It's before midnight, it totally counts

by Anne

Wednesdays are my longest days and I just realized during my last class (at around 9:00 p.m.) that I hadn't blogged for today. Day two and I'm already almost messing it up.

Last night's game was an unpleasant adventure. Watching the Thrashers score three goals that fast was bad enough, then you add on that Miller was pulled after only five shots (including  hose three goals, omg) and many Sabres fans were already changing the channel.

Why does Lalime play best when Miller is pulled? Maybe that's the secret to Patty's troubles. Maybe he psyches himself up all day to play and then when he gets in net he hits panic mode and suddenly can barely control his own bodily functions and can't be bothered to tend goal. 

From here on out I vote that Miller starts every game but about every sixth game he suddenly returns to the bench claiming a mysterious non-visible and certainly short-lived nondescript injury so Lalime has to go in spur of the moment. The Lime played pretty well and only allowed one goal. Unfortunately it was the game winning goal so he takes the loss. :(

 It's gonna be a loooooooong night

The Sabres normally have a January meltdown, it just seems to have come to town a bit later this year. 

Redemption tomorrow night in Tampa? Here's hoping.

Oh yeah, Tyler broke his nose? It was his own fault, but keep your head up, kiddo.

Timmah: Srsly, JBG, take it from me. 

Ryan Miller is a superstar part 24598

by Anne

After Sunday night's win over the Rangers (courtesy of Ryan Miller and Pat Kaleta's magic rebound dance), Ryan Miller went on a media blitz of New York City.

He hit the Today show this morning, followed by something at the Bloomberg media center which features USA Today and the New York times, then hit the NHL offices, then hit the SIRIUS XM studios, then VH1 then the Wall Street Journal and by now is probably back home in Buffalo. I wonder if he stopped in at H&M or hit up Sephora while he was at the Bloomberg tower?

Phew! Long day.

I contemplated bringing my camera and trying to act like paparazzi or start asking him questions as he came back into town but my massive project got in the way. Lame. I had such plans.

On the plus side I finished all the work I had to finish for tomorrow so I can watch some of the Kings game guilt and distraction free! Wooo!

Good night y'all.

Grading the Sabres: Goaltending

by Anne

I've decided that I don't want to just bury the season and forget about it. Instead, I've decided to grade each player based solely on how I feel they performed this season.

Next up are the goaltenders, all three of them.

Keep in mind that these grades are grading how well the player filled their role as it seems to have been defined for them from this fan's perspective.

Here they are, in numerical order:

Ryan Miller


59 games 34-18-6, .918 SV%, 2.53 GAA
5 shutouts

Miller had 34 wins in 59 games. Last season he had 36 in 76 games. If that isn't an indication of his stronger play behind a weaker defense, I'm not sure what is. He was our best player by far this season, he was consistent, he was reliable. Of course he let in a few softies, but it happens to the best of them. The team played for Miller and Miller played for them it would seem. We missed the playoffs because he was hurt, plain and simple. If he hadn't been hurt, what are the odds we wouldn't have had at least two or three more wins, enough to make the playoffs? I really can't think of anything bad that Miller did this season. He demanded a lot from his teammates. He spoke up a lot last season and this season. The biggest difference was, Miller was playing like an elite goaltender this season and he had the swagger to back up his calling out of his teammates. He signed a big contract and played to it. If he hadn't been hurt, I'm guessing he would've played around 70 games this season and based on the number of possible points he got out of the 58 games he took the win or loss in, that alone would've given us 89 points. Toss in Lalime's five wins and thee OT losses and...well... that's all I have to say about that.

Anne's Grade: A

Mikael Tellqvist


(all stats as a Sabre)
6 games 2-1 .928 sv % 2.35 GAA

Ummm... I know he only played in 6 games but his stats in Phoenix were about the same. I don't really have much to say about his play except his rebound control didn't seem phenomenal. We didn't have a huge sampling to choose from for his Sabres stats so I'm probably not thinking rationally when I ask my next question. He's been reported to be a good guy around the locker room as well. You can never have too may Swedish goaltenders in an organization, right Jhonas? So, can we keep him, Darcy? Can we?

