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Good evening all, You will recall that last Fall I led you through the ups and downs (mostly downs) of a Buffalo Bills fan. Well, I have another passion in the Wide World of Sports: hockey. No, it isn't a religion for me, as it is for most inhabitants, or should I say Habs, of The Great White North (take off, eh). I reserve that particular madness for football. But, since our Canadian friends are sleeping on the job, I'll pick up the slack and start a new sports thread. The "French Connection" was my introduction to the fastest of all sports. I was hooked immediately. Like all Buffalo teams, they never won a championship, but they were good. Really good. Martin had the best slap shot in the League in his prime. Perrault worked his hockey stick like a magic wand. I remember Danny Gare, Jim Lorentz in that surreal "fog game" in the 1975 Stanley Cup finals. It was hot,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and the ice was literally steaming up. Into this already strange arena, appeared a bat. Yes, the flying nocturnal mammel. Lorentz whacked it out of the air with his stick. The Sabres won the game, but lost the series to the thuggish Flyers. I remember Pat Lalalalala Fontaiiinnneee. Alexander Mogilney, who scored 76 goals in 1993. I recall "no goal" when a rule about being in the "blue paint" was conveniently ignored,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], allowing Brett Hulls phoney goal to stand to settle the Cup finals in 1999 in OT in game six. The team nearly left Buffalo in the Wake of the bankruptcy of the Rigas' family. But, Tom Golisano bought the franchise. I'll always be grateful for that. But, he did it in a shameless move to curry favor with voters heading into his failed run for Governor of NYS. After that, he ran the team like it was a Walmart. They went from cup contenders in 2006 and again in 2007 to a bad joke thereafter. Every player move was motivated by saving money. It wasn't about winning anymore. We were supposed to be grateful that we had a team at all. This season started out poised to be another disappointment. The team was awful in October and November. But then, rumors of a change in ownership. A Pennsylvania guy, Terry Pegula, wanted to by the team. This guy was different. He was a dyed-in-the-wool Sabres fan. He got misty eyed talking about the good old days of the French Connection. Lo and behold: the team, knowing that a prospective owner that loved the franchise, demanded victory was at hand, started winning. Mr. Pegula eventually bought the team. His first act as owner was to re-unite the heroes of the French Connection. He actually got teary eyed and his voice broke as he asked: "where's Perrault?". A town that was rapidly being estranged from a team,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], a team that had forgotten it's own illustrious history, were suddenly re-united. Mr. Rick Martin passed away suddenly from a heart attack 2 weeks after this much-overdue reunion. Mr Pegula has already wrought mightily on the Sabres and Buffalo's behalf. Now, with just a handful of games, the Sabres, that I had given up for dead, hold their own playoff future in their own hands. They battled hard but lost to a great Washington Capitols team tonight. But, they got an OT point. Carolina won, and is only one win away from tying Buffalo. As fate would have it, these teams play tomorrow. Meanwhile, Toronto, a longshot for the post-season, won, and are 5 points back. The NY Rangers are tied with Buffalo. Montreal is only 2 points up on the Sabres and Rangers. There are 5 teams vying for 2 playoff spots. In reality, the playoffs actually begain some time ago. It just doesn't count yet. I'll keep you posted. Any other hockey fans are welcome to add their thoughts about their favorite teams. I'm just hoping that this is at least a bit less futile than the 2010 football season proved to be."Let's go Buffalo!""Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
excaelis wrote:Good post, H. They used to take their fans for granted. Not anymore. They, like Buffalo, want to win."Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
The first update of (hopefully) many:Toronto, it's playoff hopes hanging by the slenderist of threads, did their part last night and won. Today, the NY Rangers, desperate to hold on to a playoff spot, went into Philly and beat the Flyers. Carolina won last night. The Sabres had to win. It was a must situation. The blades had played well against Washington on the road last night. They erased a 2-0 deficit, actually held a 4-3 lead until 58 seconds left in the game. Alex Ovechkin scored when his shot banked off a Buffalo player's skate in OT. So, the rangers vaulted ahead of the Sabres, and with a win, Carolina would pull into a tie for the 8th and final playoff spot. Must win or not,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the circumstances were not promising. The Sabres live and die on the skill of their netminder, Ryan Miller. If you watched the Winter Olympics, you are familiar with him. He was the major reason that Team USA achieved a silver medal, and came within a hair of upsetting Canada for the Gold. Well, Ryan has what they call "an upper body injury". Add to that the fact that the last two times the Sabres met Carolina, they lost. I don't think you can compare. An NFL playoff game is do-or-die. You have to wait a week for the game. The buildup of tension becomes almost unbearable. The only thing you know is that only one team lives to play another day. NFL playoff games are an event whereas the playoff in the NHL consists of a series of best-of-seven contests. But, nothing, and I mean nothing can compare with the speed,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the tension, the physicality of an NHL playoff contest. Especially a close game. It might as well have been!A kid goaltender replaced Miller, Jhonas Enroth. He was solid as a veteran in this high-stakes situation. Another kid, a defenseman called up from Portland, Marc-Andre Gragnani scored the winner in overtime. Even though the final score was 2-1, it was exciting from start to finish. Sometimes a tight scoring contest is the most riveting. Besides, playoff hockey is about goaltending and defense. With some exceptions, that is the formula for success. There were so many chances that could have, maybe should have, resulted in goals either way. One 3-2 rush by the Sabres would be answered by an equally dangerous and opposite rush by Carolina. It was evenly played and tense. I'm sure that more of my hair has turned grey. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
