A Reminder, Please

by Anne

Next time I decide on a whim to pick up some Sabres tickets on StubHub, remind me of last night's game v. the Devils and promptly seat me back down in my chair. Thanks.

It was boring, frustrating, and mildly hilarious listening to everyone in the arena lose their minds, BEGGING for the Sabres to register their first shot on goal. There's three hours of my life I shall never recover. At least the game went quickly, not being hampered by raucous goal celebrations and whatnot.

The Penguins still haven't won in the Consol Energy Center. I wonder if Sid the Kid is curled up in the fetal position outside of Mellon Arena, rocking back and forth, begging for someone to open the door so he can go back in and play there. He appears to be that obsessive about his routines, this "brand-new-rink" ordeal probably took a lot of counseling and Xanax to ease his transition. 

Let's Go Buffalo.... or something.

SHAPE UP, BOYS.

I take it back

by Anne

Dear Sabres: I didn't miss any of you, please leave again.

Sabres lose 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins and looked generally craptastic for the few minutes I saw.

At least now that Paul Gaustad is a moron and apparently hurt his hand, I might get my Nathan Gerbe recall wish fulfilled.

Ryan Miller, you clearly are not dead to me, please stay.

The rest of you can easily be traded for your Team USA counterparts. Tomorrow the role of Steve Montador will be played by Tim Gleason. The role of Paul Gaustad will be played by Ryan Kesler.

Now, be gone.

The Kings are currently winning 4-0. How 'bout THEM, apples, SABRES.

Tomorrow is the trade deadline and I will be in a middle school all day. I hope for tons of frantic texts and Twitter DMs to scroll through at 3:00 when I get out.

Woo! Let's Go Kings!

The Sabres have returned! For real!

by Anne

I've missed our little pukes, haven't you? Tonight they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wooooo! Nice easy game to start things off....right?

What I missed about each of the boys:

Steve Montador: I missed your snaggletooth.

Toni Lydman: How can I miss you if I watched you play for two weeks?

Derek Roy: Ummmm, I missed watching you without longing for you to be Zach Parise. Those days will never be again.

Henrik Tallinder: See: Lydman, Toni.

Tim Kennedy: I missed your punchdrunk-baby-troll face.

Tim Connolly: TIMMAH! I missed your everything. Never leave me again. Or, well, I guess I kind of left you. Let's just make a promise to never leave each other.

Little Foot: I missed your uber-excited eyebrows.

Mairsy: I missed the feeling of "Are we sure he doesn't have rabies?" every time I look at you.

Mike Grier: I missed your "molasses on a cold day" skating style and hands of stone.

Thomas Vanek: I miss your excessively self-deprecating "EFF ME"s everytime you do something even remotely not-scoring-a-goal-like

Goose: See: Connolly, Tim.

Jason Pominville: I missed the way when you skate your kidney-protecting pad sticks out and I always know it's you from far away, along with something weird about your skates but I can't remember what it is now. Do you lace them funny or something?

Ryan Miller: I love you forever and always x1,000,000,000,000

Chris Butler: Sir Christopher.... Butts.... I didn't miss you, get your act together.

Patrick Kaleta: Patty, patty, patty, I didn't miss your neck injuries and concussions and what not. But I did miss your shit-eating grins. Never change.

Matt Ellis: I missed your "If I don't play well today, they'll feed me to the lions tomorrow" style. Never change, Matty.

Nathan Paetsch: you're still on this team?

Patrick Lalime: Iiiiii...ummmm...you'd better play well tonight.

Clarke MacArthur: I missed the many ways in which you are not David Backes. Which is to say, I didn't miss you at all.

Nathan Gerbe: Um, get recalled soon, thanks.

Andrej Sekera: Yyeahhh...

Craig Rivet: I missed your foxy veteren-ness. There were some veterans on Team USA but non as DILF-like as you, Craigory.

Jochen Hecht: Yeah, I watched you play. Your team wasn't very good. Sorry, Yo-yo.

