other kids from Buffalo that were on that team a few years ago.

I don't even feel strange not watching the Sabres play right now and even not knowing the score of the game... In fact, it is beautiful. Much less stressful. I am positive that they are losing right now, anyway. Absolutely positive. I say... 2-1 Flyers right now. That sounds about right.

The Pirates do not sound like they are doing very well right now. They sound sloppy, and they have been rather undisciplined so far tonight. There is still no score, about halfway through the second period. I would love to be able to watch the game... Oh well.

I love having a tracker... So far, I've had visitors from France, India, and Malaysia. There's been one in Washington, one in Oregon, one in Colorado, one in Kansas.... These are just the random ones. I expect visitors from Chicago and Lansing and everywhere up and down the East Coast (Buffalo transplants), but the international folks and the ones in random Midwestern and West Coast states are quite entertaining.

WOOO!!!!! A couple minutes into the third, and Schutz just scored! 1-0 Pirates!

Behold the glory.

I am serious

2008-11-20T00:10:00.003-05:00

What I said about taking a two-week break from Buffalo sports... I don't think I was kidding. In fact, I know I was not. I did not believe for one millisecond, as I was typing it, that it was simply an overemotional reaction that would fade away in the morning. I have been serious about it since the moment I first entertained the thought, which was last weekend after both the Bills and Sabres displayed such absolutely sucktacular performances. I doubted that it could get worse and shrugged the thought off; then this last weekend happened, and... One more game, I said to myself. One more game from both teams. Give them a chance to rebound. Give them a chance. Even the Bills, who are essentially eliminated from the playoffs, anyway. Give them a chance. I gave the Sabres their chance. They blew it. The Bills? Why bother. I have no faith in either team to do even one good thing anymore, but my lack of faith in the Bills far surpasses the Sabres, simply because the Sabres have made the playoffs multiple times in the past decade.

I am, honestly, the most loyal person I know. I never give up on anything or anybody. I stand by friends even when I am viewed as foolish for doing so. I will never be able to live anywhere else but Buffalo simply because I have fallen in love with the place. When I join internet message boards, I am the last person to leave after they begin to crumble. To me, there is no such thing as an "old friend." Two and a half weeks ago, if you had told me that I would be seriously considering taking a break from Buffalo sports, I would have called you a liar and laughed at you. I am usually optimistic about the teams' future records.... I refuse to predict Cup and Super Bowl wins before every season like a lot of people I know do, but, depending on how the last season went, I tend to be hopeful that the Sabres, at least will make the playoffs. I had the Bills going 11-5 before the season started. Six weeks ago, that was still expected.

I have not been a Buffalo sports fan for the decades that many have. My family moved to Depew the summer I was eleven. I started following the Bills that year and the Sabres the next. It's only been seven years total. In that time, I have experienced nothing of the agony that four straight Super Bowl losses must have been, and for that, I berate myself, because I should not, then, be this cynical already. The Bills have never made the playoffs in the time that I have been a fan. The Sabres were horrendous for two seasons before taking a season off along with the rest of the league and coming back to be... excellent. If our bottom four defensemen had not been Paetsch, Fitzpatrick, Janik, and Jillson, we all know what would have happened...

The things that have taken place between the start of 2005 and now are what kill me (though honestly the worst Bills' season was 2004, when they missed by one game, due to the fact the the NFL did not change the score of that one game... remember that? when they sent a "letter of apology" to the team? it was all the radio stations talked about for a couple of weeks). My hopes have been sent soaring until they shatter that elusive glass ceiling countless times, only to fall back to earth in the most dramatic, heartbreaking ways thought possible. I have watched the 1991 Super Bowl game several times; ESPN Classic occasionally plays it. The first time I watched it, although I knew the outcome, I still sat, numb, for a good several hours after it ended. I knew what would happen that day during the year after I was born, and I still held my breath when Norwood sent the ball into the air; I was still kicked in the gut when it veered to the right. To have that repeated Monday night was simply unconscionable. From the same distance... in a game that, like that first Super Bowl appearance, should have been a dominant victory for the Bills.

After the game tonight, I left my dorm room and went down to the basement. I sat with several other people and just stared at the floor, contemplating whether or not to go on watching Buffalo sports. One of the students said something about how truly horrible it was that his team lost this weekend. He said that it was awful. I looked at him and said, "You don't know awful. You don't know anything. You have no idea what you're talking about." He said, "Lions fan!" in this cheery, upbeat tone, with a smile on his face. I replied, "No. Much worse. Much, much worse." His eyes fell, and he said in this quiet and apologetic voice, "Oh. Buffalo." What do I say to that reaction? What is there to say? I just shook my head and said, "Unfortunately," and that was that.

I cannot do this any more. I do not know why we live and breathe through our teams, when all they ever do is let us down. What did Albert Einstein say? To do the same thing all the time while expecting a different result than what occurred the last time is insanity? Why do we live and die through the Bills and Sabres when they have not once returned the favor?

So, I have arrived here. I am going to not watch a single Sabres or Bills game until, at least, the Wednesday that is two weeks from now. I have given up all hope I once had in the Bills, but... If the Sabres are still playing the worst I've ever seen them play two weeks from now, and if my life is significantly less stressful, and if I have more time... My hiatus may continue.

I am tired of defending Buffalo, but I will never stop. But the sports... I need a rest from them. I cannot take this.

I feel incredibly guilty right now. I am always the first to denigrate other fans for perceived fairweather tendencies. What I have always failed to consider is that, usually, those fans are much older than I. They have been through much more. Consequently, they will give up much sooner than I would ever dream simply because they know what failure looks like. They know which teams are not going anywhere. They are well acquainted with torment, and they, like me at this moment, do not want to experience any more of it.

There is nothing more that I can do or say... I still can't believe that I've actually made this decision, but I know that it won't change. I might sneak in one Sabres game Thanksgiving weekend, when I am home and can watch them in HD... I'll admit it if it does happen.

I'm just ashamed of myself for making this decision, although I know that it is not something over which I truly have control... But, more than that, I am disappointed in both teams for bringing it to this.

Now the question with which I will torture myself is whether or not those who have not yet arrived at this place have more fortitude than I... Or maybe they're just more foolish. I don't know anymore.

These teams are not fooling me twice in one season. No. They are not breaking my heart anymore for at least the next two weeks. I'll come back... I always do... I just need these weeks to... reprioritize. Perhaps the Sabres will play better if I'm not watching.

aewourasodfjasdfjaisdf

2008-11-19T21:38:00.002-05:00

I just wasted two and a half hours watching that abysmal game when I could have been studying for a chem test that I have tomorrow.

Thanks, guys. Thanks.

Jerks.

Michel Therrien... I wish Lindy Ruff would just say this. It's true. It sucks. And it's true. But he won't say it. Why? He wants to protect the very players that are killing the Sabres. And that is unacceptable.

Everything about this team is unacceptable right now.

I'm seriously considering taking a two-week break from Buffalo sports in general. No Sabres, no Bills, no anything. Because I am in Indiana, it will be easy to avoid everything the media says about them. Very easy indeed.

I'm a bitter cynic at age eighteen.

The only good players on the team tonight were Vanek and Pominville. The only average players on the team were Vanek and Pominville. And maybe Lalime, for actually not allowing a goal.

I just. I don't.

Before this game, I was wanting like crazy to trade Connolly, Stafford, and Roy ASAP. Not because of their bad play... that could change tomorrow. Because of their attitudes.

I just wonder what my life would be like if my parents had never moved to Buffalo when I was eleven, if I were a fan of Boston and/or New York City teams right now.

I don't know.... I'm done.

WIN

2008-11-19T18:52:00.001-05:00

That is mostly all.

I am sorry that this blog is essentially now just a post-game review type of thing... I have a lot of homework and studying, and games with the occasional half-hour visit to the internet are my breaks, really. I'll write more over breaks; I promise.

All aboard teh failboat!

2008-11-18T01:15:00.004-05:00

........................I blame the commentator. Mike Tirico? Yeah. Him. How dare you bring up Norwood, Tirico. How dare you.

When this team was 4-0... and 5-1... I had Such High Hopes.

For a moment, I dared to think of... a championship win within the next two seasons. For a moment, I saw a playoff run this year, consisting of at least one postseason win.

For a moment, I forgot that the Bills play in Buffalo.

And then I suffered the consequences, watching them fall apart and their season crumble right before my eyes. It's been an exercise in... being a Buffalo fan. Yet again.

This is the 2004 season in reverse. Exactly in reverse. 0-4 ... 4-0. 9-7 ... 7-9 (likely).

I don't understand. I just don't.

No more Monday Night Football games. No more.

I just. want. a Super Bowl. win. before. the team. moves. to. Toronto.

IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?

I know they have three seasons at the most, if the fact that the season-ticket holders whose tickets expire after this season could only renew them for three more years rather than the usual five is any indication whatsoever of how long the Bills' future is.

...I just want one Super Bowl. Just one. Please? ...And no pulling a Quebec Nordiques. No. No. No. I'm fully expecting it, because that's just how things work in Buffalo, but no. Please, no.