My Sabres began the evening in dire straights. Yesterday, the NY Rangers scored 3 goals in the last 4 minutes or so to come from behind and beat the Bruins, 5-3. Boston had at one point amassed a 3-0 lead, then screwed the pooch. Just one more reason to dislike them!With that win, the Rangers leapt to 7th place, with Buffalo in the final spot, and Carolina right behind by only 3 points. Tonight's opponent was Tampa Bay, a solid contender. A loss tonight would not have been a surprise, but victory was absolutely necessary. Thomas Vanek has carried a heavy load since the Sabres mismanaged contract negotiations and lost both Danny Briere (now a star for Philly), and Chris Drury (a rugged clutch forward for the Sabres). Suddenly, the organization looked to Vanek to shoulder the load. They gave him a large contract (actually, they had no choice, since Edmonton had tendered an offer, and Vanek was a limited free agent). Vanek scored the hat trick, and keyed Buffalo to victory. Needless to say, it was tight. The Sabres had gained a 3-1 lead after 2 periods. To hear the intermission commentators you'd think the game was all but over. I suspected it wasn't. Vince Lecavalier agreed with me,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], scoring Tampa's second goal to make the margin 3-2. It wasn't until Vanek scored his 3rd goal into the empty net that I could inhale freely and relax. Montreal won, so the Sabres continue to snap at their heels, just one point behind them. Carolina didn't play tonight, so they are temporarily 5 points back of Buffalo (4 behind the Rangers). I believe Toronto lost, and so went their plaoff hopes. But, I'd guess that fans there will start anticipating October and the start of the 11/12 season as soon as this season ends. They were among the best in the league for the last 3 months of the season, and have every reason for optimism."Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". In a best-of-seven, we'd be lucky to take it to 6 games. Still, we're in the Playoff! Once you're in, who knows???"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
It's decided. A slight edge to Philly due to the lack of experienced depth the Sabres must contend with. That slight edge becomes a decided advantage if Chris Pronger returns. He dominates play in his own zone. No contest. If the Sabres can get a slew of pucks on to the net,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], they can win. Hope I'm wrong."Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". The Sabres of the French Connection fame ran into that very thing. They played St. Louis in the best of 3. St. This guy was damn nearly unbeatable! The Sabres peppered him with nearly 50 shots in game one, and they either lost 1-0 or 2-1, I forget. The Sabres needed OT to win the next game, and the thrid game may also have gone to OT. This described Dominik Hasek in his prime. After the Sabres beat the Leafs in the "Border War" series to go to the Cup in 1999, a frustrated Leafs player described Buffalo as:"An average team with a superstar goalie". But, sometimes, that's all you need!Time for playoffs!Game on!"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and do no wrong". I'm a bit squeamish about taking Pittsburg sans Sid the Kid. That Vancouver-Chicago matchup is most unfortunate. It would be more appropriate in later rounds. A good team is going to get bounced too early. I don't follow the West as closely as I do the Eastern Conference, but I'm going with recent trends. My pick for the Cup: Vancouver vs. Boston. Vancouver wins. What would need to happen is to have powerhouses like Boston and Washington get knocked off early and have the Sabres somehow get past Philly. But, I don't want it to. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". But, in Philadelphia's own barn, they matched the physical Flyers hit-for-hit. The blocked shots. They were lions defending Ryan Miller's goal crease. Congeniality". He hits hard,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], takes no prisoners. He isn't known for scoring, he's known for inflicting pain, and instigating mayhem. It's just a start, but, we have stolen home ice advantage from Philly. I'd love to be in Helsinki to see that game. Hope you can get tickets for yourself."Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
Like a kid the night before Christmas! I cannot wait! I am normally rather cautious with my optimism, but, there are reasons to be excited: My Sabres went into the proverbial "lion's den" and won. Not just won, but shut down the bigger, stronger Flyers. Shut them out! Win or lose, tomorrow will be exciting. The Flyers will be desperate. Anyone that doesn't follow the psychology of a 7 game series might miss this, but, Philly is terrified of going down 2-0 and heading into Buffalo for the next 2 games. If Miller keeps them off the scoreboard for the first 10-15 minutes of tomorrow's game, they will begin to question themselves. He'll be under their collective skin. They will start to take chances. If Philly scores early on a questionable lapse by Miller, the rout will be on. They will be energized, and will pound the Sabres. Miller's 35 saves for the shutout last night was the second best in Sabres playoff history. Who topped this? Glad you asked! The Dominator, the pride of the Czech Republic, Dominick Hasek: Vs. New Jersey in 1994, a game that went into 4 OT periods. He stopped 70 shots. Won 1-0. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