Tyler Myers: NEVER BE AWAY FOR THAT LONG EVER AGAIN. Don't start being all "I'm 20 now, I'm a man of the WORLD" on us. You will always be the Jolly Blonde Giant. I love you.

Lindy: Don't you be flashin' your gold medal around Ryan, he might cut you. Fo' realz.

I think I missed these two most of all:

We won't see him until Wednesday

But this sexy beast we get back today!!

 

Awwwww yeah.

Wouldn't it have been awesome if Rick had called the gold medal game?

How did they do that?

by Anne

If you had said to me before this game "Anne, tonight Ryan Miller will allow three softies and be pulled for Patrick Lalime and Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net for Pittsburgh." I would've guesstimated the final score to be something in neighborhood of 8-1.

NOT SO MUCH MY FRIENDS.

That game was friggin' sweeeeeeeeet. I love love love those kinds of games. The "Well here's a hole we can't dig out of..." and you start to check out but don't turn the game off. Then they score once (about damn time), then twice (not quite enough just yet boys) and then woooo! It's tied! But they're gonna blow it. No way can they do it, especially not in regulation BUT HOLY CRAP THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! THEY WON! IN REGULATION!

Those crazy bastards

I will not use the same (totally awesome) picture of Little Foot that's made the rounds, I will use another:

He is NOT Joey Ramone

Joey Ramone wishes HE were Drew Stafford

Also, he did good too:

Good job Patty, we needed that.

It's amazing how well he does when the team in front of him is playing well.

I'm sorry I said bad things about you before.

LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!!!!!!!

My personal favorite photo of the game:

ha.

Saturday Wrap Up

by Anne

Saturday was not so great.

I missed most of the Kings game but I can tell you they lost - yet again- on a Saturday afternoon. This time they made it all the way to the shootout before losing. Alas. They lost 5-4. Somehow Drew Doughty was a +3. That's no small feat when so many goals are scored.

The Sabres lost a snoozer 2-1 as Henrik Lundqvist got himself a Ryan Miller shutout. Pommer scored with 58 seconds left to spoil Lundqvist's shutout bid.

The Canucks also lost, but this loss was perhaps the most painful of those three as they lost to the BUTTER SNAPS, aka the worst team in the National Hockey League.

As I'm sure you're all aware, John Stevens, not this kid from Amherst:

He sang the anthem on Thursday

I almost fell asleep

No, this John Stevens:

He was fired by the Flyers on Friday

Peter Laviolette was instated as the new Flyers's head coach and they promptly lost to the Washington Capitals 8-2. Ouch.

The Penguins played the Blackhawks and the 'Hawks won 2-1 in OT. You'd think these two will meet in the Cup Finals, but I have a suspicion it won't happen. Don't ask me why, I just have a feeling that's all too easy.  The Penguins were without Sid the Kid who sat out to nurse a lingering sore groin. Wonder if there would've been a difference if he'd been out there? Who knows.

Fortunately, the Bills aren't playing today so I have no emotional commitments to today's football games. Although, as of this writing New Orleans and Washington are dead-locked at 30 in OT. Yeesh. Nevermind, the Saints just won.

The Steelers keep losing. I suppose I shall have to start cheering for either Peyton or Brett in the post season. We shall see.

Winning Is So Much Better than Losing

by Anne

All four of my favorite teams played yesterday, and in an effort to make up for last weekends failures, they all won! Woo!

The Sabres have won three in a row! They won back to back games! One on the road! They beat Ray Emery and Danny Briere and Chris Pronger and all those other disgusting, repulsive Flyers! Wooo!

The mark of a good team isn't just winning blowouts, it's winning close games, especially on the road.

The Flyers entered last night on a five game winning streak, with one of those five games coming at the expense of the Sabres last week, jerks.

Thomas Vanek scored on the power play to open the scoring and the Sabres never looked back.

Tyler Ennis was re-called just before the game (literally) to fill in for Little Foot who was injured in the Calgary game. He had a grand total of about two hours to get acclimated to the team and the surroundings before being tossed onto a line with Vanek and Connolly. He saw time on the top powerplay unit and scored his first NHL goal! Yay!

