The Epic Adventures of Tamara and Shelby: In which Dany Heatley did not score.

Dany Heatley did not score last night, which is a tragedy for all of us. All of us being Tamara and I. I called him scoring in maybe the last two seconds of the game, but no. Ryan doesn't let the other Ryan score and then he doesn't let Dany score. Come on! Unfair. Then again, Dany scored IN San Jose when the Sabres played them so I GUESS it's okay. Sort of.

It was nice to be at the arena again after about two weeks. Also nice to see them win again, because the last time I saw them in person was the last time they won a game. Good for them to go into this Olympic break without being on a losing streak. It would have sucked and they probably would've kept thinking about it if they had lost so I'm glad they go into the break on a high note.

No offense to Ryan, but I was surprised at the amount of signs that lacked saying good luck to the other Olympians on this team. I know that this is the United States and Ryan is the only one playing for the US, but the other Olympians need some love as well. I was very disappointed. If I had known there was going to be a ceremony, I would have made a sign for all of the guys. At least we get to see some of the boys on our television screens. It's going to be strange without Sabres hockey for a few weeks but it's also nice to get a breather.

Best of luck to all of the Sabres Olympians. Let's hope some guys come back with a medal!

Postgame: 2-11-10.

Two points out of twelve. That's how many the Sabres have gotten throughout the month of February, and boy, is that number a whole lot of ugly. Friends of ours said that they want the Sabres to at least get three points this month. It'll be a miracle if they can get to OT with San Jose the way they've been playing so I feel like three is a reach. It's hard to be optimistic when unlucky bounces, not enough saves, no heart from the offense, and the defense not showing up contributes to the six losses the Sabres have had in a row.

No thanks to the number one penalty kill in the league breaking down last night. I believe Carolina scored on two out of four or something like that. They scored the tying goal with .1 seconds left to go. .1! How often does that happen in hockey?! They scored their go ahead goal after Ryan Miller made a huge save on a three on nothing, and gave it up on a two on one. I'm sorry, but if you can stop a three on nothing you should be able to stop a two on one.

In OT, what can you do? Steven falls on the ice which happens to everyone, he's really the only one back and the Canes put the game away for good. An unlucky bounce as usual. They got a point again, but that's not good enough right now.

The Olympic freeze for trades comes up in about twenty minutes. Will Darcy do anything? Probably not, but you can't help but hope that MAYBE he changes something in this team before the break starts.

I'll be posting again like usual shortly.

Sorry for me not posting lately. The college life has been getting to me and lately, I just haven't had time to come up with anything worthwhile really. Besides, who really wants to read what I have to say about the Sabres depressing streak at the moment?

Puck drops at 7:00 tonight at the RBC Center. Go Sabres.

TCT Does Columbus (I think).

Some weeks ago, sitting in an Ottawa hotel room with a broken headboard after a tragic loss, we received an offer to take part in a bus trip to Columbus. It took a bit, but I considered it to be a good idea because, we should be able to beat Columbus.

Score on Columbus?

Not even. 

We, myself and two friends (Shelby manned Buffalo in our absence, and seemed to do a good job at such, seeing as city hall is still there...I think), departed the Buff at about 8:30 in the morning. We were on a bus with 50 people we didn't know for the six hour drive. We got there, had lunch, realized it was a horribly boring city, and then napped in Starbucks until Nationwide Arena opened. 

It's actually a very nice arena, the expansion teams got the nice ones. It's about 500 seats plus smaller than HSBC, but had a nice structure and seemed a lot cleaner. There were more shops and such, and had a lot more going on which was nice. 

We were right against the glass for warm ups, which I haven't done in ages. All the players saw our sign (as did getty images, see above) and we even saw another pro- Patty sign across the way. Luckily, when heading to our seats, we found the gentlemen and were excited to see one another. 

Evidence that other Patty Lalime fans do exist.

The game of course tragic, but we tried to make the best of it. Mr. Drew's fight was certainly the highlight, it's the only thing that got us on our feet. We were surrounded by Sabres fans, and a few Jackets fans (nice to know they exist!) and one goal would have been ice to hear how loud it would have been. The guy in front of us was constantly angry about Patty and texting people about trading him. Honestly, if you're in a Paille jersey, it doesn't mean you're an expert on people getting traded off this team. 

Now I know people think I'm bias, and sometimes I am. But, even if one or two goals were Patty's doing, we still would have lost. Our offense took the night off, simple as that. The sooner people start seeing this team more clear, the better.

After what was apparently a hockey game, we returned to Starbucks to avoid the cold and wait for our bus. It appeared as though people on our bus were kicked out of the game for not only being obnoxious, but for hitting another Sabres fan. Even if it was a Jackets fan, that is entirely unacceptable. Is it so difficult to act like human beings? This is why Buffalo fans get a bad reputation, because people like that do things like that. Put down the beer and represent your team and city in a respectable manner, I promise you it isn't hard!

Being the three only sober people on the bus wasn't as bad as we were worried about, the loss probably helped in that amount. We did math homework, watched movies, and tried to sleep. It was rather uncomfortable, as you can imagine. We returned to Buffalo around four in the morning, exhausted, and still hearing people bragging about getting kicked out. I did a half ass job at scraping snow off my car, and we were asleep by 5 until 1pm. 

However, a picture of our sign on getty images and Dany scoring two goals somehow balanced things out. 

Word on the street is Patty will start against San Jose, much to the expense of Tamara's nervous system. Though, when he has one bad game he doesn't play again for weeks, unlike Ryan who plays the next night. Regardless, Shelby and I are going, and can be together for what could be the 200th win. 

He just wants to do it at home, clearly.

 I wouldn't do a bus trip again, I don't think. You know it's a bad time when you can already decide that the Montreal trip coming up in April is going to be better...

Meeting!

Members of The Coldffalo Train will be at HSBC Arena this Saturday, February 13th following th Sabres and San Jose game from roughly 9:30 to 10 in the pavilion.

Feel free to come by and be a little punk in person, if you dare ;)

Postgame: 2-6-10.

Let me tell you about a stat I saw last night. Mike Harrington from the Buffalo News put in his postgame article from last night that Nationwide Arena is the only arena where the Sabres have NEVER WON A GAME. The streak continued last night when the offense failed to show up and thanks to the game winning goal being fluky as hell, the Sabres lost 4-0. 4-0! Steve Mason was AWFUL so far this season, and I know the Blue Jackets have a new coach but...SERIOUSLY!