Watching that game... The entire time, I was expecting them to lose. Weren't we all? This is Buffalo. Come on. But with that final touchdown... I had hope. I really did. And then the Browns got in field-goal range, and that hope was taken. ...And then the Bills were suddenly in field-goal range, at least for Lindell, and I thought... "No. Not. Wide. Right." And then Mike Tirico mentioned Scott Norwood out loud. And. The fact that it was forty-seven yards. Out loud. Lindell's kick... forty-seven yards. And I thought, "How Buffalo. How very Buffalo." And then it happened. And the game was lost. And... I am so. tired. of being a Buffalo sports fan. So tired.

I just want one winning season. One Super Bowl. Just one. That's all I ask. Is that really too hard for you? Is that really too much to ask?

I know that game wasn't exactly... a Super Bowl game... to say the least... but every game, that's all I can think about, simply because I know that time is running out. And I think about what will happen, what the fans will do that last game at the Ralph. I'd like for them to stay at the stadium all night, chanting, "Let's go, Buffalo!" without ceasing... sobbing all the while, I'm sure. The sun will rise, and they'll go home to sleep, while the rest of the city riots. But that final goodbye... It has to be good. It has to be perfect.

I cannot bring myself to be optimistic about the Bills... I just can't. It's not... realistic.

A win tonight would have really helped morale, boys. It would have really made me smile in the midst of this incredibly stressful week. But... It would have been so unlike a Buffalo team. And that's the hardest part to take.

I hate them all (except the goalies)

2008-11-15T22:30:00.004-05:00

After the last two games (well, watching the highlights of the Columbus game + watching this one in its entirety), our defense officially SUCKS.

Thank you for making both of our goalies have sucky save percentages, guys. I'm sure that Ryan and Patrick are both giving you high fives in the locker room right now. It is mind-boggling that both goalies had, statistically, awful games, but in reality, both did not play badly at all. In fact, Miller was simply excellent tonight. And you'd never know it if you didn't watch the game. That should never happen. The goalie should never play superbly for an entire game and still have a crappy, sub-.850 save percentage. Never.

I am just livid right now. Playing fifty-two minutes of excellent hockey does not make up for leaving your goaltender to fend for himself in the final eight. But, you know what? The arrogant children are going to think that it does, and they're not going to care about this game, and they're only going to look at the fact that they played so well for so long and not at the fact that they blew it when it mattered most, and they're going to get complacent. Again. As usual.

What do you even say after a game like that? What do you say?

What Hockey Commentators Say During Breaks

2008-11-14T23:04:00.006-05:00

I am so fortunate to have missed that entire game. I went to see the play Flowers for Algernon.... And, oh, am I ever glad I did. The funny thing is that as soon as the play ended, between 9:45 and 10:00, I checked my phone for the inevitable text informing me of the final score as well as the names of any Sabres players who scored. And, uh. There wasn't one. In fact, I didn't receive a text until 10:03, after the internet had already ruined it for me. Somebody was a little bit ashamed of the team and didn't want to send out the final score.

So, as someone who did not see one minute of the game, I am certainly not in a position to offer any criticism of the team. I somehow doubt I would have any praise with a final score of 6-1. I have heard a lot about how terrible the defense was, and I ask this: why were they terrible for Lalime but (seemingly) good for Miller? They only gave up two shots on goal the fifteen minutes he was in net. Guys, let me tell you a little secret: if you're going to suck defensively and give up all kinds of glorious chances, you're supposed to do it when the starting goaltender is in. You hang your starter out to dry, not the backup. You're supposed to be great for the backup! (insert eye roll here)

In lieu of the fact that I cannot even pretend to have the ability to review this game, I will instead share what exactly it is that hockey commentators say during commercial breaks and intermissions. I can do this because the feed on which I watched the Blues game was... interesting. Rather than ever go to commercial, or even to an intermission report, it just switched to a camera that was in a fixed position at Center Ice, and I got to listen to all of the talking that went on in the booth between the Blues' comm. Here are some quotes:

"No goaltending. Look at the shots. 12-12. How can we be down by two?"

"Microcosm of this entire road trip. No goaltending."

"Are we going? Are we going?"

"(into the mic) Hello. HELLO! They said like twenty seconds. You want to take a seat?"

"Checkcheckcheckcheckcheck."

"Do you have your makeup with you? Do you have it with you? Is there a bathroom down there? Is it in the bathroom? I bet you left it there. Did someone look already?"

"Hey, Tim. What are we going to see?"

"Tim, you can't switch headsets with Phil?"
"I mean, I can hear you enough, but it still isn't..."

"Hey, Phil. Phil. How depressed was that Detroit crowd last night?"
*laughter* "Oh, that was lovely."
"Oh, and I loved your shot of Babs at the end of the game, sipping water at the end of the game. It was great." *laughter*
"It was 4-1 and 5-2, so you never know. I mean, we're not talking Detroit-Pittsburgh, but."
"In today's NHL, you can come back."
"I tell you, Osgood's bad, and Fleury wasn't much better last night, but you know what, he got the win. The W."

"Timmy. Show Paul our goal if you can. He didn't see it. Paul, here it is. Goes up in the air. Knocks it in."

"Oh, there we are. La-dee-da."

That's all I have, unfortunately. From that point on, I was able to watch Rick Jeanneret. I loved the commentary going on during breaks, but... RJ beats all.

The KHL is not being specific about the heart problems found in their players, although they are being up front regarding the fact that "one or two" players have defects significant enough that they essentially can no longer play hockey. Interesante. If they are never more specific, then this entire thing will be forgotten.... At this point, though, hockey in Russia is tainted to me. It shouldn't be, but that's the way it is, and it will likely never change. I cannot bring myself to blame the KHL or anybody else for Cherepanov's death, because honestly, that is pointless, and nothing will bring him back, but... It's a combination of that and everything that has happened since then that causes my overall view to be rather negative.

If only one or two of the players had defects dangerous enough to end their hockey careers, I no longer suspect anything sinister. That is possible to happen naturally, even if statistically it may not make sense, depending on what those defects are. Last month, two athletes at Indiana Tech, a school against which my college plays, died just over two weeks apart. They were both female. One was a senior and the other a sophomore. One was a volleyball player who died in her apartment, and one was a basketball player who died during a scrimmage. One had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the other an unnamed "congenital heart defect" (and for the record, a defibrillator was immediately used on the girl with HCM, who collapsed during a scrimmage; that is another reason that I refuse to blame anyone for the death of Cherepanov). The chance of sudden cardiac death due to any cause in young female athletes is only .17 per 100,000, and the chance of death in young male athletes is .75 per 100,000. Those are extraordinary odds, and yet it happened twice, both times to women, on a tiny college campus, within the span of two weeks last month.

I suppose the moral of the story is to never take life for granted and all of those wonderful things that people always say but that really have no... meaning.... not until you know for yourself what it is like to know a young person whose life is abruptly ended. Most people do. I do.

I am so pulling an "I'm gonna edit my blog entry even though people have probably already read it! lulz!" to add this poem that everybody knows.

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields were glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

--A. E. Housman

At least nothing, for now, seems to be wrong with hockey in Russia. And that is a great, great thing. I just wish it wasn't ruined in my mind, because there really is no reason at all for it, not anymore.

Of hearts and other things

2008-11-13T20:29:00.005-05:00

Guess what?

THE SABRES WON LAST NIGHT! In a very average, even game that was totally not even exciting at all! But it would have been if the score was 8-3 as it would have been if they had scored every time they had a wide open net at which to shoot! Yeah!

Now that that is out of the way...

1. Tim Connolly is, apparently, "questionable" for tomorrow night's game. We all know that this really means he will be out for six months. Is anyone else sick and tired of hearing about him and putting up with his crap? I do like the suggestion that someone made (sorry for not remembering who!) that he sucked when he was one of the iron men of the NHL and is awesome now because he made a deal with the devil. It went like this:
Timmy Ho: "Dude, I am so sick of, like, sucking. I mean, what gives."
Devil: "How about this. I make you amazing, under one condition. You will have to put up with various maladies that will cut the number of games you play in ha--, no, in quarter. These maladies will include concussions, bone spurs, a tweaked groin, back pain, stress fractures, bruises, cold sores, scratches, bad lack-of-hair days, hangnails, and chapped lips."
Timmy Ho: "Deal."
I am so done with him. I don't even care anymore.

2. Jason Pominville does not know the difference between bubble hockey and air hockey.

3. Jochen Hecht wins the Most Random Award for his music choices. I really do believe that the players are given lists of songs from which to choose when they get to pick songs to play during games, because, I mean, come on... But, even so, his choices? U2, Nelly featuring Ashanti, Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake, and Norah Jones? Hilarious.

4. I do hope that the KHL makes public the results of the further testing they are ordering to be done on several of their players. As of now, they have tested forty-nine players, and of that sample, five of them have some sort of heart defect. That could be incredibly interesting/incriminating, or it could mean absolutely nothing at all.