Lookit that babyface

Happy face.

Congrats, little Tyler!

Goose tipped a Myers shot from the point on the powerplay by Emery to give the Sabres the 3-2 edge.

The downsides included Jeff Carter scoring an incredibly gross shorthanded goal and some other Flyer scored but I don't remember who because they're disgusting. I think it was Pronger.

Pat Kaleta had a great game with his usual hitting-everything-he-sees style and one incredible takeaway where he skated from the goal line to the opposite blueline and effortlessly stripped the Flyers forward of the puck. It was pretty phenomenal.

There was lots of in-crease pushing and shoving, as is to be expected when you play a team as vile as the Flyers. One particular scrum between Goose and Pronger got things fired up. Goose and Pronger were pushing and shoving a lot near Emery and Goose took serious exception to Pronger being his usual self: a total douchebag.

Pronger was being a douche after the whistle.

Goose was not happy.

He looks so hot when he's bloodthirsty

Elsewhere the Canucks routed the Avalanche 8-2. Big Bear responded to me dropping him from my fantasy team by scoring two goals. Hooray! I was out bustin' a move on the dancefloor so I did not watch this game. There were, sadly, no photos of Big Bear on the Canucks website. Tragic. Henrik Sedin had a hattrick. Hooray!

The Kings somewhat redeemed themselves with a 2-1 shootout win over the Lightning. Quickie won but I benched him because I'm not currently speaking to him. He stopped 28 of 29 pucks. That would've helped both my team's GAA and SV% but it wasn't a risk I was willing to take. Oh well.

Yo.

The Pens beat the Bruins 6-5 in OT. Jay McKee scored his first of the season! Wooo!

The Bills are currently losing to the Titans 17-14. The Titans just attempted a 60 yard field goal. Needless to say, it was short. They will lose 27-21.

The Pirates, The Sabres and the Rest

by Anne

• The Pirates game on Thursday was lots of fun. I wasn't feeling too solid about attending, mostly because the Amerks are the best team in the AHL and the Pirates are the worst. Umm, awesome news heading into the game.
  

• Jimmy "Parsley" Bonneau plays for the Amerks now and Kim was unable to contain her sadness, especially when he and Derek "Noodles" Whitmore were on the ice together.
  

• Cody McCormick, who tried REALLY hard at the end of training camp to take Adam Mair or Pat Kaleta's job, was desperately in need of a spice-related nickname. After much consideration, we settled on Dill Weed.
  

• In the first period, I don't think the Pirates had one completed tape to tape pass, the Amerks were constantly lifting sticks and getting in the way; although the Pirates were doing a lot of that themselves.
  

• The second and third periods were more fun, mostly because there was lots more scoring. In the end, the Pirates ended up winning 6-3. Hooray!
  

• The crowd was much smaller than the 11,000+ that attended last year's game and it was more mixed between Amerks and Pirates fans. It was still a really fun game and barring any unforseen circumstances, I'll definitely be attending the second game in March(?)
  

• The Sabres continued to win last night in another close game. They beat Jarome and the Calgary Flames 2-1 in a shootout. 
  

• I think it was on Thursday that someone, maybe Cari, said that it had been a while since there had been any good fights, at least as far as the Sabres are concerned. Last night, the Sabres obliged this lack of punchy hockey. Both Mair and Gaustad had fights and there was lots and lots of pushing and shoving in and around the goal creases.
  

• Royzie scored his fourth of the season (on the powerplay, thank goodness) and Royzie and Pommer, who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night, scored in the shootout to give the Sabres the win. 
  

• Hooray!

This picture was on the cover of the Sports section of the Buffalo News

Such joy and elation.

I love Pat Kaleta

• Drew Stafford's thoughts on the victory are here 
  

• Iggy didn't score and he got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Excuse me, but Jarome Iginla is never unsportsmanlike. Pat Kaleta got the same penalty. Him, I might agree with.
  

• The Los Angeles Kings played the Thrashers last night using ministicks, having not slept the night before, with one skate on, wearing blindfolds.
  