Okay fans, let's breathe in and out...the Sabres staff had at least a twenty-three minute meeting after the game (which hopefully included people getting their heads knocked together because it's hilarious in my mind). This is far from what the ten game losing streak had been. I'm not dumping them again unless that happens, which it will not. The Sabres will get back on track again, we just all have to be extremely positive, right? Send that energy to the team.

It starts on Tuesday versus the Bruins. Depending on the circumstances today since they are currently going to play the Habs, they might be a desperate team...but so are we.

Postgame: 2-5-10.

The Sabres lost to one of the worst teams in the league last night. Regardless of stats and how well we are doing in the standings, we have indeed hit rock bottom. If I were you Sabres fans, I would be extremely scared of what this team has at this moment. I'm pretty sure that the west coast road trip killed the Sabres in one way or another and this part of the season is always the rocky part. Will Darcy do something on Trade Deadline Day? I don't know. He says something will change 'internally' on this team and at the rate they are currently playing, I hope it shakes things up. It's not going to get any easier after the Olympics, I hope they know this.

Last night was just bad all over the place. While I think that the boys did play very well for the game, the defense looked to be out of place on a few goals and the game winning goal...it shows that Ryan is tired. Yes Miller fans, Ryan is TIRED. It doesn't help that Lindy does not know how to play back up goaltenders. Patty plays one game where he lets in four goals and then he has not played since until tonight. It's not going to get any easier after the Olympics. If an excuse for this team if they don't make the playoffs is 'Miller was tired' then it's complete bullshit. A ton of people are like 'trade Lalime, get a better backup'. Guess what people? Have you NOT seen how this team plays in front of a backup goaltender? They suck, simple as that. They do this sometimes to Ryan as well, but even moreso in front of the backup goaltender. This is not about getting a backup, this about knocking some sense into this team and they need to do it fast.

Tamara has gone to Columbus with friends of ours to watch the boys play the Blue Jackets tonight so expect a recap (maybe) of her trip. Should be an interesting one.

What do we have to look forward to on Trade Deadline Day now?!

Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils last night for Oduya, Bergfors, Cormier (yes, THAT Cormier), and a first round draft pick. Apparently the Devils didn't get the memo that Ilya doesn't really backcheck...they're going to get a rude awakening once he plays tonight, I'm sure. Also, I'm pretty sure he's the leading goal scorer on the team, or at least right behind Parise. I'm too lazy to check up on my facts at the moment but if you feel like being exact, let me know in the comments.

Now that this is all over, I don't know what 'big name' guy we have to look forward to getting traded the day OF trade deadline day. Phaneuf is gone, Kovalchuk is gone...I can't really think of anyone else that's huge and might be traded. I'm probably overlooking people of course so when the day comes and someone is traded, I'll be like 'OH YEAH, I FORGOT ABOUT HIM!' Still, trade deadline day is one of the most exciting days of the year and I might skip school for it depending on what day it is.

I might as well make this note here too. For those of you who are posting nasty comments directed at Tamara, STOP. If you were mature enough you would not attack her on a site and maybe email or talk to her personally. It's simple really. Let's all be professional here and talk about this - and professionally, I say go fuck yourselves. Thanks.

Postgame: 2-3-10

This postgame is pretty much like every other Ottawa postgame that is going to be on this blog. Same old damn story. Either Spezza or Alfredsson score (in this case, they both scored twice), the Sabres screw it up, and they end up losing AGAIN to the Senators. I'm surprised that I haven't just not watched these games. Probably because I feel like if I didn't watch, they'll win one time and I will hate myself for awhile.

I've taken a few positives out of this game, and one is the play of Thomas Vanek last night. Anyone else notice how physical he was? I mentioned on Twitter that this was the most physical I have ever seen him in a game. He was hitting people, when he was shoved headfirst into the boards he punched whoever did it (can't remember for the life of me, but again, dude is in trouble). Considering his size, it's been nice to see him put it to good use besides standing in front of the net. I hope this is a sign of things to come with him because I would love to see him be more aggressive in games all the time. Not just because I want to see him take his helmet off and get in a fight but you know...a fangirl can dream, right?

The non-goal from last night seems pretty fishy. According to Mike Gilbert, the PR guy for the Sabres, the overhead view above the Senators goal was not working in HD but Toronto watched it on analog. That's probably why they didn't show it during the television broadcast or at the arena. It makes me think that if the HD overhead did work, it would have counted. The game might have went to OT. That really sucks. This team just has terrible luck with the Senators and I am getting so sick of it all. It's like the Bills and the Patriots tragedy even though I could care less about whether or not they lose to New England. Then again, I laughed when Alfredsson scored to make it 3-2 last night. The life of a Sabres fan.

Lucky for me, I get to watch the Sens take on the Canucks tonight. I never thought I would have to see them twice in a row with my two favorite teams. Gross. Whatever, Vancouver will win and Ottawa's streak will end so then I can do a happy dance. Or a Ryan Kesler dance.

Who is Honestly Shocked?

I have to admit, after Timmys goal last night, I thought to myself ' wow, we might actually beat Ottawa.' Then, reality set in when realizing that there was still roughly 12 minutes left in the game, and it's Ryan Miller. I even told Shelby that he was going to let in a bad goal. She told me to shut up, which she does a lot, and 11 minutes later, it happened.

Then, it happened again. But, I am yet to find a way to blame empty netters on Ryan. In fact, I'm not even sure Alfie's goal was entirely his doing, but Spezza's second goal...Patty could have stopped that from the damn bench. 

And I'm sure no one thinks that. But, thanks to Facebook privacy settings and the fact that certain people refuse to comment on my posts (big thanks for that, since I know you're reading ;) ) maybe for once those of us who don't appreciate our starter goalie can bitch in peace, no?

However, feel free to continue to sit there reading NHL stats (and nothing more) while ironing the tacky, bias USA shirts. Please, don't let me interrupt! Check on Crosbys updated stats while you're there.

It's going to be the same pattern as it always is....

-Ryan doesn't give a post game interview. Despite the rule that all players must give 5 minute interviews following any game doesn't seem to apply to the hot shot goalie. Even if he was able to get away with it, be a man! Tell the fans, the ones who know you're weak, what went down. If Rej and Timmy can do it, two players who practically saved the game, so can you!