Philadelphia 5, Buffalo 4. The Sabres were game. Miller, who had seemed unbeatable in game one was mortal today. Philly's goalie got chased in the first in favor of the backup after Buffalo scored 3 first period goals. No, it wasn't a goalies' duel. The tight disciplined defensive play of the first game was replaced with some lapses by both teams, but, especially by the Sabres. Too many dumb penalties, especially in the second period, didn't help. Both teams had a too many men on the ice penalty. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
Game 3: Philly 4, Sabres 2. I'm starting to feel like I've seen this movie before. Last year, Buffalo won game one against the Bruins, and eventually lost the series in six. The Sabres played pretty well tonight. They had trimmed the lead to 3-2. Both of Buffalo's goals were beauties. They needed 4 goals, and they got 2. Since Terry Pegula took ownership of the Sabres back in February, this team hadn't lost 2 games in a row. I figured Philly would win the series, but I was confident that Buffalo would win this particular game. Miller gave up a soft goal to the far post to start off the scoring. He made some great saves too,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but, one soft goal is one too many in the playoffs. Too many of the forwards that are paid to score for the Sabres have been no-shows thus far this series. That has to change, or this could end in 5 games, not the 6 I had it pegged for. "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
MMMMIIIIIILLLLLEEEERRRRR!Ryan Miller, that is!!!Pitched another shutout. They traded the stronger, more aggressive Flyers check-for-check. They had their chances. By my count there were three goal posts: 2 by the Sabres, 1 by Philly. There were open nets begging for the puck, but it bounced wrong,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], or a guy got a stick on it at the last second, or it hit a body, or an extra pass was made. Nothing was held back. It should be fun!"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
Tyler Ennis, He's a near-miss as NHL Rookie-of-the-Year. Not by much though. He scored 20 goals on a team that lacked dominating forwards during the regular season. Well, he had two goals tonight. Any game in the NHL is fast. So much more so a playoff match. How do you beat that for pressure and adrenalin? Overtime! Nothing quite like it. The hallmark play in OT is a 3-2, a 2-1, or a breakaway chance. Often, the play then breaks back the other way, and the team that saw its' collective life flashing before its eyes, scores the very next chance they get. The Sabres had built a 3-0 lead. I felt it was too good to be true. Not to be. Philly roared back. They tied the game, forced OT. A great effort on their part! Gloom and doom. They nearly did a couple of times. But for one weakness: Flyer goalies give up huge rebounds. That was the case in the game winner tonight. A gigantic rebound came to Ennis who trailed on the play. I didn't expect this, but, it's fun!Thoughts on other matches:Vancouver/Chicago: I shrugged off the 4th game when Chicago routed them. It was a game for pride. But, what they did to the Canuks last night on home ice was just nasty. I still think Vancouver is the class of the League. Especially wnen the Habs took a 3-1 lead last night. Boston won in OT 5-4. Now they go back to Boston. Suddenly the Bruins are back in charge. "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". (Knight's Oath, Kingdom of Heaven)
Yeouch! That stings!I will be wrong about one thing: the Flyers will need 7 games, not 6, to dispatch my valiant, but over-matched Buffalo Sabres. Today's game started in a manner eerily reminiscent of the last game: A Philly goalie got chased for letting in 3 first period goals, two of which had a spongy soft quality to them. But, what was different this time was that the Flyer attack was ferocious. The Sabres have lived dangerously. They have somehow found a way to win games they were outplayed in. I think that this string is played out. For sake of their own self respect, they had better bring a better attack to game 7 or risk embarassment. Still, I don't think their best game will be enough. "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". Losing 5-2 is the hockey equivalent of losing 35-14 in NFL, or 3 nil in football. It's an arse-whipping. Well, it wasn't that close!In period #1,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Flyers had at least 15 shots on goal, the Sabres only 2. That doesn't do justice to how one-sided it was. It was as though the Flyers had a 20 minute power play. The Flyers spent the rest of the game playing defense. They called off their forecheck, and the Sabres finally had some room to work, and scored a couple garbage goals late. Well, there is a lot of great hockey to be played, some great matchups like the game 7 looming tomorrow between Montreal and Boston, or the match going on now between Vancouver and Chicago. There will be great games in the next 6 weeks, but the Sabres will be watching on TV with the rest of us."Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong". Losing 5-2 is the hockey equivalent of losing 35-14 in NFL, or 3 nil in football. It's an arse-whipping. Well, it wasn't that close!In period #1,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Flyers had at least 15 shots on goal, the Sabres only 2. That doesn't do justice to how one-sided it was. It was as though the Flyers had a 20 minute power play. The Flyers spent the rest of the game playing defense. They called off their forecheck, and the Sabres finally had some room to work, and scored a couple garbage goals late. Well, there is a lot of great hockey to be played, some great matchups like the game 7 looming tomorrow between Montreal and Boston, or the match going on now between Vancouver and Chicago. There will be great games in the next 6 weeks, but the Sabres will be watching on TV with the rest of us.
Nice match. They certainly gave Philly a fright,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
Washington-NY Rangers (Washington) WPhiladelphia-Buffalo (Philadelphia) WBoston-Montreal (Boston) WPittsburgh-Tampa Bay (Pit
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