• Photographic proof of this is sketchy, but it's the only explanation I can come up with when they lost 7-0.
  

• Of this we shall never speak again.
  

• Geno is back for the Pens! 
  

• But now Chris Kunitz is hurt. OF course he is.
  

• David Backes responded to my strongly worded letter by getting zero points, 17 PIM and 10:31 in ice time. I wasn't clear enough.
  

• Sabres play the Flyers tonight in Philly. Ugh, gross. I predict a 4-1 Phlyers victory, the Kings play the Lightning, the Pens play the Bruins and the Canucks play the Avs. 
  

What a night!

by Anne

Last night the Pittsburgh Penguis rolled into the Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Kings.

The reigning Stanley Cup champs v. a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 25 years (figures estimated).

Both teams played a tight, close game through two periods. The Kings were outshooting the Pens, but the Pens took a 2-1 lead into the 3rd period.

That's when this game kicked into overdrive, the kind of overdrive that all fans (of the winning team, anyway) can enjoy: lots of goal scoring to clinch a victory. Not the overdrive where players just start beating the snot out of each other or anything like that.

No fights tonight, which makes me happy.

Anze Kopitar continues to dominate teams from all over the standings. He had another two goal night to up his season total to 13 and put some space between him and those trying to catch him in the scoring race.

The Kings also got goals from Wayne Simmonds, Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown. They fired lotsa shots on goal, played with lots of speed, and shut down the Penguins top players.

This game, particularly the 3rd period was just what the Kings needed to really draw some attention to themselves on the East coast. They didn't do so well in their Eastern trip in October, and playing this well against the reigning champs sends a statement to the rest of the NHL.

Major props to the Pens post-game analysts who were full of praise for the Kings, unlike the Sharks analysts who ripped them apart when the Sharks were defeated by the Kings. Yes, the Pens were playing without Gonch, Geno, Talbot and Kennedy, but the Kings played them the way they should play a team that depleted. The Pens have been on the other side of that score many times so I'm sure this was unfamiliar territory for most of these boys.

This was the Pens first road loss of the season which is still pretty damn impressive.

Jordan scored the Pens first goal at 1:10 of the first period

Which was actually the second goal of the game as Kopi scored at :27 of the first

Greener didn't score, obvi.

But he had some good passes(!)

And was used by Craig Adams as a battering ram to break some glass.

The Canucks won last night by an identical score but the game wasn't as crazy and exciting because the Wild aren't very good at hockey.

Darcy Hordichuk of all people opened the scoring. Raymond scored, Henrik added a shorty, Matt Pettinger scored his first of the season and Burr added an empty netter to seal the deal. Andrew Raycrot has been solid in relief of the injured Roberto Luongo. Raycroft improved to 4-1 on the season. I picked him up on my fantasy team and all four of my goalies won. Sweeeet.

 

 Somehow, Kyle Brodziak scored two goals

Christian "The Hoff" Ehrhoff's crazy face shows his disbelief

Big Bear has the flu and didn't play. Poor Big Bear, I'll be right there with Cold-Eez, soup, tea and tissues. Never fear!

What a fantastic night of hockey it was!

AM/PM Fail

by Anne

Ed. Note: I wrote this post to publish this morning but it didn't. Whoops. I scheduled it for 8pm instead of am.

Tonight my #2 Eastern Conference team and my #1/#2 depending on the day Western Conference teams are playing each other.

I'm not quite as conflicted about this game as I am about when the Canucks play the Kings. Quite simply, my allegiance for the Sabres comes into play here and, because it will be better for the Sabres, I'd prefer it if those two points stayed in the Western Conference.

I don't give the Pens enough love on this blog, mostly because once the season starts it's hard to keep track of them and the Sabres at the same time.

I still love me some Pittsburgh Penguins and it can't be denied that they're probably the best team in the East, maybe the whole league, but Craig Anderson and the Avs might have something to say about that statement.

Anywhoozle, I don't want either team to lose, but as we all know, in the post-lockout era, that can't happen.

NO TIES FOR YOU!

I hope that they play a good clean game, both teams have lots of shots on goal and that there isn't a blowout on either side.