- Rej will go back to the press box. I have two friends who are very big Sekera fans, and sadly they even know that despite no playing time, and doing a rather decent job last night, he'll go back to the press box and see ice time some time in April. I'm not saying Monty deserves to be benched, there are others before him, but this team is yet to realize how to work that. 

- Ryan will play Friday. After Pittsburgh and last night, he sure as hell deserves to be sitting in Pattys chair. But, he won't. Because I'm sure they're finding minor problems elsewhere, and he'll take on Cam Ward, who I'm sure he'll bitch about. Patty, so I hear, is  playing either Friday or Saturday. While I do hope it's Saturday because we'll be there, he deserves to help the team bounce back. I got to watch him a lot last night from our seats, and what he does on the bench. He does a lot more little things than people seem to realize. 

Then again, if you don't beat the 1 in 4 chances of making Team USA, what use are you to us?

Today is a National Holiday.

Number 28 turns 28 today!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Goose!

You're thrilled, we know.

In honor of this special day, us here at The Coldffalo Train would like to present Goose with the following gifts:

An energy conserving windmill.

Some cute orphans.

No Dany Heatly to slice your ankle open tonight. 

I am considering not going to class in honor of this very important day.

Happy Birthday!

Canada Says " Go Colts...uh...Bolts?"

Oh look, Tamara is back. Yes you lurkers, just when you thought you could have a break from taking time out of your oh so busy days, you have to go on with telling me how wrong I am. Death to Patty Lalime! Or whatever. 

Now, I know part of my New Years Resolution was to be nicer to Miller. But, when you let a little bitch score a hat trick, you are no friend of mine. And don't say he made saves, he wasn't even in the net. If he wants to be more like Patty, he should start small, little techniques he can handle. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any Patty qualities that I would want Ryan to dare take....maybe the hugging.

But, enough about the Sabres. They lost the other night, and they're going to lose tonight because it's Ottawa and that is just what we do (I will gladly eat my words should we win, as I'm sure many of us will). 

Yesterday, I was harmlessly doodling my my media criticism class when my teacher decided to talk about how the Superbowl as being the biggest ' coming together' sporting event in the world. I immediately objected (well, five minutes later) that the Olympics were far more hardcore...you know, Peyton Manning vs. the entire world coming together in one city for two weeks worth of games. 

Apparently, it's not. Furthermore, the Olympics would not exist without America. Also, and I was not aware of this, Canadians care more about the Superbowl than they would Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (depending on the teams). 

I'll give you a minute to reflect on that...

...

So, basically, a series of games older than the Superbowl, and a sport itself whose major broadcaster is even older somehow fall short of one night of drinking and artery clogging? 

Hmmm. 

I'm going to take a guess that, since he thought Canada had a population of only 20 million, that he's never heard of a little city called Montreal. 

Just to name one.

I'll end it there.

TV ratings be damned, football ain't got nothin' on us. 

Sidney Crosby wishes he was Thomas Vanek.

I hope Patrick Marleau ends up scoring the most goals this season so he can blow everyone's mind. There are other people in the league other than Ovechkin and Crosby, thank you kindly NHL.

Last night's game sucked. I know there are people who are like 'but I LOVE watching Crosby play, he's such a great player'. Well, I certainly hope you don't enjoy watching him score a hat trick against this team because it made me physically ill. I woke up this morning with a stomachache and was wondering why that as, and then I remembered HE got a hat trick. I keep seeing it all over Twitter, most of my Twitter friends are Pens fans and I can't avoid it. It disgusts me. I'm saying this as a former Pens fan and then I realized after they won the Cup how annoying they are. Okay, the players aren't annoying but constantly having Crosby shoved down my throat is. He's the only one I can't stand anymore.

Rant, over. Phew.

Oh yeah, and whoever the Penguin was that decided it was a good idea to shoot the puck anywhere close to Thomas' face is in big trouble. I didn't watch the Ottawa game where his jaw broke so it scared me half to death when he held his face. Never. Again.

Ottawa is on Wednesday, my favorite. We got a point last time boys...

This Will Hold Over Until I Can Really Post (I'm Still Alive!)

“WHEN MILLSIE SEES IT, HE'LL MAKE THE SAVE.”

- Sabres right wing Jason Pominville after goalie Ryan Miller stopped 30 of 31 shots in a 2-1 win over Boston.
He was talking about when he shoots at Ryan's net.

I don't even know what to post ABOUT.

The Sabres won on Friday, WOOOOO!

The Canucks came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Maple Leafs 5-3, WOOOOOO!

The Leafs and Flames dealt with one another and now Dion Phaneuf is a Leaf, I DON'T LIKE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS.

:D

"Let me just lean over the table here..."

Go Sabres!

Postgame: 1-27-10

Hey, it was awesome to finally win a game again after losing the past four, woo! I think we might be one point behind the Devils now in the standings, and seven in front of Ottawa. We have to battle Ottawa next week so I hope the boys are mentally prepared for that one...I know I won't and ever be for those games.

Anyways, this post is not about Ottawa. It's about the Sabres finally learning to win in a shootout. The last one they had won was against Calgary, and that feels like a million years ago. Tamara and I attended that game and I thought that I had saved my long video of the shootout on my computer. Of course it didn't work out like that. Anyways, Jochen Hecht is our best shootout guy right now. I KNOW, RIGHT? I know exactly what you're thinking readers. He's three for three this year, so I guess we know who to put out there last...or first, whatever.

I thought yesterday's game was pretty boring but I feel like that everytime we play the Devils. I hope the game on Friday isn't boring since I'm going. It's going to be nice to go back to the arena again after so long.

Oh...it's you again.

The Sabres play their first game at home since that long shootout against Colorado that Tamara and I were fortunate enough to attend - or unfortunate? Depends on how you look at it. It was a good game but Patty didn't with his 200th...and I keep forgetting that the next game he plays could BE his 200th win. Let's hope, right?

The Devils were shutout against the Senators last night and will probably come in tonight either a.) tired, or b.) ready to go and come out flying. I know the Sabres just came back from a tough road trip but hopefully they can fight the exhaustion and be somewhat mentally ready for this game. The Devils may have been shutout last night, but they still won't be an easy team to play against.

Go Sabres.

Postgame...of the greatest game this season.

Ryan Kesler should have scored on this breakaway, JUST SAYING.

