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.