Grade (as a Sabre): A-

Patrick Lalime

24 games 5-13-3, .900 sv%, 3.10 GAA

We needed Patty to be better. We also needed the team in front of him to score more. Its hard to place all of his sixteen losses on him, but he can't be completely let off the hook. He plays a more athletic and frantic style of goaltending and that didn't really seem to help his teammates when they're used to Mr. Calm in net. If I had to choose between keeping Lalime and Telly Monster, I'd definitely take Telly Monster. Does this mean that Lalime is bad? No, but maybe he isn't a good fit. That being said, he's still worlds better than T-Bone was.

Grade: C+

Our goalies average out to a B+. That seems about right. They allowed fewer goals than last season and if Miller can continue to play the way he did before AND after his injury and if we can have a reliable back-up (TELLY MONSTER?) for the entire season, this team will definitely make the playoffs.

These are just my grades, what are your grades? Think I'm dead on? Way off the mark? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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.

.........

by Anne

NOOOOOO

whhhyyyyyyyyy??

First Vanek and now Miller?

I know there's no prognosis yet but

:(

Two Minutes for....Doing Your Job?

by Anne

That was the weirdest penalty I've ever seen. It was like time stood still. Miller snatched the puck and nothing in the Arena happened. We were all just kind of like "doot doot doo whistle people can go their sea- wait, where's the whistle? What's happening?"

That was one of the weirder moments I've experienced in person. The chorus of "BUUUUUULLSHIT BUUUUUULLSHIT" that rained down was magical.

Even Vinny Prospal who was like at the net was like "uhhhh, where's the whistle? Ok I'll just keep inching toward the goal.....?"

The linesman that was just standing there is fired. Where was the ref?

I'm Rule Book happy today:

Rule 63 – Delaying the Game

63.1 Delaying the Game – A player, goalkeeper or a team may be penalized when, in the opinion of the Referee, is delaying the game in any manner.

63.2 Minor Penalty - A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player, including the goalkeeper, who holds, freezes or plays the puck with his stick, skates or body in such a manner as to deliberately cause a stoppage of play. With regard to a goalkeeper, this rule applies outside of his goal crease area.

A minor penalty shall be imposed on a goalkeeper who, when he is in his own goal crease, deliberately falls on or gathers the puck into his body or who holds or places the puck against any part of the goal in such a manner as to cause a stoppage of play unless he is actually being checked by an opponent. (he didn't hold it against the goal, he had it in his glove).

I guess the ref decided that there's a new rule that if you don't hear a whistle within a second of freezing the puck you have to keep it moving, even if a player is right on top of your crease....? Te only rule that really applies is the first one and its a judgment call so its pretty hard to dispute that.

Weird. Well, I guess that's what happens when you call out refs in the media, RYAN.

Anyway, Thomas Vanek, have my babies, both of those goals were beautiful.

Goose and Mairsy, thank you for having sweet fights even if the tide turned against you at the end of your fight Mairsy, you were still B.A.

Goose's fight was a great example of a momentum changing fight. Because he won so clearly, the team and the fans were definitely motivated and I think it really helped to bring the team back around.

I really like come from behind victories, but I'd prefer "holding onto early lead" victories. But, a win is a win and I'll take it.

Dear Bill Clinton,

You were a great President, yours was the first presidency I paid any attention to. I think your wife is pretty cool too. I hope she'll be a great Secretary of State.

Thanks for coming to the Sabres game. The downstairs area was the cleanest its ever been.

I do, however, have 2 complaints.

1. Who told you that sweater looked good? and 2. thanks for shutting down the elevators so I had to walk up to the 300s. Its really not that far but I'm tired from being up all hours working on papers and my job is kind of physically demanding in that I'm on my feet for 4 hours straight. I never sit down, EVER. Sometimes I kneel, but usually when I kneel I'm balancing a large metal tray on one knee.

Anyway, thanks for supporting us!

