What Happened?

by Anne

Tech week and then opening a show and teaching classes leaves little time for hockey and/or blogging.

Good thing that almost nothing has happened in the past week.

Mad Max has still not found a home. He's apparently been offered a contract with at least one KHL team, but wants to stay in the NHL. I'm sure there's a team somewhere that's willing to take him... Tampa?!

What's the latest with Little Foot? Stop making me wonder about you, former favorite. Its these antics that make you a former favorite, Drewster.

I'm glad Grizz didn't go to arbitration and only got a one-year deal out of this. Reggie getting two is fine with me.

I'm even bored with my post about the Sabres off-season. NOTHING IS HAPPENING.

Anyway, if you live in Buffalo and want to see a play about murder with lots of sword fighting and some men in slightly revealing clothing, head on over to Delaware Park to see Shakespeare in Delaware Park's production of Julius Caesar. Its pretty sweet. I enjoy working on it.

No Matter What Happens in the Post-Season, I'm Still First and Foremost a Sabres Fan

by Anne

My last post is kind of depressing so I wanted to write something new and Sabre-related.

I miss them :(

I'm over being angry... ok, well... I'm mostly over being angry. I'm now just "moderately annoyed but, no, you don't have to sleep on the couch anymore."

In all of our distracting ourselves with other teams (come on, you know this infatuation won't last, Ryan Miller/Paul Gaustad/Derek Roy/Drew Stafford or whomever your particular drug of choice is, will figuratively bat his eyelashes at you and you'll drop those Blackhawks/Capitals/Bruins/Ducks and be back like THAT) we've neglected our boys in blue and gold.

Dan Paille was adorably awkward and weight-shifty and didn't know where to put his hands on the desk during the Lunch Express last week and I still think my heart needs time to recover from it. Tomorrow we will be treated to local boy Patty Kaleta listening to Erin Pollina somewhat awkwardly read questions from her desk while Kevin Sylvester looks at his laptop that we're not quite sure why its still there if Erin is reading the questions. I didn't think I'd enjoy the Lunch Express but I do, especially because the players are there. We needed more of that during the season, I'm glad some of the guys that stuck around are appearing.

ALSO!

The Sabres signed Tyler Myers!

The Jolly Blonde Giant is officially inked to us! Muahahahahaha! Take THAT, Kelowna. He's aaaall ours. JBG was recently named MVP of his team for the playoffs as he lead Kelowna to the WHL championship, and they're heading to Quebec to play in the Memorial Cup Championship! I know I'll be cheering for Kelowna! Tyler has gained height and weight in the past year and hopefully will make the team out of camp, but most likely will at least start the year in Portland and fight for the big leagues with the other new recruits along with Weber and Gragnani. After a season of injuries, the future on the blueline is looking fairly bright if these boys can continue to develop.

Welcome Aboard, Tyler! Thanks for un-friending us all on Facebook, haha. It's all good, I understand, it was fun while it lasted. I only wish I had actually taken the time to look at his profile more than once or twice. Curses!

I discovered Drew Schiestel had un-friended me the other day. Its ok though because the reason I was looking for his profile was to make fun of him. I already don't like this kid and he hasn't even come to Buffalo yet. Although I totally called him being the next Timmy. If he's as good as Timmy is on the ice and as hilarious off the ice this will be a beautiful relationship we'll have with Drew Schiestel for years to come.

Even though the Sabres have been less than stellar these last two years 94% of season ticket holders still renewed. That makes me feel a little better about the Hamilton Crackberries potentially coming to town someday.

Enjoy the beautiful weather, peeps. Now that my Canucks are golfing, I'll be sitting around waiting for the draft and peeking in on my Pens tomorrow night.

Thoughts from the Most Vocal Blogger in the Room

by Anne

In reference to the title, I talk a damn lot.

John Vogl wrote an article that ran in the Buffalo News today about the oppressively quiet Buffalo Sabres locker room these past two seasons.

This is a problem, but not a problem we should be shocked to discover.

Remember our never-ending turnstile of captains? How many of them DIDN'T describe themselves as being "not the most vocal guy in the room?" Let me answer that, I'm pretty sure none of them. Perhaps this is one of those new roles that needs to be filled.

Craig Rivet came in and tried to liven things up, but he was stepping into a culture of silence that already existed, how is one person going to change everything? For years we had Marty Biron keeping the conversation going in the dressing room and now? Crickets.

I am not a Buffalo Sabre so I clearly can't say for sure that this is the case, having never been in the locker room when the Sabres were getting ready for a game.

However, you'd think that this "core" group of players we've been hearing so much about, these guys who claim to be such good friends, would be a little more talkative with each other and be able to joke around with each other. Do they normally just sit around and stare at each other when they hang out? I certainly hope not.

From the tone of the article, Vogl seems to be implying that the Sabres need that guy again, the guy to rally the troops, and it has to come from the players, this doesn't seem to be a coaching situation. And Lindy apparently didn't do so well at picking "lead-by-on-ice-play" guys as his captains last year.

I'm not going to rundown a list of players like that because, once again, its not the kind of thing that we as outsiders can really speak on with authority. We don't know what it takes to get yourself ready to play in the NHL, we can speculate but we just don't know. However, the people that DO know are the ones that need to address the situation, ie, coaching, management and players.

These are the kind of intangibles that make good hockey teams. What worked before? What works for other teams? Its not like this is a total crap shoot and you either get personality or you don't and can't forsee it.

What we saw this year was an emotionless team that was devoid of personality and chemistry. The team doesn't have fun. I think it was Cari who mentioned it before that the team doesn't seem to want the players to have personalities. Yes we got a handful of player interviews but we didn't get much else, and even those interviews were pretty dull. Not that player features make a team good, but giving the players a chance to let loose a little doesn't seem to have hurt the Sharks, Caps, Ducks, Blackhawks, Canucks or Bruins, just to name the teams in the playoffs that seem to have some kind of personality based on the kind of content you can find on their website.

Its a catch-22 for sure, its hard to keep it light when you're losing, and its hard to be a confident, swaggery team if you're not enjoying it.

This is the team that Darcy built, Vogl referenced the players dissatisfaction at the tone in the room. Who's the locker room cancer? Is there more than one? Will Darcy listen to these issues and move out the players who drag things down in favor of those who might bring things up? We have to wait until at least July 1 to find out.

It's OOOOOOVER

by Anne

Here lies the 2008-2009 Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes
Loved by many
Missed by all

Say it together now folks:

I'm sure once the sadness wears off and people will start freaking out about "WHAT WENT WRONG?!?!"

I'm sad but I've been ready for this for weeks. They brought this on themselves. Except Ryan Miller. Ryan Miller deserves better.