They may all have mitral valve prolapse, which is a heart defect that affects 2-20% of the population, depending on who is asked. For what it's worth, autopsies have revealed that 7% of deceased people had it. Essentially, its symptoms, if any can be felt, are a low tolerance for physical exercise, palpitations, tachycardia at times, chest pain, shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, dizziness, and, in a few, fainting/syncope, or near-fainting. Other than those things, though, it does not affect a person's life at all and is almost always completely harmless. I could have mitral valve prolapse. You could have it. It really does not matter, and the trouble one must go through to have it diagnosed is more than the trouble of the problem itself.

On the other hand, they could all have cardiomyopathy, which is what Cherepanov had regardless of what the Russian doctors say; his heart was nearly the twice the size it should have been. That's all anyone needs to know to diagnose that, because, uh, that's what cardiomyopathy is: an enlarged heart. Even if only two or three of them have it, that would still raise red flags and set off alarms in my mind. It is well-known that there is a suspected link between steroid use and cardiomyopathy (not enough studies have been performed to really establish a link, only to suggest one, though what I have read on the topic suggests that most physicians are in agreement that one exists; and it is proven that anabolic steroids cause, at the very least, hypertrophy of the heart). If several of those players have it, I would immediately suspect that the KHL has a significant doping problem on its hands. The prevalence of cardiomyopathy, by the way, is 0.02%, or one in 5,439 people.

I hope that, because the KHL has, so far, made public the results of the testing it has performed on all of its players aged twenty and younger, it makes public the final results as well. Steroid use is one thing that I personally cannot stand. If I were the commissioner of any sports league, I would impose severe penalties upon any player found to be using them, regardless of who it is. It is true that most athletes who use them are smart and do not use ones for which there are current tests; I would, like cycling has started to do, have samples frozen to re-test again each time it is made possible to test for another form of anabolic steroid.

...This really has no point to it. I have just suddenly become highly interested in the testing that the KHL is performing on its players and the implications that it will have if several of them are found to have cardiomyopathy. I, for one, am hoping that they all have mitral valve prolapse, or perhaps another more common heart defect (though, for the most part, they are all extremely rare; that's really the only common one), simply because I detest steroid use, and it would be a shame if questions were raised regarding the circumstances of Cherepanov's death. Some things are better left unquestioned.

Lastly. The Tampa Lightning are beating the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 right now. Remember this moment and cherish it forever.

Randomness, because the NHL does not know how to make a good schedule wherein the Sabres play every night

2008-11-11T18:08:00.003-05:00

While perusing all the recent articles on the Sabres' website, I came across this.

On Saturday night, Jhonas Enroth made 16 saves in his third consecutive victory in the Pirates 5-3 win against the Philadelphia Phantoms.

It was included in a lengthy list essentially detailing why the little tykes in Portland are amazing. Therefore, it caused me to scratch my head... just a little. Why is that awesome, exactly? That's only a .842 save percentage. Is it the part about his third consecutive victory that is supposed to be the good part? Or maybe the part about the fact that the Pirates won? Yeah. Just something... strange. Again, the Sabres need to play every day.

Also...

The Pirates are 5-0 on Saturday nights this season.

I think everybody's lying when they tell us that Portland is the Sabres' farm team. It is just not possible.

You've no idea how refreshing it is to me to see that Lindy Ruff has essentially gone postal (hyperbole, people) on the team not once but twice already, fourteen games into the season. It means that he cares, that he actually expects something from them this year. I didn't exactly get that vibe from him last season. Not at all. At any rate, I am enjoying these video sessions followed by extended practices that he is putting the team through after they play a crappy game or two. It is also encouraging to read regularly in the paper (well, the online version) that Rivet spends time after practices talking to the team.

Of course, if they do not respond well against the Blues (against whom they traditionally suck), I will have no idea what to think about this team. Well, take that back. I will know what to think. It will simply not be good.

Kostopoulos was suspended three games for his hit-from-behind on Van Ryn. I find that suspension to be absolutely fair... I just had to make mention of it here because, for the most part, I do not agree with the lengths of suspensions that the NHL/Colin Campbell make, but I do this time. Kostopoulos is not at all a dirty player, and, in the words of Colin Campbell:

"It wasn't a hit to the head. It resulted in a check from behind, which is not legal, and then his head hit the glass. It wasn't late. He (Van Ryn) wasn't unsuspecting. He knew there was a forechecker coming. He had the puck, he expected to be played. He started to reverse direction to evade the forechecker and that's when the hit happened. There was an injury to the player, and the player didn't leave his skates, he didn't jump into him."

I completely agree. Plus, I mean, ever since Downie hit McAmmond like he did in preseason last year, I sortof have been using that hit as the epitome of a dirty hit. Completely unsuspecting player, and Downie went for his head along with leaving his feet to the extent that he hit the ice after hitting McAmmond, who, I have heard, is an extremely classy guy (not that that means anything when determining suspension length; I just hate when guys who are actually decent people are hit like that... Fisher and McAmmond are perhaps the only class on the Senators hahaha jk, I hope... oh, and Phillips). That was one of the worst hits I've ever seen... And the hit Kostopoulos laid on Van Ryn was nothing compared to it. That hit received a twenty-game suspension; three games is certainly fair.

Continuing the classy players discussion (because I'm bored)... I hope to one day meet one of the more respected players in the league. That would be... cool? I don't know. But, you know. Steve Yzerman (I don't care that he's retired), Joe Sakic, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Markus Naslund, etc. I've never heard a bad thing about any of them (beyond the Shane Doan ridiculousness that was entirely untrue, as evidenced by the fact that the head of Hockey Canada and a lot of current and former teammates came out of the woodwork to say, "Uhhhhhh, he doesn't ever even swear, soooo that couldn't have been him" ahahaha oops.... I just remember laughing about that whole thing), and in every "classiest player in the NHL" discussion, their names are always thrown around. It would be nice to say... "Yeah, Yzerman's really classy. I was in an elevator with him once. We made small talk. He's really nice. And I've met Iginla, too. He offered to give me an autograph as soon as I let him know that I recognized him. I mean, how ridiculous is that?!" Yeah. I'm bored.

Penguins got revenge on the Red Wings today (if beating them in one regular-season game = revenge for losing the Cup ahaha)... 7-6. What a bastion of defensive play that game must have been.

Um, guys? Wake up.

2008-11-08T22:19:00.003-05:00

How.... do the Sabres... go from great... to terrible... when usually in games... if there's going to be a progression like that... it goes the opposite way...

I'm going to not say anything else about this game other than that the second goal was weeeeaaaak and that I am pissed at them not only for allowing forty SOG but for... everything, basically.

What happened to the team of two games ago?

This is ridiculous.

I can't say more.... Everyone else is going to cover it pretty fully, I'm sure, and honestly, I just don't feel like writing anything about an effort that was that poor.

Oh, and the decision to bench Paille was a stupid one at best. And the decision to not play Lalime was, although expected and not stupid, still not the one I would have liked to see. Miller's head was not in the game at all tonight, for whatever reason. He made some nice saves and only let in one terrible goal, but... he just wasn't focused.

The defense was terrible... The offense was non-existent...

I honestly would not care if they had not already shown us perfectly how to play excellent, Cup-worthy hockey. If they had come into the season playing inconsistently and still stuck in last year, then I would have fun with the wins and not mind the losses. Having what you know is a great team before you really makes the bad efforts much harder to take. I just hope that the inconsistency is not here to stay, because my goodness, have they ever been that lately. Sometimes, expectations are not fun.

Apparently Matt (NOT Dan) Ellis was never claimed by the Kings... and is now in Portland... I have no idea how it was reported that he was claimed. ...I just know that everybody was reporting it.

FAIL

2008-11-07T23:37:00.006-05:00

Oh my dear goodness.

I am not even going to say anything about that HORRIBLE game...

OK, just kidding.

There is one word to describe their play: DISGUSTING.

Maybe that doesn't even cover it.

Where was the team defense? Where? OK, three bad games out of thirteen... OK, I will take that without complaining... but they're just so ridiculously hard to endure while they're happening.

Goal #1: TIM CONNOLLY. WHAT IN THE WORLD. Nowhere to be found. That was YOUR assignment, Tim. Yours. And you blew it. That goal was purely your fault. I'm so happy you're back on the roster, Tim. You have no idea.
Goal #2: Fluke and bizarre. Moving on.
Goal #3: Nothing anybody could do.
Goal #4: Thank you, Ryan Miller, for sucking.
Goal #5: Thank you, again, Ryan Miller, for sucking.

Not to say that Ryan Miller sucks... because he doesn't, not at all. In fact, here is some statistical goodness I decided to look up because it took about two minutes and proves my point for the eightieth time that all goalies, even the best, have bad games on a fairly consistent basis... If you think you've seen this elsewhere, that's because you probably have, because, yes, I do indeed post on sabres.com, much to my own chagrin at times (lulz).

Under the premise that a game with a save percentage below .900 is a bad one for a goaltender... Here are some of the goalies who are in the top half of the league so far this year in save percentage.

Ryan Miller has had two bad games in ten starts.
Henrik Lundqvist: 3 in 13
Marc-Andre Fleury: 5 in 11
Martin Brodeur: 4 in 10
Tim Thomas: 2 in 9
Alex Auld: 1 in 8 (he wins hahaha)
Niklas Backstrom: 2 in 11
Mike Smith: 1 in 9 (no, HE wins)
Cam Ward: 2 in 9
JS Giguere: 4 in 12
Brent Johnson: 1 in 5

And the Vezina Trophy winner last season, Mr. Marty Brodeur? He had nineteen bad games, out of seventy-seven played. That's 25%, or one in four.