The Pens are dealing with injuries to Gonch and Geno while the Kings don't have any major injuries to speak of. Advantage: Kings

Jonathan Quick has played very well for the Kings this season, but Flower has been even better for the Pens. Advantage: Pens

The Kings have the league's leading scorer in Anze Kopitar, the Pens have Sidney Crosby. The Kings have Dewey and JJ3 the Pens have Letangarang and Go-Go boots. Advantage: Draw

It should be an interesting game, a chance for the Kings to test themselves out against the best in the East.

Rob Scuderi's first and only chance this season to take on his former team. The Piece is ready for business, I'm sure.

Ok boys?

Raitis: Just gettin' ready as per usual

Eric: Gettin' ready to play my type of hockey

Sigh. Ok, well at least my two favorite blondes will attempt to keep things running smoothly:

Greener hears my cry for sanity

Jordan's ready to keep things clean and happy.

Puck drops at 10:30pm EST (barf)

A Night of Win (Mostly)

by Anne

Wooo the Sabres are the best team everrr!

Just, please, please PLEASE, no one inform them that they're playing well. They play so much better when no one's talking about them.

The Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1! Tim Kennedy scored his very first NHL goal :) It was of the game-winning variety as well. Yay Tim!

 Fighting to keep that roster spot!

(In a frightening note: Tim Kennedy's goals: 1; Derek Roy: 0)

Pommer upped the population to three, Grizz took hold of the team goal scoring lead with his fifth, and Goose flapped home his 2nd. Huzzah!

Ryan Miller continues to be totally badass. It's an amazing feeling to know that your team is totally secure between the pipes as long as your #1 netminder remains healthy. The back-up situation is still not so great, but it's hard to get a good back-up when your starter is going to play so many games. That's why Marty went to the Island. He considered Buffalo but ultimately he chose to go where he would get more playing time. Now, what happens when Rick DiPietro comes back (if he ever does) remains to be seen. Watching other teams go through their cycles of goaltenders, never finding one that's really all that great, makes me feel so lucky that the Sabres have an elite goaltender who plays every night with conviction and calm. It's pretty darn awesome.

Does it make anyone else nervous that his eyes are frequently closed in photos like this?

Open your eyes, Ryan!

Or, wait, don't.

Just do whatever it is you do, you do it well, sir.

The only Sabre I'm unhappy with at the moment (other than Patrick Lalime - sorry Patty),  is Derek Roy. Whenever you feel like scoring, Roysie, the rest of us will be right here, waiting to cheer for you. Thanks.

Elsewhere:

The Pens demolished the Habs 6-1. Sid scored a hat trick, and Chris Kunitz finally found the back of the net. Huzzah!

Sid looks like he and Kunitz are at a bar, just chillin',

not being rained upon by baseball caps.

Sid: Yeah, Chris, you know how it is, scorin' goals and whatnot.
Chris: Yeah Sid, no, no I don't.

But he did later!

Congrats, Sid!

:)

BOYS.

Mouthguards work better to protect your teeth when they are actually in your mouth

I've never been able to understand this mouthguard thing so many players do

What an odd habit.

It's quite remarkable watching them move those things around without their hands, though.

I'm going to swallow all the "that's what she said" comments that I'm thinking if I continue in this line of thought.

Yay, Pens!

Kings lost 2-1 in the shootout to the Sharks. I fell asleep during the 3rd. Sad times.

But! They still earned a point in the loss and haven't lost in regulation in five games. Alexander Frolov continues to respond well to this benching a few games ago. He had a goal tonight and has seven points (3+4) in his last four games. Oh well, they have to lose sometime, I suppose.

Lovely jeté, Brownie
Maybe work on the landing.

Tonight the Kings play the Canucks. I'm not sure how to feel. Puck drops at 10:30 at the Staples Center :/

Tyler Myers makes my heart happy

by Anne

I was having kind of a blah day in this yucky weather in Buffalo. I had two shows today so I couldn't watch the Sabres game. :( Periodically checking the score on my phone isn't quite the same as watching it. I was mostly OK with how the game was going until the shootout when my heart burst into song. JBG scored the game winning goal in the shootout!! Stafford and Grier scored in regulation.

