Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Kicking Off the Road Trip the Right Way

by Anne

Once again, Ales Kotalik won a game for the Buffalo Sabres. If for no other reason than that, we can't lose him as people have speculated we might this season. What is UP with these shootouts? Last season the shootout made me want to cry, literally. I feel like the only shootout we ever won was the one where Hank schooled the Saucy Minx. I'm sure we must've won more than that, but that's the only one I remember winning last season. This season we're a healthy 6-2 in shootouts. Maybe the first game of the season starting on a shootout winner was a good thing.

I KNEW Booth was going to score on that penalty shot. You could just feel it. Miller is still 1-8 on career penalty shots, but still, 0-9 would've meant a regulation victory... maybe.

It really sucks for Panthers fans the way our first goal was scored. Hey, at least it wasn't Bryan McCabe this time, right Leafs fans?

What a timely goal for Mr. Vanek. Power play, on the road, on his birthday. Its not as though Vanek has been playing badly, I believe he had something like 7 assists over the last 8 games or something like that, but its nice to see him moving back up in the goal column.

Derek Roy's goal was postively Kessel-esque. I feel for ya, Vokoun, that goal was bogus... but close up that five-hole if you're really that serious about it. Kotalik wanted to try his new "forehand" move he's been hearing is really popular with the ladies, but Vokoun was prepared, so Kotalik said "Oh yeah? Watch THIS. BACK HAND TOP SHELF BLOCKER SIDE." I may or may not have drunkenly screamed that phrase during a Devils shootout last season in which Mr. Kotalik had a failed forehand attempt. This may or may not have also been the same game in which I drunkenly named Martin Brodeur a Saucy Minx...and then called him DiPietro at one point in the game, not on purpose. What a night.

David Booth had a heck of a game, scoring on his first career penalty shot and nearly scoring a few times in regulation. Miller managed to redeem himself by denying Booth's attempt in the shootout... thank goodness. If we had lost 2-1, I was never going to say anything nice about Toni Lydman again. But, we won, so, Toni, you had a nice shot on net that gave Thomas the rebound to put in the net, thank you and please do that again. Also, you were in the middle of the fracas that gave Timmy his "goal", so thank you again. You have redeemed yourself.

Paetsch was "meh". He didn't screw up horribly and he had a few passes to keep the puck in the zone at important times so at least for now I can live with him in the line-up.

I really like the return of rough and tough little speedy scrappy Royzie. He's been back for a while but tonight I felt that old sense of relief that "Don't worry, its ok, Derek Roy has the puck." These days you know that whenever Royzie has the puck on his stick, something is bound to happen, be it on the power play, penalty kill or 5 on 5. Ok he's not always perfect, (he had at least one awful giveaway) but he's more reliable than some of his teammates *cough*Max*cough*.


Never fear, Royzie's here


I could really get used to this
BUT I WON'T
(think I undid the jinx?)


Timmy: You little punk, wipe that smirk off your face



Goose: Aw, Zeds, I'm just so glad you're ok
Zednik: Aw Paul, thanks. Want to let me have the puck then?
Goose: Hellz no.

Shanahan scored in his first game of the season with New Jersey, first goal of the game, and on the power play, as one has come to expect from Shanny. Good to have him back...?

Its nice to start to see a little distance between us and the teams behind us. Ok, now this streak is a total set up for a Sabres classic, we've now beaten two teams close behind us in the standings to keep them off our heels a little. Now we face a team that boasts within its record both the second lowest win total of any team in the league (15) and the highest number of overtime losses (10). Now they're tied with Ottawa for 15 wins but only because they beat the Stars tonight somehow. If ever there was a team we should beat, its the Tampa Bay Lightning. We've done it before. Please please PLEASE lets do it again? We have a chance to make up some ground on the Phlyers who are four points ahead of us right now, and to put some space between us and the Pens and Panthers who are three points behind us.

If we were in the West, we'd be in 4th place. Weird.

Happy Inauguration Day, America!

3 comments:

  1. You know you are right... I had a feeling Booth was going to score too. I was yelling... NO NO NO!!! When the arm came down! Then yelling at Toni... Just a whole lot of yelling.

    And Nate wasn't too noticeable... which is good and bad. Which means he didn't screw up too bad and he didn't play super great BUT at least he didn't screw up so bad that we saw him scatter brained all over the ice right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Timmy looks like a squeeing schoolgirl in that one photo.

    If Kotalik packs it up and gets the hell out of here next month or in July, who is going to be our go-to-guy for shootouts? I can see Staffy, but he doesn't score everytime...

    ReplyDelete

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Glossary... Sort of

  • "Ryan Miller Shutout" - A 58 minute, multi-goal shutout lead that is blown when Miller allows one meaningless goal
  • Britney or SabreBritney - Thomas Vanek
  • Butter Snaps - Carolina Hurricanes. Because Butter Snap pretzels, like the Carolina Hurricanes, are disgusting
  • Greener - MATT Greene (LAK)
  • JBG - Jolly Blonde Giant - Tyler Myers
  • Little Foot - Drew Stafford
  • MK - Anne's sister; often leaves nonsensical comments under her Twitter name Mmmkizzle
  • Oscar - Anne's cat

Because it's never not funny

Completely adorable