So, you know. Having one bad game out of every five is actually quite stellar. Still, as poorly as the team played, were it not for Miller on the last two goals tonight, they would have won.

Not that I wanted them to. I said with about seven minutes left in the third that the Sabres would allow a PP goal early in OT... (I take full responsibility for that loss, just as I take full responsibility for the 5-0 game against the Capitals.) I predicted the loss because I wanted it to happen (and because I genuinely believed it would occur, but... I really wanted it to happen). They cannot allow themselves to again, this season, fall into the habit of playing down to their competition, as they did tonight and as they have on two other occasions so far this year. It is pathetic... I think that all teams are guilty of it to some degree, but when the no-regulation-wins Atlanta Thrashers outplay you...... No. Playing down to the competition should only include playing slightly above their level, when you're capable of much more.

If I were Lindy Ruff, and if the Sabres did not have a game tomorrow, they would skate until they throw up the next practice. If they don't want to show any effort in an actual game, fine. They can just show all of that effort, plus what they'd normally show, in practice the next day. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

When all is said and done, I cannot really complain... As of now, this kind of game is still a fluke with this team. If it happens again tomorrow night, though... I will personally... um... complain. Yes.

At least Vanek got another goal. Twelve in thirteen isn't bad at all. Really, it is thirteen in thirteen, because we all know he scored twice tonight... Not only is he NEVER wrong when he thinks he scored, but, I mean, we all saw the puck go up Hedberg's jersey, definitely over the line. Oh well. If you can't see the puck over the line, it's not a goal... Going by the rules, it was a good call. It just... sucked.

The positive of this game: Jaroslav Spacek was given an interview.

I think it would be really funny if the person who updates sabres.com said on the story on the main page about the game, instead of "FINAL: ATLANTA 5, BUFFALO 4 (OT)".... "FAIL: ATLANTA 5, BUFFALO 4 (OT)."

Also.

Ellis has been claimed off waivers by the LA Kings. Yes, that's right. The same team that put him on waivers for us to claim him.

Excuse me while I go laugh hysterically.

Why the Sabres should play every night

2008-11-06T17:14:00.006-05:00

I've got nothin' to write about today. No game taking place, no ridiculous happenings in the NHL. How boring. So, I will post pictures! And random things about me. And... stuff.... as I listen to Symphony No. 3 by Gorecki, written to describe the maternal bond, particularly when the child dies... But, really, it's life, and it's beautiful, and everybody should listen to it at least once. The complete darkness of the first part and the way it becomes, slowly, hopeful, until the ending is so beautiful that I actually feel an intense emotional response... It is love. ANYWAY.

Consider this entry to be sort of my list of one hundred things about me that everyone was doing about a month ago.

First, pictures that are not of the Sabres, and I'm... kinda glad they aren't. But only kinda. You just know that MJ at My Safety Is Harvard would have something epic to say about them if they were.

Jordan Staal. What. In. The world. And Malkin... You actually look decent in this picture, and I don't know how to feel about that. But seriously, guys? Seriously. And that woman... looks like she's had some plastic surgery. Sure she hasn't, but her face... resembles... those who have. Yeah. Overall, I think that one of the Sabres should bring this up to Staal the next time they play the Penguins. Yes.

WHY COLBY ARMSTRONG WHY
But, another picture that should be brought up the next time we get to beat the Penguins.

Here is a little story that my nine-year-old brother wrote for a school assignment. The assignment was to write two pages about

-WAIT BREAK. My twenty-two-year-old cousin who also doubles as one of my lifelong best friends just called to tell me she's now engaged. WOOOOO! Now back to regularly scheduled blogging.-

how the Sabres come back from a 5-0 deficit in Game 7 of the Cup finals to win Lord Stanley's Cup. I've totally posted this on the internet before, and Caroline at Hockey Night in Buffalo has definitely already seen it, but oh well.

"The Canucks are winning 5-0. Sabres are behind. All of a sudden, Vanek gets a pass from Derek Roy. He shoots and scores! Now the ref drops the puck. Pominville wins. He passes the puck to Drew Stafford. Stafford passes the puck to Roy. Roy does a wraparound and scores! Canucks win the faceoff. He passes it, and then Teppo Numminen steals it. He passes it to Andrew Peters, and Peters scores! Now the score is 5-3. Sabres win the faceoff. Drew passes it to Roy, and Roy scores three seconds after the faceoff. It is 5-4 with 20 seconds on the clock. Canucks win the faceoff. The Canucks shoot. Miller makes an amazing save. Miller shoots and scores! Now it's 5-5.

They start overtime. The ref drops the puck. The goalie gets the puck and he shoots it and he hits Ryan Miller really hard. Now it's a goalie fight. Ryan Miller and Roberto Luongo are fighting. Ryan Miller comes really hard and wins. And then the ref drops the puck. The Canucks win the faceoff and passes it to the other Canucks player. And then Andrew Peters steals it and shoots. Willie Mitchell is in the way. He gets hit and then they fight. Both of them have their helmets fall off and then Peters gives a hard whack and wins. The ref drops the puck. Afinogenov wins and passes it to Spacek. Spacek passes it to Rivet. Rivet shoots and scores! Let's see the next game if they can win the Atlanta Thrashers."

Seriously, how amazing is this. Obviously he wrote it during the Canucks game. Roberto Luongo, Willie Mitchell, and they for some reason are playing the Thrashers immediately after winning the Cup? ...That makes sense. But seriously my brother is amazing, and this just proves it.

My college makes all the freshmen every year take two tests: the MBTI (I already knew mine; ISTJ FTW! we are 10% of the population, so we're everywhere) and the StrengthsQuest, whatever that is. So, my top five strengths are harmony (which is hilarious because I adore intellectual debates one-on-one), responsibility, consistency (I like to see everybody treated the same, basically), relator (I deliberately encourage deepening of relationships once the initial connection is made, and I'm comfortable with intimacy and strive for it and am willing to take the risk that I might get stabbed in the back for it), and intellection. Intellection I would say is actually my top strength, because essentially I think about absolutely everything all the time, and my choice in books is rather... most people don't like the books I read, because they're over their heads. Let's just put it that way. And harmony? LOL, right. As if I ever use that. To me, my strengths are in the opposite order. But whatevs.

My ISTJ profile, on the other hand, is ridiculously accurate in every single way. Hooollyyyyy crap.

"For ISTJs the dominant quality in their lives is an abiding sense of responsibility for doing what needs to be done in the here-and-now. Their realism, organizing abilities, and command of the facts lead to their completing tasks thoroughly and with great attention to detail. Logical pragmatists at heart, ISTJs make decisions based on their experience and with an eye to efficiency in all things. ISTJs are intensely committed to the people and to the organizations of which they are a part; they take their work seriously and believe others should do so as well.

ISTJs are quiet, serious, and realistic observers of their environment, who naturally attend to and remember concrete facts. ISTJs give great weight to hands-on life experiences; they use their Sensing to internally process and file away data for later use. ISTJs usually have a massive amount of information stored inside and an impressive command of the facts. In recalling a past event, ISTJs often have a good memory for what was literally said or done. Their orientation to detail can also show as a concern for precision in action and in speech. It was an ISTJ who originally said, "Say what you mean."

ISTJs bring a detached pragmatism to all that they do, and they have a great deal of common sense; ISTJs are typically down-to-earth folk. They learn by doing, and want to know how an idea can be used or applied. As a result, they are often quite skeptical people. "Seeing is believing" to an ISTJ. They respect the facts and their experience, and they expect things to be logical. Period.

Thinking gives order and structure to ISTJs' experiences and puts their pragmatism in a logical context. ISTJs tend to be analytical and tough-minded, and they make decisions with an eye to impersonal consequences; they really want their decisions to be objective and fair. Thinking in conjunction with Sensing also gives ISTJs an eye to the efficient manipulation of realworld phenomena. That is, they like to bring logical order to facts and things in their environment. ISTJs are usually more oriented to the tasks on which they are working than to the people with whom they work, and they may sometimes unrealistically expect all people to behave "logically."

ISTJs do like a structured and organized outer world, and find comfort in developing and adhering to a routine in their work. They like to know what their job is, and generally do not appreciate settings where the rules constantly change; in this sense, ISTJs are conservative. They guard what works, and they want to see evidence that a new way will work before they adopt it. "If it works, why change it?" This attitude gives ISTJs an atmosphere of patience and stability, and others often feel settled and calm in the ISTJ's presence.

Above all else, ISTJs are responsible. They do things just because they need to be done; ISTJs have a powerful work ethic. "Work hard, then play." ITSJs like getting things done, and they are thorough as they carry a task through to completion. Once an ISTJ commits to complete a task, he or she will do so; ISTJs are exceptionally dependable. In fact, they can be difficult to distract once they have begun to systematically work on a project. "Plan your work, and work your plan." ISTJs honor their commitments, and they expect others to do the same; they hold themselves and others accountable for getting things done.