Love,
Anne

I've heard so many horror stories about working Maple Leafs' games and I'm really not looking forward to Friday's game.

Pommer had quite possibly the most under the radar 3 point game of his career. I really had no idea he had 3 points until I checked the boxscore. LISTEN, SELLING ODDLY COLORED COTTON CANDY TAKES A LOT OF FOCUS. For real, some of that cotton candy looked downright bizzare. There was one bag that was a mixture of pink and green that just looked gray, and basically looked like a human brain. mmmmmmmm break me off a chunka that!

Anyway, picture time!

Goose! Your hand is still bandaged, I'm not so sure you should be pounding it into anything harder than your pillow at night!!
But that fight helped a lot, so good job.
Also I watched you and Gerbe chatting on the bench and it made me smile so thanks for just being awesome in general.
ETA: The other adorable Goose-moment was at one point he was chatting with a ref and they shared a chuckle (post-awkward penalty).
Paul Gaustad for UN Peace Ambassador
He'll sweep into Iran/Iraq/Afghanistan and have these misunderstandings all taken care of in a jiffy.
Israel and Pakistan will be BFFL once Goose gets in the mix.

Nathan, its fundamentals time. Puck in net, Player not in net.


Theeeeere ya go.

Dear Adam Mair,

You did not win "most hilarious facial expression" tonight. Sissy did by a LANDSLIDE vote of me and Oscar:


Ahahahahahahahahhahahaha
He looks like a cartoon caricature representing the North Wind

Only 1 more paper and 1 more test to go!!!!!!!!!

From The Rule Books

by Anne

Here is a selection of what the USA Hockey Rulebook has to say on cursing at a player:

On-Ice Official’s Code of Conduct

• Never use foul or vulgar language when speaking with a player, coach or parent.


And here are some pertinent selections from the IIHF Officiating Procedures Manual. (Emphasis mine).

Page 2-13 of the IIHF Officiating Procedures Manual

Official’s Code of Ethics

The International Ice Hockey Federation provides guidance to registered officials around the world. National Associations and their members should expect the highest possible standards of personal integrity, competence, sound judgment and discretion from National Association officials. The Official’s Code of Ethics developed by the International Ice Hockey Federation Sport Development Program is a public declaration of an official’s obligation to himself, his peers and the game.

I will...

● Always show respect for my fellow officials, the players, coaches and fans.

● Always be unquestionably impartial, keeping a professional and appropriate distance from teams.

And another:

A selection from page 2-6 of the IIHF Officiating Procedures Manual

Communication

Under no circumstances should you lose control of your actions or words. Profanity is NEVER acceptable. There are appropriate penalties for any coach or player who uses profanity towards you during the game and, if this happens, officials should assess it; however, it is never acceptable for an official to use profanity to a player or coach. It will not only set a double standard, but will most certainly cause a loss of respect in the eyes of your fellow officials as well as the players and coaches involved.

There you have it.

Mish Mash

by Anne

Yay UB!!!!!! Bulls fans couldn't have asked for a more exciting game. 5 turnovers and beating a team by 18 points that hadn't lost a single game this season, and had never even trailed by as many as 10 points. Wow, wow, wow. :) My heart is all a-burstin' with Buffalo and alma mater pride.

Hockey:

I don't like it when Mommy and Daddy fight :( All things like that do is make me think "desperation move?"

Owen Nolan left Minnesota's game against the Canucks in the first period with another lower body injury :(

The Canucks won! Jason Jaffray (who the eff is that) scored the game winner, his first of the season. Oooooook. Cory Schnieder picks up his first NHL win, making 30 saves, and on the road too. Woooo!!!

He looks like he fell out of a Norman Rockwell painting

Iggy scored in regulation and Mike Cammalleri scored the OT winner to beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3. Wooooo! Phaneuf earned an assist on all 4 Flames goals. There's a joke about sloppy seconds and only getting assists in there somewhere...

Not Hockey or Sports related:

The lovely people at the Apple store fixed Isaac so he's as good as knew. Literally. I mean, he's beautiful. They replaced the whole top of the keypad so its a new mouse, trackpad and keyboard. Its so pristine and feels like new again. And because they're awesome it didn't cost me a penny. Good times were had by all parties involved.