:) :) :) :)

Absolutely no freaking way he gets sent back to Kelowna now. Only watch this if you think your heart can take the bursting:

Elsewhere because EVERYONE PLAYED ON SATURDAY:

• Pens lost :(

This picture sums up the game: KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PUCK

• Kings won! 5-3 over the Coyotes. This game proved that Ilya Bryzgalov is fallible, but still awesome.

Scott Parse was called up to play in his first NHL game

he registered an assist!

Good job, Parse!

• Canucks won and the Maple Leafs remain win-less. Yeesh. It's really no longer funny. Now it's just sad sad sad.

Normally I frown upon Schenner being beaten up but Glasser has some crazyface goin' on here

• The Maple Leafs are so sad that I decided to drop Phil Kessel from my fantasy team. I got Kevin Bieksa in exchange. I think that's fair considering I need PIM and the other team needs goal scoring
  

• Pie got an assist again and the Bruins won :)

 Yay!

Trickery and Such

by Anne

It's weird to not watch a Sabres game, it's also weird to not be AT a Sabres home game. Weirdness abounded.

Here's what I gather happened (by period)

• 1st: Nothing except Ryan Miller is really good at hockey
  
• 2nd: They didn't score on a lot of PP time, Ryan Miller is really good at hockey
  
• 3rd: JBG was nearly decapitated and murdered by Shane Doan, Grizz scored, Britney scored and we won and Ryan Miller is really good at hockey
• At some point, Pat Kaleta tried to kill Petr Prucha
• They won!!! 2-1! Hooray!
  
• Post-Game: Brian Koziol shouldn't talk about things unless he's sure he knows the facts....and Ryan Miller is really good at knitting. HAH! You thought I was going to say hockey again! Didn't you?!
  

I like the cut of his jib

 I also didn't watch the Pens game, but all I really learned about it was that they won and Scott Hartnell might've taken a page from the Jarkko Ruutu school of fighting and made a late-game snack of Kris Letang. Gross.

The Kings, who have a terrrible PK, beat the Minnesota Wild 6-3. Kopitar had 3 points and Dewey played something like 24 minutes. Greener only played 13:52. I'm trying not to be too concerned about him. It is, after all, only game three. :) I'd also like Brownie to score soon, please and thanks.

The Sunny Hedgehog Enchanters had a fabulous night, Dany Heatley had a 4 point night (3+1) and was a +6. Both Ozzie and Quickie won and all-in-all the Enchanters cleaned up nicely tonight.

These Games STILL Don't Count?/ Anne Succumbs to Fantasy Hockey

by Anne

By some cruel twist of fate, it is STILL pre-season. I'm not sure how but, trust me, it still is.

• The Canucks are 5-0 in the pre-season. On Monday night they jumped to an early 3-0 lead against the Flames only allow four unanswered Flames goals to trail 4-3 late in the third. Here's what happened: 10.2 seconds left - Six attackers for the Canucks. A Mason Raymond goal is disallowed because of an early whistle. Faceoff goes to the neutral zone. Game over, right?

• Daniel Sedin says NO:

He scored the tying goal with 0.2 seconds left
And THEN he scored the winning goal in the shootout



Curtis Glencross scored too.
Big Bear gets all emo with displeasure

• The Sabres sent 14 players to Portland. There were no surprises. Myers, Weber, Kennedy, Gerbe, Gragnani, Enroth all remain in camp.

• Speaking of the Sabres, they'll walk the red carpet tomorrow night before the game against the Maple Leafs where no one will buy anything and I'll have no money to show for my trouble.

• The Kings beat the Islanders in Kansas City on Tuesday night. Wayne Simmonds had a fantastic game. Two goals- one short-handed- and a nifty fight:

Simmer's intense fight-y face is obscured by some Ts
Trust me, it's intense and fight-y

• Sean O'Donnell earned himself a match penalty that will be reviewed by the league. Yeesh O'D.