Tradition, stability, and preparedness are usually valued by ISTJs. They respect the fine-tuned performance that characterizes established organizations, and ISTJs are often found working in such settings. Through their conscientiousness as well as by quietly building community, ISTJs form much of the backbone of society. They also provide stability through their often clear sense of what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and through the keeping of traditions. Ceremonies and anniversaries, such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays, are valued and celebrated.

With their memory for facts and with their attention to getting things done, ISTJs often have great academic success, particularly in subjects that have applications and where results can be seen. Though they tend to have less interest in highly theoretical subjects, they can certainly succeed there as well.

ISTJs are often found in business, production, banking, law, auditing, engineering, and other areas where a mastery of factual data and tough-minded concern for organization is needed. In their domain, ISTJs work toward efficiency and conservation of resources; they are naturals for quality control. ISTJs are often found in management or supervisory positions, overseeing the practical realization of institutional goals. Though they often like to work alone, ISTJs are willing and able to delegate work to ensure the business of the day gets done.

In relationships, ISTJs look for fair play and dependability. They themselves tend to be quiet and serious; they are people of few words. They are inclined to be straightforward in their communications and controlled in the outward expression of their emotions. ISTJs do often have a hidden but quirky sense of humor that arises from their highly individual reactions to events. In the extreme, ISTJs may be insensitive and miss the "people part of the equation." At times, they may appear intolerant, and at worst, they may run over others who do not communicate their assertions in a logical and succinct manner.

Development of their extraverted Thinking will help ISTJs become more action-oriented and effective in the outer world. Otherwise, they may end up immersed and trapped in their inner world of impressions and memories. Development of Thinking will help bring order to their lives by helping them decide which are the most appropriate actions for them to take, and development of flexibility will help them avoid becoming too focused on details. ISTJs may need to work especially hard to understand others' needs for appreciation and emotional support; after all, they are inclined to overlook even their own contributions. Development of Feeling will ultimately help them attend more to the people impact of their words and actions. Further, development of Intuition will give them a greater respect for the big picture consequences of some of their actions and a greater appreciation for theory.

Under stress ISTJs may withdraw, focus only on their work, and burn out through pushing themselves to get to many things done. They may also become rigid about following rules and become excessively critical of others. Under extreme stress, they can become intensely pessimistic, seeing only negative possiblities in the future, for themselves, for others, and for the world at large."

Look, it's me! On a computer screen! Statistically, two Sabres are also ISTJs. WHO ARE THEY?! WHO FITS TIHS PROFILE?! I must know. Hahahahaha.

Also, I am a Type 9 personality on the Enneagram.

"

Overview
You want to be agreeable, peaceful, natural and comfortable. More importantly, you want to be calm and, if at all possible, to avoid conflict. You see yourself as accepting, unassuming and laid-back. You would like others to see you as humble, easygoing and approachable. Your idealized image is that you are content and harmonious.

Desiring union, harmony and unconditional love, you get along with most people that you meet. Considerate and gentle, you have an innate ability to make people feel comfortable and at ease. You are very accepting and readily empathize with others. Focused on the well being of others, you may at times lose sight of your own agenda. More intellectual than you let on, you have a natural gift for seeing many different points of view. You are able to see all the shades of gray in any given situation and have a way of diffusing conflict and being calm and steady in a crisis. Focusing on similarities rather than differences, you make an excellent mediator and peacemaker.

You don’t want to be drawn into conflict and avoid being pressured to react. Self-forgetting by nature, you repress your anger and neglect your needs in order to avoid the discomfort that comes with conflict. Because you may lose yourself in life’s simple pleasures, the needs of others, or the basic task of living, you may never go after what you truly want. You may struggle to find your one true passion. At times, you may be complacent and minimize anything that is upsetting.

Often the strong silent type, you have the power of patience, persistence and resistance. You see yourself as having stamina and take pride in your ability to endure. You tend to procrastinate and take longer than others to make up your mind. When you do make a decision, you are like an unstoppable elephant pursuing its goals. Not one to self-promote, you would rather be discovered than announce yourself. Others may underestimate you due to your casual and nonchalant attitude. This is nearly always a mistake–one that you are happy to let others make because you prefer not to flaunt your talents or appear egotistical.

Need
You need simplicity, peace, harmony and to be appreciated. Because you are highly empathetic, you need to know that the people around you are relaxed in order for you to be able to relax. To truly be at ease, you need to have your creature comforts and are unwilling go without them. Publicly, you may go along to get along, but when in private you make sure that you have what makes you feel happy and comfortable.

Avoid
You avoid conflict, complications and judgmental people. Being shut down, overlooked and not included by others are among your greatest fears. You are afraid of being loveless and of not receiving or being able to give love. Paradoxically, your avoidance of anger and conflict can lead to more conflict. You don't want to deal with anything until you are good and ready. It is hard for you to say no, so yes means maybe and maybe means absolutely not!

Virtue
Your virtues are your acceptance, peacefulness and ability to see universal truths. Open and receptive, you easily relate to others. When you are at your best, you can be both personally and universally connected. Whether you prefer simple pleasures or intellectual pursuits, you are always seeking what is harmonious. You often show your love by working hard, and you can make great contributions to others. Down to earth, steady, patient and easygoing, you bring a sense of calm to any given situation. Steadfast and persistent, you are able to endure even the most tedious and difficult circumstances.

Vice
Your vices are indolence, inaction or sloth. This can lead to self-forgetting and neglecting your needs and/or the needs of others. Your inattention and forgetfulness can manifest as “crimes of omission”. You may also be stubborn or turn a blind eye to someone in need. Everyone thinks that you are on his or her side and can interpret your understanding as agreement. Overly avoiding conflict, you are most likely to hurt the people around you by not keeping promises due to your lack of follow through. This can make for a passive-aggressive stance in life where you don't see the impact of your inaction and can appear callous or indifferent.

Attention
Your attention goes to identifying with and merging with others. Your soft, pillowy energy tends to spread outwards and become diffuse. Because you sense and champion the needs and feelings of whatever group you are in, you are a natural group anchor. To avoid feeling tension and conflict, you may reach for substitutes for love by eating, focusing on the minutia or getting lost in unimportant tasks.

Spiritual Path
Your spiritual journey is to reclaim your sense of right action and awaken from the coma of self-forgetting. Spiritual growth will come to you as you reclaim, define and assert your sense of self in the world.

Mantra
True love is action and not passive acceptance. To be truly loving requires that you define your values and take a stand for what you believe is important– regardless of the conflict it may cause. Indecisiveness and a fear of upsetting people can prevent you from taking appropriate action. Remember that no decision is a decision, and a “stitch in time saves nine”."

I'M AN UNSTOPPABLE ELEPHANT! YAYAYAYAYAY!

And also this profile is pretty decent:
"People of this personality type essentially feel a need for peace and harmony. They tend to avoid conflict at all costs, whether it be internal or interpersonal. As the potential for conflict in life is virtually ubiquitous, the Nine's desire to avoid it generally results in some degree of withdrawal from life, and many Nines are, in fact, introverted. Other Nines lead more active, social lives, but nevertheless remain to some to degree "checked out," or not fully involved, as if to insulate themselves from threats to their peace of mind. Most Nines are fairly easy going; they adopt a strategy of "going with the flow." They are generally reliable, sturdy, self-effacing, tolerant and likable individuals.

Nines tend to adopt an optimistic approach to life; they are, for the most part, trusting people who see the best in others; they frequently have a deep seated faith that things will somehow work out. They desire to feel connected, both to other people and to the world at large. They frequently feel most at home in nature and generally make warm and attentive parents.

The Nine's inability to tolerate conflict sometimes translates into an overall conservative approach to change. Change can provoke unpleasant feelings and disrupt the Nine's desire for comfort. Less healthy Nines seem incapable of motivating themselves to move into action and bring about effective change. When change does come however, as it generally will, Nines find that they are usually well able to adapt. They tend to be more resilient than they give themselves credit for. In fact, Nines tend not to give themselves enough credit in general, and their self-effacing attitude often seems to invite others to take them for granted or to overlook their often significant contributions. This can cause a subterranean anger to build inside the Nine's psyche, which can erupt into consciousness in occasional fits of temper which quickly blow over, but which more often manifests itself in passive agressive footdragging. Being overlooked is often a source of a deep sadness in Nines, a sadness that they scarcely ever give voice to.

Nines frequently mistype themselves as they have a rather diffuse sense of their own identities. This is exacerbated by the fact that Nines often merge with their loved ones and through a process of identification take on the characteristics of those closest to them. Female Nines frequently mistype as Twos, especially if they are the mothers are small children. Nines, however, are self-effacing whereas Twos are quite aware of their own self worth. Nines also mistake themselves for Fours, but Nines tend to avoid negative emotions whereas Fours often exacerbate them. Intellectual Nines, especially males, frequently mistype as Fives, but Fives are intellectually contentious whereas Nines are conciliatory and conflict avoidant."

I think it's funny how all of these different things tie into each other and how similar they all are... I AM EASY TO PINPOINT. Sigh. So much for being mysterious.