So yesterday was a great game despite how it turned out, with the Sabres losing thanks to a stupid call by Kerry Fraser. It was fast paced, and to be honest, it went FAR too quickly for me. I wish it had never ended.

Ryan didn't get a point last night, but...
THOMAS SCORED ON THE POWER PLAY WHEN RYAN WAS IN THE BOX! EXCITEMENT COMING FROM ME! Can't you tell? That was probably the highlight for me, besides the green guys mocking Thomas when he went in the penalty box first. I burst out in a fit of laughter.

So the Sabres ended this road trip with a loss and they get to host the Devils tomorrow night. Oh joy, you just HAD to give them a hard team, didn't you dear NHL? Oy. I hope this road trip didn't show any signs of things to possibly come...

The day everyone has been waiting for!

Or only me, whatever.
The Sabres and Canucks are finally playing one another! I've had this date in my head since the schedule came out and I'm glad that it's come at last. Last time these two met up, Ryan Kesler and Steve Bernier were the only ones scoring the Canucks goals and Thomas Vanek had a three point night. I'd like to have a big night out of Ryan and Thomas again...except the Sabres should win, of course. The Canucks are on a hot streak so it's okay if they lose ONCE. The Sabres have lost the past three games in a row so they need a win here to close out the road trip.

Can you guys believe the road trip is over after this game? Insanity. Good to know the boys are coming back after tonight. It seems like forever since I've last seem them in person.

Postgame: 1-23-10

Sabres lost. Dany scored his 30th. That's all that matters. Whatevs.

Next up:I'll be back after this game when I get over my jitters of PURE EXCITEMENT.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.

While the Sabres continue to make a poopy mess out of their west coast trip, I decided to look on the bright side. Well, Tamara's bright side, in case you haven't noticed, no one ever agrees with me. 

I'm warning you now, two of the three have to do with Dany Heatley. 

3. 30 0n 30

Don't act like you weren't there! Despite epic failure (which somehow still includes Jason Pominville scoring) Dany scored his 30th goal tonight...on a goalie who wears number 30 (odds were that could have happened anyways). 

I called it. I said it would either be his birthday or today. Maybe he wanted to stick to 29 on his 29th birthday? No?

Anyways, awesome goal, hurray! 

Which leads us to....

2. Olympians Stay Put

Mr. Jhonas Enroth unofficially confirmed to me that NHL Olympians will be stay put until the break begins. No opening ceremonies, no fuzzy feelings with the new teams, no love from the NHL. They're just jealous. 

While this means less Patty time (somewhat), it DOES mean Dany time. Dany time that doesn't involve Toronto, but instead, 100 level seats near my boy!

And maybe he'll score again!

And Patty will likely be playing, but...we can adjust, no?

:)

He's excited, too!

1. Furry People Need Love, Too!

Shelby mentioned this in her last post, but it bears repeating. Haha, bear! One of the largest furry conventions (google it...) took place in the same San Jose hotel as where our boys were staying. 

Resume laughing. 

Here is the second of two pictures. 

As long as they don't think he's one of them. 

Next up, Shelby's guilty pleasure (I think they're called the Canucks). 

Hopefully we don't embarass ourselves.

Hopefully Patty isn't in net.

Hopefully Drew is there.

Thank you, Drew Stafford.

This is from his Twitter, so don't yell at me that I was creeping Facebook or anything dear readers:
In the words of Tamara, he's not going to come back to Buffalo after this convention. It was good knowing you Drew.

Go Sabres.

Postgame: 1-21-10

I would like to pronounce my utter disappointment with the Kings not wearing their thirds yesterday. I was hoping to see the sleek babies on the ice but of COURSE it didn't happen like that. Oh well. I'm sure when I see the Canucks play the Kings next, they will be wearing them. Unless they don't play the Kings anymore at the Staple Center, I don't know their schedule like the back of my hand unfortunately.

So the Sabres lost yet again in a shootout on this road trip, but at least they received a point for their efforts. To be quite honest, I don't mind if they only get one point against Western teams. I see it as that they don't really effect one another anyways so it's no big deal. Still, it's awesome to know that we still have the best record against the West.

Goals came from Clarke, Thomas, and someone else. I don't remember who that person is. I kind of wasn't watching the game when that goal went down so it doesn't exist, DO YOU HEAR ME RICO?! DOESN'T. EXIST. Anyways, Clarke's goal was his 13th I think, and Thomas scored his 14th on the power play apparently. That's what the Sabres site says anyways. I'm so glad he's playing well on this road trip, it's about time people lay off of him and his lack of goals from this season. If he scores only 20 goals, I won't even give a damn. You go, Thomas.

T-minus three days until the Sabres play the Canucks. It would be an understatement if I said I was excited about that game. Definitely an understatement.

Craigory Who?

Shelby and I missed Craig's first goal of the season. 

We were in the car.

Thus, it did not happen. 

Thank you!

Yo...YO!

Look who made Team Germany!
I thought the list before was the REAL list but I guess not, because Jochen has now made the team? Awesome. Congratulations Yo-Yo!
Germany plays Sweden on my birthday, so I MAY be tuning in for sure!

Yay!

Two happy announcements. 

Despite epic failure the other night, Timmy Connolly scored his 100th career goal (and kept a point streak alive in the process). I was going to mention it in the post about that game, however didn't want an awesome thing associated with a not-so-awesome thing. 

We edited Pattys cake for Timmy.

So, good news there!

Not to mention over 12 months without a Timmy Connolly boo boo (granted that included four months of offseason, but I believe that is when he is more likely to get hurt since he's not being supervised).

Annnnnnnnd, something totally non- Sabres related. 

Drum Roll pleaseeeeeee

.....

....

....

....

(it's not Ryan Kesler)

....

....

....

Why, it's Dany Heatley's birthday!

Shut up, you care!

29 years ago today, that woman right there gave birth to that guy right there. Funny how that works out. Now that he's pushing 30, he should reallllly consider settling down, but I won't nag him about that on his big day. 

Perhaps he should score his 30th goal tonight for his birthday (29 goals on his 29th birthday, aww! barf). 

Or against us on Saturday, whatever. 

You'd be surprised how it doesn't matter to me when it comes to this guy. 

Or maybe not.

Postgame: 1-19-10

Unfortunately, there is no picture of Jason Pominville's epic fail from last night so this will have to suffice. Sucks right?