• The Pens lost to the Maple Leafs. I didn't see much but I did see Gronk tangle with Mike Komisarek and lose. Two blonde giants that I enjoy, Gronk clearly more than Komi. Gronk had a lame-tastic shootout attempt. Eh, its ok. He was wearing an A though. :)

It wasn't pretty


Hi Jay!
I hope you're enjoying your time in Pittsburgh!

• I've joined my first fantasy hockey league. The reason I never joined before was because I couldn't come up with a good name. Problem solved! I decided that I needed someone to create it for me and if I laughed, I'd use it. Most of the team name generators are completely lame. Therefore I decided to go the anagram route and started tossing in combinations of my favorite players names. Behold:

+ + +

Greene+Schenn+Doughty+Nash=

Sunny Hedgehog Enchanters


Fear their wrath.

• I feel strongly that there were way too many pictures in this post.

Happy Day!

by Anne

Thoughts on development camp later.

There are more pressing and exciting things to discuss!!

The Sabres have signed my beloved Matt Ellis to a one-year contract!!!

Hoooray!!

I really love Matty's work ethic, his nose to the grindstone style and his often timely and unexpected goal production. Happy things!! One out of two requests for our UFAs isn't so bad.

:)

Hey, now we have twelve forwards on the roster!

Also in other happy funtimes news:

The Penguins have signed Jay McKee to a one year contract! *confetti!*

ETA: Apparently its not officially a signing. Its just an offer. Sigh.

ETAA: Now its official!!

If we can't have Keezer back in Buffalo, I'm happy he's back on one of my favorite teams.

Ohh...
Ummmm...



That's a little better.

Although, in not such happy news, Big Czech Al signed with the Rangers . :/

Boo.

Meh.

So far its been a pretty grand day. Development camp was fun. One more day, then I'm sure I'll offer some completely BRILLIANT insights on the week's events.

Woo!

Free Agency Day 2

by Anne

The Sabres didn't do anything, neither did the Canucks. Fortunately, the Pens and Kings stepped up to the plate and made a move that really doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi signed a four-year deal to play with the Los Angeles Kings. For me, this move was lateral. He moves from my #2 Eastern team to one of my two favorite Western teams. He'll be a great partner for Doughty or Johnson. Give them space to make the strong first pass to the forwards, and park it in front of the net. He and Greener play a similar game.

The Piece comes to the City of Angels

Other than that, nothing else seems to have happened today as far as my four teams are concerned. Jason LaBarbera signed with Phoenix late at night on the first. Not sure who the Canucks back-up will be next season, maybe Schnieder? I'm not sure if I want him just parking it on the bench, though.

Mike Komisarek went to Toronto. He and Luke Schenn would be one terrifying shut-down pair. They're both quite large, foxy, gentlemen.

No word on Staffy and his contract, Kris Versteeg and his contract or what other moves the Sabres are going to make. Whatevs. I hope that Darcy is trying his darndest to move Yoyo and Hank. Get those boys outta here. Also, what's up with Max?

We're approaching the one year anniversary of Big Bear leaving me for Vancouver and Craigory coming to us from San Jose.

Woooooooo. That also means my birthday is fast approaching because Darcy gave me the worst birthday present ever by trading Steven away ON MY BIRTHDAY.

No big bad deals had better happen on Saturday or I'll be QUITE put-out.

Check y'all later.

The Cup Comes to Buffalo?

by Anne

Since we in Buffalo are obsessed with Buffalo and all things and people Buffalo-related, I am eagerly anticipating if/when Brooks Orpik brings the Cup to Buffalo for his day with the cup.

I didn't visit the Cup when Todd Marchant brought it to town because, while I was glad Anaheim won, I didn't feel nearly the attachment to them that I feel to the Penguins.

For some reason in all my years of hockey fandom living near Toronto, I have never been to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Therefore, I have never seen the Stanley Cup in person. My only hope is that if Orpik brings the Cup to Buffalo its not on one of the days I will be busy all day and won't be able to see it.

Hooray for Pittsburgh!

Bring it on home, Brooksy