Hmm. What other things can I write about to help me further procrastinate studying for a bio quiz I have tomorrow (it's just over mitosis, which I still remember from high school; I'm slowly realizing that my memory is incredible).

Recently I've thought about what really attracts me to people. I have to say that I tend to fall head-over-heels in crush with guys who seem to have something intellectual to say every time I am around them. There is one guy with whom I've had intense conversations lately... and, in fact, the first time I met him I spent two hours talking with him about pretty much everything. Let's just say I like him a little bit. The same holds true for friendships... I love nothing better than a good old deep conversation. So, the dominant quality that causes me to really respect a person is being able to think... Oh, and loyalty. If I perceive any disloyalty in you, I will hunt you down and make you hurt. Yeah, not really, but I at the very least will dislike you. I'm loyal to a fault... It really is to a fault. I'll admit that.

And, um, yeah.

This is what happens when A) I am bored, B) the Sabres do not play tonight, and C) I have a biology quiz in the morning.

If this post is not an incredible cry to the NHL to schedule the Sabres to have hundreds of games and play every night and also to God to make fatigue not exist so that's possible in the first place... I don't know what in the world is.

Plus... nothing ridiculous is even happening in the NHL lately. What am I supposed to write about. The Senators? Ahahaha, I'll pass.

Next time this happens, I promise I will just post about all the reasons that hockey is amazing, even though that post would be HUGE if I allowed it to be.

I was right

2008-11-05T21:29:00.003-05:00

Timmy Ho really is a mirage.

Excuse me while I go laugh at his patheticness. No, I don't care that that is not a word.

However, mad props to Lindy Ruff for this:

"I think after playing a couple of games, it's to be expected."

He made a funny! I LOL'd, anyway.

WHY DO WE NOT PLAY UNTIL FRIDAY???

L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P... and other things

2008-11-04T13:37:00.004-05:00

Brodeur is out for 3-4 months, apparently. Boo hoo... NOT. Oh, how I love being juvenile and '90s. Does this mean that NHL.com will take down their Brodeur watch thing?

With the return of Rivet, one would have to be absolutely stupid, high, or dead to not expect the team to play better.

I have been thinking about this a lot today. Carrying on the entire theme of "the team sucked last year because they had no leadership"... I don't believe it was, or is, exactly that simple. It is, but isn't.

Leadership. Last year we all saw that there was not one speck of that anywhere in the locker room. When things went wrong, everyone blamed everybody else on the team, and that was that. The only player that continually held himself accountable was Vanek; I gained a ton of respect for him last year despite his poor play the first half, and that has continued this season. All the others were always ready with excuses and cliches excusing their poor play. The bounces never went their way, their feet were never moving, and the defense had a breakdown on every goal against. Sound familiar? There was never any sense of accountability or responsibility in any player on the team (sans Vanek, of course).

Take Lindy Ruff as an example of how last year's little problems were (so far) all solved with the addition of one Craig Rivet. He is an excellent coach, when it comes to motivating individual players. I am certainly never in the locker room or privy to anything that is said, but I can say with confidence that last year, he was not able to focus on that one bit. Instead, he was too busy with trying to motivate the entire team to play well, and they were simply not responding. They were, and probably still are, a little too pigheaded for consistent straight-up positive response to what he tells them as a team, as a whole.

Enter captain(s). This team obviously responds extremely well to permanent on-ice leadership. Not only that, but Rivet has, according to the media, spent time after nearly every practice talking to the team and reiterating everything that Ruff said, as well as, I'm sure, putting his own two cents in; there is off-ice leadership as well. This takes pressure off Lindy Ruff and enables him to focus on what he is best at: motivating individual players to do well, while coaching a defensive system.

His weakness is capturing and keeping the attention of the entire team as a whole and getting them to respond on a consistent basis when there is no captain in place to reinforce what he says and keep the kids in line... if that could be called a weakness. Every other coach in the league, with the exception of Ron Wilson this year, has the benefit of a permanent captain to help him. It is highly unusual, and even bizarre, for a team to have a rotating captaincy. In fact, in my opinion it is completely stupid. I am sure that every other team in the NHL would struggle without a captain just as the Sabres did last year. When people said they were lacking an identity, what they really meant, I think, was that they were lacking leadership... Again, same thing, really, just semantics, but what a world of difference one person can make. When Ruff allows himself to function under the same circumstances as other coaches, he shows that he is without a doubt one of the best in the league at what he does.

I am just grateful that, as Heather said, the team at least recognizes that it is immature and stubborn and desperately needs an actual leader. They are reaping the benefits of that ability right now, and man, does it feel great.

HEY! Vanek, Roy, Miller, and Numminen have been named to the fan ballot for the All-Star Game. I just got the text... Voting begins November 12. I'd advise voting for Vanek and Miller multiple times a day, maybe for Roy if you're into getting as many Sabres to play in the ASG as possible, and not for Numminen at all because not only is his nomination incredibly random, but I am sure that he will need and greatly enjoy the rest.

Personally, I will be voting for Vanek and Miller every day, for Roy if he picks his game up and genuinely deserves it, and not at all for Numminen.

EEEEEEEEEEEE /fan girl squeal

2008-11-03T21:41:00.006-05:00

TWO SHUTOUTS IN A ROW!

RYAN MILLER NOW LEADS THE LEAGUE IN SHUTOUTS, SAVE PERCENTAGE, AND GAA! (OK, apparently he is only second in GAA, to freakin' TIM THOMAS... except I got .947 as his save percentage, and NHL.com says it is .942. I think it's because I'm averaging all his save percentages together, and not dividing saves by SA... because that gives me .942... OH WHO CARES. HE IS STILL AWESOME.)

I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE ALL THE HATERS ARE NOW!

(Also, Lalime's little dance was freakin' adorable.)

Excellent game from everyone (on the Sabres) involved.

I cannot say enough about the PK units tonight.

We need three pigeons. One for Ryan Miller, one for Patrick Kaleta, and one for the PK units to share.

Just as I could not give an objective (read: calm) review after the Lightning game, so I cannot give one now.

I'm not even going to try.

They played hockey tonight. They fought through all the BS calls designed purely to even up the total on the box score at the end of the game, they did not give up halfway through the first when they had not yet scored (last year's team would have), they blocked shots all over the place... The defense was excellent... The offense was beautiful when it was allowed to function/when the Sabres were not busy killing off penalties...

AND MY BOY PATRICK KALETA SCORED A GOAL! And he got the puck out on the PK at least once every time! And he laid down on the ice to block shots at least twice! And... He is my favorite player, so I must stop gushing at some point, but man, if only there could be two pigeons! He also drew a penalty tonight, as always. We didn't score off it like we usually do, but complaining about that is just being nitpicky, after that game.

The Rivet-led boys are back. They were halfway there last game; now, they have arrived. Show me a weakness from this game, and I'll show you my loser look.

I love this. (Yeah, I may or may not have watched the game online, and not on GameCenter. Oops.)

I think not!

2008-11-03T19:56:00.002-05:00

Craig Rivet comes back, and the Sabres outshoot the Devils 20-3 in the first period.

COINCIDENCE?

AAAAHHHHHH

2008-11-03T18:44:00.002-05:00

Craig Rivet is back!

I know that picture sucks, but I'm too lazy to do anything other than a Google image search at the moment, and that's all they've got of him in a Sabres jersey! Also, I prefer in-game pictures to roster photos!

And that's all anyone needs to know about the game (that is starting in fourteen minutes!

YAYAYAYAYAY!

Loser Mode

2008-11-02T16:37:00.004-05:00

The Bills have lost three of their last four games.

It was fun while it lasted.

Part of me wants the Sabres to be the better team, because I love hockey much more than I do football, but the rest of me recognizes that the Bills will not be playing in Buffalo anymore five years from now, and I would love for them to win the Super Bowl before they leave, go out with a bang. I could not stomach having them slowly become contenders only to win the year after they move. That would be more devastating than the day they finally do leave... Unfortunately it seems to happen that way almost every time a team is moved.

If you could not tell, I am already trying to prepare myself psychologically for the inevitable. We can talk all we want about how Jim Kelly is getting his group of investors together to buy the team and hope for the best, but at the end of the day, even if they got Golisano involved there would still not be enough money to get the job done. It is being said that the Bills will cost more to buy than any other sports team ever has. Perhaps Jacobs would be willing to sell the Bruins and pool his money with TG and Kelly and his group?

Keep dreaming.

I hate this. I am going to cry buckets the day they are sold, and I never cry.

Now, excuse me while I continue to bask in the glory of that oh-so-sweet victory last night and pout because I won't be able to watch the game against the Devils in which we will score eight goals on Weekes due to the fact that it is on Versus, so it will be blacked out on the NHL GameCast.

Also I hope that tonight is as awesome as last night. I spent a good half hour rapping "Lose Yourself" over and over again, much to the chagrin of my friend in whose room I was hanging out. Yes, it really was a good way to waste time waiting for the clocks to change. But, seriously? That song is so much fun to rap/sing, especially the part in the third verse about the teeter-totter caught up between being a father and a prima donna baby mama drama's screaming on and too much for me to wanna stay in one spot. Between the game and rapping that song, last night was win.