I know I didn't post a postgame to the Coyotes game because it was Thomas' birthday. By now you know they won 7-2, blah blah blah, it was a pretty awesome game. Last night's was first a disaster and then turned totally awesome and then a giveaway by you know who made it a 5-3 game when the Sabres could have tied it up!

Now I won't talk about what happened to patty as to not upset Tamara, but what HAPPENED to the confidence of this team in front of him? The last game he played was against Colorado and he played super well to get to a shootout. They were doing well in back-to-back situations with him and then they decide not to show up for this one in the first period? Hockey is a sixty minute effort...you boys missed that memo once again. The comeback almost happened and then it didn't.

I'm also already sick of having to watch the other team's feeds during this road trip. I know the Canucks one won't be too bad (I'm biased though, forgive me) but if you can't even get the Sabres names right, you shouldn't be broadcasting. You can't be like 'Oh, that guy. Number...twenty-one for the Sabres has the puck now.' Nuh uh, you just can't. They give you guys a list of players for a reason so that you can call the game and know who everyone is. I know they tend to make mistakes from time to time but last night was pretty bad. Even a friend of ours who is a huge Ducks fan hates the announcers for them.

Los Angeles is up next tomorrow; another late night for us Sabres fans. Hopefully it will turn out better than it did yesterday and we wake up after four or five hours of sleep happy this time.

Ugh.

Not that this post was going to be pretty in the first place, but I'm up two hours earlier than desired because my moms car is possessed. 

Anyways.

I can guarantee my second born child (my first one was lost in a bet about Dany Heatley being traded) that the specific player who is, in my tired eyes, entirely responsible for last night will not get blamed. Instead, everyone else will. You know...a defenseman, several defensemen, Tim Connolly, Patty Lalime, Michael Peca. 

However, it may be very hard to blame Jason Pominville until they locate his body- what with the Pacific Ocean so close by. I'm not sure who Miller rooms with on the road, I think it's Yo Yo, and I'm sure he's prepared with something along the lines of ' oh, no officer, Ryan was with me all night.'

Early on, I was mostly angry with Mr. Butler for his leading to Patty sitting on the bench (where he should be warming up a spot for Jason). And, not that it should be a surprise on this team, even in such a high scoring game, goaltending was again not a problem- for either of them. Clarkie was kind enough to defend Patty right away:

MacArthur was not happy to see Lalime depart.

"Guys were [mad]," he said. "We let Patty down. He's doing his job every day and we give up some real high-quality chances early on."

As I just discovered on the Sabres site, even Patty had something to say while SITTING ON THE BENCH:

"Lindy told us that we had a chance to come back," Lalime said. "We were already on a power play, so he said 'Let's get one here, because you never know what can happen.' We showed a lot of character after being down 4-0, so you have to look at the positives. Everyone in this room never gave up and kept playing hard."

Is anyone going to talk to Jason? Probably. And he'll blame the system, and the idea that we just couldn't tie it will live on.

This is why Team USA doesn't want you either, jerk. 

Happy birthday, Thomas Vanek!

Have a good one, you studly man.

Go Sabres!

Oh Hot Damn

I don't think anyone cares about this except for me. And people in Austria.

Today is the day that Thomas Vanek's biography hit the shelves in German speaking countries. Unfortunately for myself, I have to wait until an English translation comes out and who KNOWS when that will be. I'm pretty bummed about it to be honest. It doesn't help that his website posted an excerpt from the book and it made me want to get it even more.

Since I'm giddy for this, I'm going to post a few paragraphs from the book:

"My mouth is wired shut and still hurts. It’s been six days now that a puck hit me in the face. It happened in the game against the Ottawa Senators when Anton Volchenkov ripped a slapshot from just a few feet away and broke my right jaw. I underwent facial surgery the next day. To help heal the injury faster the doctors had my mouth wired. I can’t even talk. It hurts not being on the ice in this emotionally charged game, only watching from above and crossing my fingers for my team.

[…] That’s why it’s so important to win tonight – or at least to give our very best. We want to help the people in the arena to forget the tragedy. We want to entertain them for an evening, detract their thoughts and lessen their suffering. It’s not so different from any other given night, people from all social stratums unite during a game. No matter if they are bankers or construction workers, they are all one in their suffering. Just like they are one in their exultation when we score tonight. There is no place like a rink or a stadium to break down social barriers."

As you can tell, this excerpt is from the day of the plane crash. That last paragraph really hits the nail on the head. Thomas is right - this city is made up of people of so many professions, but that does not mean they do not share the same exact suffering.

"I walk over to Tim Connolly and Derek Roy, the Centers I play with most of the time, and give them a friendly slap on the shoulders. Most players are already standing, anxiously waiting to get out in the rink. I give a nod to Ales Kotalik, one of my best friends on the team, and then leave the locker-room. I want to be up in the players’ box when the game starts. On my way out I pass the box with our sticks, ready to hand for the players taking to the ice. I can’t help it but my arm twitches toward my “Warrior”-stick. After a moment’s thought I put it back in the box. I won’t be needing it tonight. Wistfully I push open the heavy, chrome-plated door with the Sabres logo on it.

A few reporters are waiting outside in the hallway. They want a short comment from me. All I can do is point to my swollen jaw, shake my head and walk on. After 50 meters I come to a branch in the corridor. To the right the way leads to the parking deck where my Land Rover is parked. To the left the corridor continues on to the public area of the arena and the elevator that will take me up to the second level. I give a nod to Stan, the security guy, who guides me through the security door. Most fans are already in the arena by now, so I’m all by myself in the elevator. Everyone who visits HSBC Arena for the first time feels more like in a hotel than a sports arena. What a difference to the mostly sterile and purely functional arenas in Europe."

'All by myseeeeelf...'
Okay, really. As I read the part about how his arm twitched towards his stick, it made me extremely sad. It also makes me realize more how much he wanted to be out there and couldn't be because of his first REAL injury.

"[…] It’s 19.38, the moment Buffalo has been waiting for hours. Everybody is looking down on the 12 players on the ice. There are exactly 18,690 people in the arena, hundreds of thousands more are watching at home or in bars on television. My thoughts go out to my comrades. I can think my way into everyone of them. I know what Tim Connolly thinks, waiting for his first shift, I can feel the energy when our backup goalie Lalime gives a high five to every player returning from a shift. I can feel the tension and the camaraderie which is more pronounced in our sport than in any other. Hockey is the fastest game in the world and also one of the most exhausting. You can’t be on the ice for more than a minute and give your best. Then you have to get off and have a few moments to talk to your line mates about the last shift. This welds guys together."