I'm so nervous about missing a deadline for a paper or exam that I've woken up like three times this morning panicking because I think its Monday and I missed an exam.

Good times indeed.

THEY DIDN'T EVEN SAY GOOD BYE!!

by Anne


Ok, so CLEARLY everyone else but me and John Vogl knew that Nathan Gerbe wasn't going to be starting in Buffalo on October 10th. THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT HURTS ANY LESS!

Sigh. Ok so I was aware that my former Facebook BFF wouldn't be here for opening night but I still had a teensy weensy sliver of hope.

Bye Nate! Bye Tim! Play nice with the other AHLers!!!! Marek and Marc might need some comforting... that is if Marc clears waivers... which I hope he does. Yeesh.

Anyway, Stafford has what Lindy is calling "cauliflower ear" which my Dad told me is something boxers get. If weirdly swollen ears gross you out don't try to hang out with Drew Stafford any time soon or google the term "cauliflower ear". Ewwwww. That's whatcha get for fighting Drew, and by that I mean, WOOO way to fight, Drew!!!! Wear that broccoli, er, I mean brocciflower ear with pride!


Tim Connolly is hurt. However, Tim Connolly is dead to me. Him being hurt is immaterial if he's already dead.


HA I love fun stories from practice:

The team, as a whole, had some issues during one of the drills at the tail end of practice.

As the players stood at the redline, Ruff placed a puck outside the circle and selected a player to shoot it at the net on the other side of the rink – about three-fourths the length of the ice.

Miss the shot, the team skates a lap.

And skate they did.

More than 10 players took a shot, and none were successful.

Craig Rivet? Too high. Jason Pominville? Not even close.

“This is a professional hockey team,” Ryan Miller yelled.

Even the coaches were unsuccessful. Assistant coach James Patrick and goaltending coach Jim Corsi both caused another lap when they shot the puck wide.

Miller decided to take matters into his own hands.

With Clarke MacArthur ready to take his turn, the goaltender crouched down and aligned his stick with the net, trying to tee up the shot.

Finally, MacArthur hit the back of the net.

“I was actually proud of the fitness part of it,” Ruff said after practice. “I wanted to see them miss a couple times, but I don’t know about 15.

“I was disappointed in James [Patrick] the most. You’re supposed to lead by example and he’s one of the coaches… you can understand with Jimmy [Corsi]. His almost didn’t get [the puck] to the other end,” Ruff laughed.

Hahahahahaha. Good times. In their defense, some of those players did play 2 nights in a row and SOME didn't, RYAN MILLER.

Oh yeah, and be prepared for the return of Captain Clutch. Yee-haw.

TGIF!!! I'm excited to actually be able to WATCH the boys in Blue and Gold on Sunday!!!!! and we'll probably actually get to watch the Bills too! (don't even go there with WIVB and WNLO and Time Warner Cable, its so STUPID.)

Have a good weekend!!

Question for the comments:

Matt Ellis, good acquisition? Bad acquisition? Where does he start the season? If its Buffalo does he stay here after Goose is better? Let me know what you think of him!!

Sometimes I post like 10 times a day

by Anne

Top things that are annoying as all get out:

1. Pink Sabres Jerseys that are NOT in support of Breast Cancer research

Ew.

2. Jaromir Jagr's landing strip facial hair WITHOUT the mullet. Separately they're gross, but TOGETHER?!?! I'd still hate Jagsie but I'd LOVE to see that combo. BTW, did you know that he's currently the wealthiest player (in terms of career earnings, not including endorsements) playing in the NHL right now? He's got over $90 million in career earnings at this point.

HOTTNESS.

3. When you screw up your coffee order and accidentally say "2 cream 1 sugar" when you really mean "1 cream, 2 sugar" (write that down, when this blog makes it BIG and one of you is my personal assistant... I prefer french roast).

I want one.