When are Roberto Luongo, Vesa Toskala, Evgeni Nabokov, Marty Biron, Chris Osgood, and Marty Turco going to stop stinking up the joint? And when are Biron and Turco and Brodeur going to have their first names listed as "Marty"? I mean, Daniel Briere is now Danny Briere.

I wish the Sabres played every night. If fatigue did not exist, that would be love. I would have something to look forward to every single day! Wouldn't that be special?

PARTTTTYYYYY

2008-11-01T21:30:00.003-04:00

Third period:

-I have been screaming for a Vanek-Roy-Pominville line FOREVER. Thank you, Lindy Ruff!

-I kinda like penalties to the other team. You know.

-Derek Roy is an idiot

-Miller, Miller, Miller. SHUTOUT. YES I SAID IT. AND THERE ARE SIXTEEN MINUTES LEFT. I’M NOT CRAZY, I PROMISE. WHEN I CALL SHUTOUTS, HE FREAKIN GETS THEM. I’ve been wrong once in the past two seasons… but that’s it. You can just tell when he is in the zone…

-Goal posts are Ryan Miller’s best friend twice tonight

-lulz Paille blocked MacArthur’s shot

-Still doing VERY well at breaking up plays in front of the net

-BEAUTIFUL play on that Paille goal. Any breakaway in which Paille is involved turns into magical goodness.

-That hooking call on Roy was ridiculously obvious. I basically hate Roy this season.

-EEE I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE SHUTOUT. I TOOOOOOLD YOU!

I would like to take full credit for this game and its awesomeness. Oh, and Tim Connolly... wasn't all that bad, either.

Now, who gets the pigeon?! Vanek? Miller? Paille? Kaleta? NOT Roy.

This game was... interesting. I predicted them to win 5-0 (not here, but a message board), and I called Miller's shutout only a few minutes in the third... And Vanek scored two. Not three. No hatty. Just two.

I saw great effort from the team defensively. They were not as good as they were the first few games of the season, but baby steps, right? They were blocking shots all over the place and getting in the face of guys who dared stand in the crease and breaking up plays in front of the net all night long. I adored it. That is how you play hockey!

I am not even going to speculate on anything tonight, or write a novel on how much Derek Roy sucked. I am simply going to gloat because I called this game from the get-go and bask in the glory of winning with a Ryan Miller shutout. With Enroth's shutout the other night, I cannot wait until Lalime's contract is up and we have ourselves a beautiful 1A 1B goaltending situation.

I so desperately want to expound on how terrible Derek Roy was tonight. The idea is incredibly tempting. But, I won't. No bad thoughts tonight! No!

Tim Connolly even made it through the game without dying. Cheers to Timmah!

Oh, and as for all the blogs on wordpress.... Yeah, I'm having a problem with being able to look at them on my laptop. I have to go to the Google cache of them in order to read, and I can't comment... So, any of you people reading this right now, I DO read all your entries! I am just unable to comment on them. =(

Second Intarmission

2008-11-01T20:42:00.003-04:00

These are the notes I have typed on Word while watching the game. There are basically none for the first period because I was playing euchre with some friends at the time and was only paying attention about 30% of the time, so take that comment about the defense with a shaker of salt.

Also, this font is screwy because this thing won't let me make it be the way I want. =( So it is huge.

First period:

-Vanek, Roy, Pominville AWESOME

-I called Pominville’s goal

-Much better team defense; still weak in the neutral zone because they’re not trapping, but very solid at breaking up plays in front of the net

Second period:

-LOVING the Theodore chant that ONE GUY is yelling

-Spacek with a lot of giveaways this season, but pretty good defensively

-Pominville laying down to block a shot on the PK = AWESOME

-I love Gaustad sticking up for his teammate even if it does lead to a 5-on-3 for Washington =(

-What in the WORLD is with that non-call on the Washington player for tripping Roy on that 5-on-3?!

-Andrej Sekera is my hero for getting the puck out on the 5-on-3

-MILLLLLLLEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR

-So, our PP sucks dee ballz

-Lot of shot blocking tonight. I LIKE.

-Miller is brilliant

-If the puck had hit the net on that Gaustad backhand, he gets a goal. UGH.

-Sabres outshot like woah this period, but I don’t think it was due to their bad play; they played all right, but Washington just had a lot PPs + threw EVERYTHING at the net

-VANEK FOR PIGEON!!!!

-I switched to the intermission report of the Thrashers-Devils game at the end of the second, and in the middle of interviewing Parise they randomly mentioned that Vanek scored twice tonight. VANEK = CROSBY

More intelligent review to come after the game.

Baby Face

2008-11-01T16:08:00.002-04:00

I did not realize that Alexander Semin could look so... not like this:

Must. Win.

2008-11-01T14:45:00.003-04:00

The Sabres will be graced tonight with the return of a for realz center!
Apparently, Tim Connolly does exist. For some reason it's easier to believe that he's always been just a mirage. You see him in the distance, become ecstatic and jump for joy in the anticipation of getting to him... and then, as soon as you're within earshot of him, POOF! He disappears.

So, the Sabres have to win this game. Not only are they fresh off a loss to the LOLightning, but TC is back in the lineup. Victory guaranteed. Right? RIGHT?!

At least if they lose, a victory for the Bills tomorrow is guaranteed! I mean, come on, we all saw last season how a Saturday Sabres win secured a Bills loss and how a Saturday Sabres loss made the Bills game a must-see.

So, Tim Connolly, please don't be an idiot, and please last longer than three minutes and twenty-seven seconds in this game. I'd actually love to see you play in twenty games this season. That, to me, would be a smashing success. Also. Just as it was up to Derek Roy and Maxim Afinogenov to win the game against the Lightning to prevent seeing bodies floating in the water outside their condos the next day (seriously why has that not been in the news at all? MASSIVE cover-up), so it is your responsibility to ensure a win tonight, and for the same reason.

I will actually try to take notes during this game...

Career Underachievers

2008-10-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking, thinking, thinking all day about the Sabres and how much they suck. (What a great way to start off a post, eh?)

The only break in that came when I had to take a bio test at 11:00, which thankfully my prof made much easier than it needed it be.

All of last season, I sounded like a recording, because whenever someone brought up how terrible the Sabres were, I said that the problem was as simple as a lack of leadership combined with the fact that the Sabres were slightly the youngest team in the league last year. Most young players are inconsistent, and for all of their talk about how there was plenty of leadership to go around in the locker room, it was painfully obvious by their play on the ice that it was all a farce. This was reinforced in the minds of all when they elected Craig Rivet, someone who had yet to play one game with the team, as their captain. Suddenly I could no longer laugh at teams that name the newly acquired their leaders.

Before Craig Rivet was named captain but after he was acquired, I said that the Sabres would make the playoffs as the sixth seed and be eliminated in the second round. I still expected somebody to step up and take control of the locker room. I also expected the team to have grown out of some of their inconsistency. I still looked forward to a good deal of it, but not to the extent that was there last season. That did not change after Rivet was named captain.

I was wrong to expect either thing.

Their dramatically better play at the start of the season, for the first four games to be exact, proved to me that I was correct in my assessment of the team's problem this year. Where I erred was expecting more out of the same group of individuals, when their leader is taken away.

It is not wrong to say that the Sabres are a good team. In fact, it is accurate. They are. They can be deadly and exacting and punishing, when they see fit. It is, however, wrong to expect that of them. They do not have the work ethic or the sense of responsibility to play well on their own. Call the problem youth, call it immaturity, call it laziness. Give it any name you so desire; its label is pure semantics. I tend to label it youth.

With Rivet in the lineup, the team played as a cohesive unit. They blocked shots and kept shooters to the outside to help Miller; they kept opposing teams out of the crease to help themselves stay ahead; they were willing to drop the gloves to help each other. They played excellent team defense. They were physical. They were tireless. They played hockey. That is something they did not, for even one game, do last year. There were times when they were a little more physical, when they seemed to actually be able to see teammates out of the corners of their eyes out there on the ice, but the way they played out of the gate this year is something that I never once saw last season, even when they were at their best.

Since Rivet has been out, they have rapidly regressed to the same. exact. team as last year. They do not care about each other on the ice. They disregard what others are doing. They do not make an effort to backcheck. When their sticks break, they do not go out of their way to block shots, knowing that that is all they can do; instead, they stand idly and watch plays develop around them, skating perhaps three feet in each direction so that they can have the appearance of being involved. They take nothing seriously and become arrogant. They do not work.

This team, without a leader, has absolutely nothing of what it takes to win a single thing. They cannot make the playoffs. They are proud of nothing, enthusiastic without a reason, and confident before games are played.

It is this instability, this complete dependence on one player, that has me worried. I do not fault the team, exactly; I do fault in the sense that it is them out on the ice playing like complete and utter crap, but I do recognize that it is, more likely than not, their pure youth that causes it. That is by no means an excuse. Rather, it is a problem that needs to be acknowledged by the team so that they can work to overcome it. The problem is, they will never acknowledge it, because they are too busy partying on the weekends and reading about themselves in the media to look in the mirror. And that is what scares me. None of these things are problems on their own; they are simply symptoms of the real problem, and that is themselves.