How true is it that these game completely welds guys together. Not only are they all on the same team but all these guys are a family. Especially when they play together for so long. THIS team is a family.

Postgame: 1-16-10.

Shame on Yahoo! Sports for not having a picture of Craig's amazing face after Drew scored. I hope some other site captured that or I am going to be pretty bummed. The look on Craig's face was priceless.

This is the second time in nearly a week that the Sabres went to a long shootout. It's bad enough they GET to a shootout but to go more than three rounds, nuh-uh. I feel like the longer the shootout goes for the Sabres, the more of a chance we'll have to lose the game. I like winning it when it doesn't go to sudden death.

So I hope the Sabres realize they can't take a bajillion penalties in the game because getting four before they even HAD a power play is a little ridiculous. Good thing their penalty kill is top notch otherwise we would have a problem.

I'm glad the boys got a point out of that game considering they were badly outplayed the first period and a half. They still have yet to lose in regulation this year, woohoo! Good stuff.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Jason John* Pominville gave an interview of one minute and 41 seconds and did not, repeast DID NOT, mention the system. 

This scares everybody, including him.

Oh nos!

* Actually his middle name (or so Wikipedia says, why would they lie?)

The NHL and their lame headlines.

Recently as of late, the NHL has seem to put a ton of puns into their headlines on the main site. When they aren't able to come up with anything good, they just make the headline what the score of the game was. Last night, Alexander Ovechkin had a five point night against the Leafs and it was the fourth time in his career that he's had five points in one game. The headline reads still 'Ovech-King'. Just add a 'g' on the end of his name and that's what you get. Clever, eh? Uh...

Of course at the same time, there are now people who call him Ovehkin because of the fact he has the 'C' on his sweater now. Speaking of that, I really think this whole 'Ovie being captain' thing is going to backfire on the Caps and the rest of the organization. Alex is a great star and I don't doubt that he's a good person, but being a captain shouldn't be his responsibility. He does his talking out on the ice, not with the media. That's no stab to his English either, you just know exactly what damage he can do out there. They've been winning a lot lately but I just don't know how much longer it's going to last.

Stuff...like the Bandits.

I forgot to mention in my last post that it was The Coldffalo Train's 52nd post, HA! I can't believe it's been that many, since most have been Shelby. 

This post will be a bit tricky, as Lalime will not stop licking my hand. I, of course, mean my kitten and not the goaltender...sadly. The damn animal also broke off a piece of the bobblehead. Tragic, I know, hopefully we can repair (if I find the missing piece). Clearly, this is a name jealously thing. 

Anywho, actual Sabres. 

Shelby already covered the depression of Roy once again scoring in OT. You're probably wondering ' geez, why does the crazy bitch think game winning goals is such a bad thing?'

Well, you crazy Miller fans that should be tied in a jacket that makes you hug yourself, if it wasn't a month long egotistical boost that was a result of these goals, who would care. Now WGR won't shut up, and we'll never know the next few scores of upcoming games because Derek Roy got lucky (at least no one gets a disease when he gets lucky like this). 

Furthermore, if Vanek had scored that OT goal, would people make such a big deal? No...and he's way better. 

In happier Buffalo sports news, the Bandits home opener is tonight! I wish I was going, but Shelby is poor, haha. They're playing Rochester, a rival team who they lost to the other night. 

If you've never been to a Bandits game, I highly recommend it. Even if you're not a lacrosse fan (you'll start) it's really a great atmosphere, and when they score a minimum of five to ten goals per game, it's a lot of fun. 

My friend Shannon and I accidently ended up at a Bandits game about two (three?) years ago, when some pushy scalpers wouldn't accept no as an answer, and it was love at first sight. We were also there when they won their most recent championship, and I cannot describe the feeling to finally see a home team win something (though they had won in the past). 

I mean, if the teachers and landscapers can do it, why can't the pros?

(Side Note: Ricky D is said to be in net tonight. Between him and Timmy, lets see if everyone can make it out alive)

Postgame: 1-15-10

So in the second most boring game of ever this season, the Sabres defeated the Thrashers 2-1 in overtime. Again. For the second time in a row they've played these guys. Derek Roy scored again in overtime just like last game. Except this time there was not a wide open net staring at him in the face, there was a goalie in net. It makes me wonder why the Thrashers didn't put Hedberg in against the Sabres. His record is awesome against this team but they instead opted for Pavalec. He played awesome last night but it makes you wonder if the score would have been different had Hedberg been in net.

The Sabres were also extremely sloppy with the puck, and I blame the fact they hadn't played in four days. Good thing they have a tight schedule for this road trip because I would go insane if they didn't play for five days in a row again.

Now they play the Isles on Saturday, and I certainly hope the result doesn't turn out the same way like it did last time they were at Nassau...

Oh hey, there's a game on tonight!

That's right, after what feels like a million years, the Sabres are finally playing the Thrashers tonight. I guess the league wanted them to have a few days off before playing seven games in fourteen days. Totally fine with me, since approximately every other day there will be a game on except for a few cases.

Pavalec is in net tonight for the Thrashers, which I do not understand because Hedberg has a record against us that is crazy good. Also, I am pretty sure that Kari Lethonen is dead or something. Is he injured again, or is he basically a third string goalie at this point? Poor guy. Rick DiPietro got to come back, why not him too?!

I'm sure that today at some point, Kevin will talk to some guy from the Atlanta organization and talk about how contract talks are going with Kovy. I know that's what's going to happen, because it always does.

Go Sabres!

TCT Does The Whiney Awards!

It's a bad sign when I have to sign in to post. It shows that I simply do not post enough. With RHB, I NEVER had to sign in...I'm not even sure what the password was. Same with this blog, actually. I had to make a retarded password to make sure that no one, including myself, could get it. 

Anywho!

I shamelessly used my press pass from mybuffalo.com (go there! go there now!) to go the Whiney Awards Tuesday night. Luckily, with such an event, I am not the only one doing anything shameless. People were dressed all fancy, and Corey (Shelby's brother, who I was delighted to cat with, and is basically the best thing when Shelby cannot be there) swore that none of them actually listened to the station. 