Are other teams similar to the Sabres? Of course. Not all of them are as youthful, either. Ottawa, for example, has a terrible problem with playing absolutely horrendously whenever Alfredsson is injured. Are they still a good team? Of course they are (at least, they were before the All-Star break last season).

I am just uncomfortable with the complete vulnerability of this team. If they happen to make the playoffs, all a team has to do is make a knee-on-knee collision with Rivet look completely incidental... and they are finished.

It is nice to be proven right about the cause of the Sabres' ills, but I really am not enjoying it, this time. One player... One person... They cannot afford to be that dependent on Rivet.

I suppose it just does not make sense to me how one team can be incredibly consistent and excellent, but when one person is taken out of the lineup, they disintegrate and become this inconsistent, terrified, arrogant mess. I know why, and it makes perfect sense. But it just should not happen that way, to me. The frustration of knowing that the team plays incredibly well under a leader and watching that fall apart as soon as that leader is taken away is like having a perpetual fire in the heart. It's not fun when it's your team that has itself as its toughest opponent.

idiots

2008-10-30T21:47:00.002-04:00

I am just going to sit back, relax, and forget about this game.

If I tried to analyze this game, it would only be a string of profanities, aimed at the players, particularly at the fact that they played zero team defense tonight, again.

I will only say this: with Craig Rivet, the team played incredibly well. Without him, they have, so far, absolutely failed. They have entirely reverted back to last year's way of playing, which got them where, exactly? Oh, yes, that's right. Out of the playoffs.

I want to be calm and rational enough to objectively analyze this game... I really, really do.

Unfortunately, that is impossible.

I'll leave it at this:
They sucked.

Sabres vs. Lightning preview

2008-10-30T16:40:00.003-04:00

Tonight, in just about two hours, the Sabres will take on the Lightning at home.

The easy thing to do is to predict a 4-3 comeback win from the Sabres in which Drew Stafford gets the first goal of the game before they fall behind 3-1, leaving it all up to Thomas Vanek to score a natural hat trick beginning when there are three minutes left in the third period and ending twenty seconds into overtime.

But, no.

Instead I am going to make an entire preview. This won't happen before every game. I guarantee it. I am just procrastinating at the moment because I really do not feel like typing up the rest of this eight-page paper that is due at 8:00 tomorrow, or studying for the bio test I have at 11:00 tomorrow. See what a good student I am?! Seriously. So, I'll probably only make previews when I am attempting to procrastinate and really should not. I predict I'll get four and a half hours of sleep tonight. Go to bed at 2:00, fall asleep at 2:30, and have my alarm go off at 7:00. The sacrifices I make for this team...

Anyway, on with the preview!

Buffalo Sabres (14 pts) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7 pts)

-----Goaltending-----

Buffalo:
Ryan Miller
------------Save %: .940
------------GAA: 1.60
------------SA: 167
------------Record: 5-0-1

Tampa Bay:
Mike Smith
------------Save %: .942
------------GAA: 2.11
------------SA: 212
------------Record: 2-2-2

Edge:
Tampa Bay

-----Defense-----

Buffalo:
SA per game: 28.4, eleventh in the NHL
Completely subjective quality SA per game: 8

Tampa Bay:
SA per game: 37.5, worst in the NHL
Completely subjective quality SA per game: 36

Edge:
Buffalo

-----Offense-----

Buffalo:
SF per game: 29.1, sixteenth in the NHL

Offensive leader:

Thomas Vanek
Points: 11
Goals: 8
Assists: 3

Tampa Bay:
SF per game: 27.8, twenty-second in the NHL
Offensive leader:

Vincent Lecavalier

Points: 6
Goals: 5
Assists: 1

Edge:
Buffalo

-----Special Teams-----

Buffalo:
PP: 21.6%, seventh in the NHL
PK: 90.2%, fourth in the NHL

Tampa Bay:
PP: 10.8%, better only than the Panthers
PK: 84.3%, eleventh in the NHL

Edge:
Buffalo

I apologize for the overall suckiness and ineptitude of that preview. Basically, it's not even interesting. BUT since Buffalo has the edge in every category but goaltending, and even that is really, really minor, I'm gonna have to pick the Sabres to win this one. I mean, I'd pick them to win regardless of what team they're playing, but it's nice to have that validated by, you know, actual and real stats, and not just my heart.

I predict a 4-1 Buffalo win, only because predicting shutouts is just epic fail, and, well, SOMEONE other than Thomas Vanek has to score a goal against the Lightning someday. AM I RIGHT, SABRES?

Oh, and let us not forget!

The "EEEEEEEE!" factor that is the beautiful goodness of Paul Gaustad will be playing tonight. As in, he will actually be there, at the game, skating and playing on the PK. He just won't be able to fight, because the cast on his poor wittle thumb won't let him take his gloves off. =( So sad. But the team will fight through such a time as this, through having Paul Gaustad back while knowing that he can't stick up for anybody. It's like being a little kid and KNOWING that your parents have your Christmas presents in their closet and then peeking... in the middle of October. And then having to wait two more months before you can finally play your N64 for the first time. (That may or may not be a true story.)

I'm looking at you, Adam Mair. Be the best Paul Gaustad you can be while he is there, on the ice, in the lineup, but unable to get in the face of anybody who looks at Miller or Kaleta wrong.

Just win. That's all I care about. WIN.

If we lose to the Lightning, Buffalo goes into catastrophe mode. I hope all the Sabres realize this. Lyke, ZOMG, our football team loses and then our hockey team loses three games in a row!!! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?!?!?!?!? Basically, the fates of hundreds of thousands rests in the Sabres' hands tonight. Whether or not Derek Roy and Maxim Afinogenov want to wake up to bodies floating in the lake outside their condos is totally up to them.

So WIN.

My first entry ever!!!11!!

2008-10-30T12:31:00.002-04:00

So, I suppose that this is where I have to introduce myself.

I am an eighteen-year-old college freshman at a very tiny college in northern Indiana. I'd share the name of it if it were, say, Notre Dame, but it's not, so I won't. I'm currently studying biology with the intention of becoming a doctor but am thinking about changing my major next semester (what a shock!) to a double in sociology and psychology to get my master's in social work. I think it is hilarious that what I want to do with my life involves making either $160,000+ or $25,000+ as a starting salary. I am easily amused...

My family moved from Kinderhook, a town about twenty miles south of/a fifteen-minute drive across the Hudson from Albany that is the smallest town ever and is composed entirely of either millionaires, farmers, or illegal Mexicans with nothing inbetween, to Depew, the best suburb of Buffalo (OK, Lancaster is), when I was eleven. I always loved hockey and can remember deciding when I was eight and watching a Rangers game that I would hate the Rangers for the rest of my life. I didn't initially follow the Sabres, but at the beginning of the 02-03 season, which was just an awesomely horrendous year, I decided that, you know, since I loved hockey, and Buffalo actually had an NHL team, it would probably be a good idea to start paying attention to them. So, I did. Now, that was the year that everybody in Buffalo was like, "Screw this. I'm not buying tickets so I can support Rigas," so I never did get to a game that year, because my father refused to buy tickets.

My first game was, I believe, in the 03-04 season, against the LA Kings. The Sabres won, I think, 8-3, and I remember being so mad because at first they were losing 3-1, and then they tied the game after the first, I believe, sparked by a goal from Hank... and then I missed the next two or three goals because they happened right after intermission, and we were still in line to buy food. Since then, I've only been to two other games, one in 06-07 (the 'Canes game they won 5-4 instead of 5-3 because they gave up a goal when they had a 5-on-3 with about two minutes left to the game... yeah, I was pissed at them), and one last year... The one last year was the one against the Senaturds (juvenile, but I adore it) that they were winning 3-1 until the last five minutes, when they decided that losing 5-3 would be a better idea. So, all those with season tickets, even you minipack holders out there: I. Envy. You.

My favorite player ever is Curtis Brown. Don't even know why. Don't even ask.

My favorite player currently is Patrick Kaleta. Clearly I only ever fall in love with fourth-liners. Craig Rivet is beginning to challenge Kaleta's place, but if Kaleta starts to drop the gloves every once in a while to make what he's going to do a little more unpredictable so that he keeps drawing penalties, his spot will never be challenged ever again.

Now, I have heard a lot of people call Patrick Kaleta ugly. Just a warning: I take that personally, because I think that he is adorable. I am a serious hockey fan, sure, but, like almost everybody else in the blog world, I am also a female, and those are guys out there on the ice. I do take comfort in the fact that pretty much all of the people who have called him ugly are A) guys and B) straight, so they have no idea what they are talking about.

I guess that'll do it for my first entry... Oh, wait! My name! How could I forget?! lulz

My name is Jael, pronounced jay-EL. Just pretend that it's the letters JL together, like it's my initials or something, and you'll do fine. I also respond to Danielle in person, just because it sounds like my name. Janelle, though, doesn't. Um, yeah.

Now THIS will do my first entry. If I write any more, I will start writing about how much the Sabres currently, after the last game, suck, after being by far the best team in the NHL prior to that, and that's not fun, now, is it.