Furthermore, it wasn't an awards show. But, most of that stuff can and is covered in my recap that I'll post at the end. 

About an hour after I got there, I learned that I would be sitting at the alumni table. I panicked, and I'm not sure why. Old guys and Tamara, gasoline and matches...whatever. 

I was the only girl, not like that was a shock. The only person I recognized at my table was Mike Robitaille (when he introduced himself, I wanted to be like ' no shit' but nicer than it would have been with Adam Mair). Nevertheless, everyone was very nice. All were interested in the internship that always sounds more exciting than it is, and the fact that I'm from Montreal (that always seems to come up). 

At one point, the lovely gentleman who sat between myself and Roby left, and the first thing he says to me was ' you're very quiet tonight.' Yes, Mike, if online blogging has taught me anything it's that trouble is best avoided if I don't talk and play show tunes in my head. I asked why he wasn't roasting Rob Ray, and he said he was asked to but didn't think he'd be good at it. We both agreed he was best doing it on air during games. 

The roasting itself was very graphic. Frankly, since it's Rob Ray none of the disgusting stories really surprised me. Get Chris Butler up there and have Nate Gerbe tell a story about how they accidently killed a stripper with a wooden chair then hid the body in the trunk of Tim Kennedys(or Tyler Myers) car before throwing up  Craigory's pool (I pick him only because I know he has a pool) naked THEN...I might cringe. 

It would help if the stripper was male. 

Who knows, maybe Drew Stafford in leopard print pants really raises your standards on what fear is. 

Speaking of Drew, and the rest of the crew (hehe, rhyme), the boys headed out for roughly 13 days, sans leopard pants (we hope). Other than the backwards Atlanta and Islanders trip, it's all western teams on the schedule. The real kind of western, not like Columbus or Detroit. I mean California, Feenicks, and Vancouver...which could very well cause this blog to self destruct should a certain French Canadian be in goal and a certain Michigan boy score a goal.

 But we'll get to that later...

Oh yeah, and shameless self promoting:

http://www.mybuffalo.com/_No-Complaints-from-Whiney-Awards/blog/1715088/85283.html

Well, I'll miss 'em for two weeks.

The Sabres headed out today to begin their seven game road trip that they usually have every January. They go from Atlanta, to Long Island (what the hell, right?) and then head out west for a Western Conference swing. Considering the Sabres record against Western teams this season, I'm not too worried about what's going to happen. I actually think it's going to be a somewhat successful trip. I'm not going to make predictions as to who they are going to beat and who they are going to lose to because if I had done that last year, I would've been wrong with a couple of the predictions. Anything could happen on this trip. I just hope that they play for a full sixty minutes each game instead of waking up beginning in the second period. They can't do that on the road and they can't do it against the West.

Here's to a very successful road trip though. I'm going to try my hardest to not fall asleep during these games because of their late starts, but I can't promise anything. Except for that Vancouver game...

The more you know.

I was looking up stuff on Sabres Edge to post here about how Chris Butler and Craig Rivet were split up unfortunately. I'm upset about this. Anyways, I was going to talk about that when I saw in written form what exactly Lindy said about Thomas' playing lately.

"

Thomas Vanek scored his first goal in seven games Saturday, and coach Lindy Ruff expressed hope today it will be the catalyst to a scoring binge for the left winger. He averaged 40 goals per year over the past three seasons but has just 12 through the Sabres’ first 44 games.

"He’s struggled until last game," Ruff said. "The offensive side of it, there hasn’t been a lot of production. There haven’t been a lot of opportunities. We need him to get going.

"I think when he doesn’t score he puts a lot of pressure on himself. There’s frustration you can see in his game. He’s got to just get by that part and make sure that you put the work in. Whatever your route or assignment is on the forecheck, on the back check, in the defensive zone, you do that first and that work will lead to the opportunities.""

Sorry, we've been winning games but...you still want him to get on a tear soon? I've said time and time again, I don't care who is leading this team in goals just as long as we are winning games. I LIKE the balanced scoring. Thomas knows he has to score more, Lindy is saying it, and the media keeps asking him. Just leave him alone. Or better yet, while you attack him why not another player that doesn't have many goals that should, eh?

Quick thing.

You know how the tape gets me going...

I Tried Really Hard (and so did Patty)

I know I made that vow or something that I would stop being mean to Ryan this New Year. And so far, I think, I've been doing a pretty good job. 

So why not fall off the wagon, just for a moment. 

For reasons that escape me (and when it comes to Ryan, they usually do), people are going insane over his sucker punch the other night against Toronto. I don't understand how, even when being a trashy player- even for just that moment-, these out of their freaking mind fans still support him.

And not just support, the whole OMG HES SO AWESOME GREATEST THING EVER!

Blah!

What did Stajan really do? Trash talked Ryan before hand, just to be silly and get in his head (fyi Ryan- you're not suppose to LET IT get in your head!), get in the crease (this isn't 1999, it's allowed), and what do you do? You hit him! Very classy, Mr. Miller. Marty B didn't even whack Avery in the playoffs during his little dance. 

You wouldn't survive in a fight, Ryan. So don't even pretend to be hot shit. 

Now, speaking of non-trashy goalies who keep their hands to themselves. Patty remains one win away from the big 2-0-0. An eleven round shootout that involved crying and hugging and me wishing I had a camera when Thomas scored (well, I DID have a camera, but did not get a picture of Shelby's face). 

Maybe the win will come on the road, maybe not (hopefully it won't be against Vancouver...if Patty and Shelby ever fought I WILL NOT pick sides). And if not, no worries, we shall be there. 

The Epic Adventures of Tamara and Shelby: Did I mention how much I hate shootouts?

I would have inserted a picture of Thomas scoring in the shootout, but alas, Yahoo! fails me in that department of awesome HQ pictures. Whatever.

Tamara and I somehow arrived forty minutes before warmups started at the arena last night. I am pretty sure that's a record for the both of us. We both bought our posters that had Tim Connolly on them, and headed up to my brother's seats to go hang up our sign. Unfortunately we had no idea how light the yellow was on the sign until we hung it up, but it looked pretty good from the 300s and the 100s as we watched warmups.

As soon as the game started (or right before it) we ended up on the Jumbotron. I had to poke Tamara a few times to go 'there we are!' It was pretty cool but as far as we saw, we weren't on the Jumbotron for the rest of the night.

When the game got to the shootout, we just hugged each other pretty much the entire time. It was comforting to do that, haha, especially when it went to sudden death shootout. When Thomas went out to shoot, I at first wasn't going to watch but I'm glad I did. I softly whispered a prayer to myself; hoping he would indeed score - and he did! I actually think I legit cried after he scored. It's been a long time since I've cried at a hockey game. It was no better after the Sabres lost the game, and Patty wasn't able to win his 200th game. We know that he will get that 200th win though!

The Sabres now embark on their annual west coast road trip on Thursday. They'll be at Atlanta and New York before heading out west. Last night was the first time they lost to a Western Conference opponent (which is really good) so let's hope they can rack up a few wins out west!

Postgame: 1-8-10

I almost had a heart attack at the end of the game when the score was 3-2 and the Leafs nearly tied the game. It happened before in the first meeting between these two and I was sure that it would happen again. Thank goodness that didn't happen to be the case this time around. Despite being outshot 25 to whatever in the third period, the Sabres managed to not let the game go to overtime.

Tyler Myers is making a case for himself since he had three points last night. Most people are now saying he could be up for the Calder Trophy? It would be a cool honor if he got it but I'm not expecting too much from just rumors being spread around. If it happens, then it happens, and I will see it during the NHL Awards in June.

It seems like forever since Thomas has had a point and he got one last night on Tyler's second goal. Thank God. He has been doing the little things but it was sure nice to see him be awarded for once on the scoresheet. I'm pretty sure he has more assists now than goals. Who would've thought THAT would happen? Maybe he's going to score thirty something goals for the rest of the season, but we will see.

Thanks to my awesome brother Jason (as Tamara mentioned in her last post), her and I are going to the game tonight! Make sure to look for our sign in 318 if you're going or if you're watching on television.

Something Old, Something New, Something Ryan Doesn't Have.

While Googling Mr. Lalime for confirmation that he is playing tomorrow (and thanks to Shelby's wonderful brother, Jason, we will be in attendance after all!) I found out an interesting tidbit:

The next time Patty wins (wink) will be his 200th win of his career, something that only he and 65 (64?) other goalies have done. I think that's pretty freaking awesome! Special enough to maybe, lets say, get a sign on the wall tomorrow night? Yeahhhh, that sounds good.

No, it's not 104 shutouts, but it's something that will draw some nice attention to him...especially since it's not something Mr. Miller has done. 

Hehe. 

Ain't no thanggggg.

Bonus Tidbit: Patty also holds the record for best start to a career with 14-0-2.

Someone eats his wheaties!

 

You know, this is the best segment on Sabres.com ever.

Now you have to wonder what your name means...my name means 'a farm on the hills' in French. Not like that's as cute as 'Tallen' meaning 'pine tree', but you know. Also, Henrik Tallinder is bigger in my world than Nicklas Lidstrom. Just saying.

Postgame: 1-6-10

I would like to thank the Sabres last night for putting on a show within the first five minutes of the game. Three goals on what I think were three shots, literally. I have no idea why Rick Tocchet didn't pull Mike Smith after the third goal because of how quickly they went in but at the same time, I'm pretty sure he realizes how much his defense sucks. Boy, do they SUCK.

It was all fine and dandy until Harry Neale mentioned how the Sabres had come back from 3-0 deficits to win games so the Lightning could do the same. Cue Tampa scoring twice to make it a 3-2 game. Let me just say that this isn't the first time Harry Neale has jinxed the team. I say that the Sabres fire him to prevent any other jinxes by him, yes? No?

Rob and Robi were freaking out after the game last night because they can't play these types of Honestly, I said this after the Atlanta game - no matter how they win a game, I am okay with it. Yes, the situation last night makes it a little more nerve wracking but they still WON. Those two points are all that matter

We face Toronto on Friday. Let's keep both streaks alive, boys.

The World Juniors!

Last night, an epic game went down. The United States (after Canada having won five straight gold medals at the World Juniors) beat the Canadians last night 6-5 in overtime on their turf. It was an incredible game. If you weren't able to watch it and aren't a fan of either teams, please, at least watch some of the highlights. I'm still getting all tingly just thinking about it. It was an incredibly tight game back and forth the whole time until John Carlson put one behind the Canadians net minder and then was bombarded by his teammates. There is nothing more I love to see than players get so excited for winning something. My favorite part was the anthems, though. I began crying when all of the American players were singing along with the national anthem. A few of them were completely off with the beat...fail America.

The last time the United States won gold was when Drew Stafford was a part of the team in 2004. :) It's weird to think that it was that long ago that he played in the World Juniors...and after watching last night, it makes me that much more excited to possibly go sometime next year and watch the games right here in Buffalo!

Here's video of their winning chant:

So about that biography...

This is a little snippet of the biography that is coming out about Thomas on the 18th of this month. As you can see, it's in German and who knows how long it's going to be until an English translation of this comes out. I hope soon because I would like to be able to read it...As weird as it is, for the past year or so I was thinking about someone possibly writing a biography on him eventually. I didn't expect it to be THIS soon but maybe after he retired. I mean, Sidney Crosby has a biography based on his play in midgets and juniors, so I'm guessing that's what's mainly going to be discussed in this biography for Thomas.

Here is a snippet from his website on what is in the book. It's roughly translated so it may not sound right.

"Curtain call for Thomas Vanek. Born on January 19th 1984 as the son of a Czeck refugee family near Vienna, raised in Zell am See and Graz he has the courage to leave his home for North America only 14 years old to pursue his dream. The game of his life was taught to him by his father: Hockey.

After seven years in the juniors and minors finally a dream comes true: 2005 Vanek takes to the ice for the Buffalo Sabres for his first NHL game ever, surrounded by the greatest hockey-talent in the world. Following in the footsteps of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr he’s been breaking records ever since. Already in his sophomore season Vanek scores 43 goals and 41 assists.23 years old Vanek over night becomes the highest paid hockey player in the world. 50 million dollars for 7 years.January 2009 sees Vanek becomes the first Austrian ever to take part in the NHL All Star Game. On February 4th he scores his fourth consecutive natural hattrick, matching an NHL record from the year 1924."

When I told my mom about this, she said 'it's probably going to be a pamphlet'. It better not be! As soon as it comes out, I may spend money on getting it imported here just so that I can have the original version as well, as a collectible.