4. When you can't remember a password to an account you rarely check and you try every conceivable password and username combination you've ever used since 1996 and STILL can't remember it so they email it to you, but you have 3 email addresses and you don't know which one you registered with, and then sometimes those systems kick you off for a day if you try an incorrect password 5 times and then 10 minutes later you remember your password.

Clearly, not me, I'm not that calm when I forget a password

5. When people will NOT SHUT UP about calling Sidney Crosby a diver (yo, dude had PLENTY of nasty hits that were NOT called and he didn't whine about it, leave him alone)

Awww, look how cute he is!
And kind of doable as well.

6. When you save something in the wrong folder in a directory and your computer doesn't have that "recently edited documents" section on the file menu because you use software that doesn't use Microsoft Word's storage space and you have to go searching through the computer to realize that you inverted the file number and it goes in "07-1066" not "06-1077" and you spend serious time contemplating your potential dyslexia.

Not my actual computer screen

7. When Darcy makes apparently good draft choices and smart off-season moves and Bills tickets are selling like hotcakes and people in Buffalo STILL can find something to complain about. I, for one, would like to see Max go and TimmyHO stay. I don't know what it is about TimmyTims but I'd really like to give him another chance. Then, if he doesn't produce, dump him like a scummy blind date who doesn't even OFFER to pay and you even wore your expensive push up bra for this guy... which, ironically, might actually be what its like to go on a date with Tim Connolly.

Oh yes, that IS Darcy Regier

This dude has HIS tickets, DO YOU?!?!

8. Barry Melrose being the coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I'm not sure why this irritates me so much, but it just reeks of a wacky publicity stunt by the Bolts new owners. They have Stamkos, and now they have Melrose. I know he had a good run with the Kings in the early 1990s and, as a commentator, he's still aware of the pulse of the new NHL, but it just seems like if Barry was still interested in coaching, he'd BE coaching somewhere, not sitting in a studio. That's probably an unfair judgment seeing as how I don' t know the man. Maybe its just because I'm used to the studio version of Barry Melrose, but I can't see this being a great idea. It just feels like a bad idea, it'll bring more press to the Bolts next season, that's for sure. But, as a team looking to regroup and rebuild, is bringing in someone like Melrose really a good idea? I hope for the new owners' sakes that Vinny and Louie like him. Because, Jokinen and Voukun did NOT like Jacques Martin, but there were tight with the Panthers' owner, and look who lost his job? Ironically, look who is now traded to Phoenix. Bye, Olli! I seriously doubt that the Bolts will trade Vinny, I don't care HOW good Stamkos is, he's not Vinny Lecavalier.

How can you trust a man whose hair looks like that?
I wouldn't trust Brian Engblom as far as I could throw him.
Or Donald Trump.

Does one really need a REASON to post this picture?

9. Ryan Miller. Why? For some reason my love for Ryan Miller has tempered and in the clear light of the off-season, I'm seeing Millsey from a new perspective. Is he that good? Is he worth a 5+ year contract? Is he worth Lundqvist money? Only time will tell, I guess. He was OUTSTANDING for 2 seasons and then, not so much this season. But, how much of that was really his fault? Don't get me wrong, I want Miller to stay and sign an extension this summer (OMG MILLSEY, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH THEM!) but I just wonder how this upcoming season will turn out for him. Some strong defense would go a long way to helping him out. TEPPO?!?! I think my fear for Millsey is more concern about his back-up situation than it is actual concern about him. When Miller is on (which was about 90% of the time in 05-06 and 06-07) he's amazing, but without a reliable backup, will he push himself to play more than he should, for the sake of the team? Will he ignore the urge inside him to sit this one out, because his backup is a wild card? The situation, and not really Ryan Miller is what annoys me.

Don't worry, Millsey, we'll find you a backup!!

10. Limewire. It ruined my laptop DON'T USE IT. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT DOWNLOAD LIMEWIRE. IT KILLS COMPUTERS. DON'T DO IT!!!

THE DEVIL NOT THE NEW JERSEY ONES, LIKE THE BAD ONE WITH THE FORKED TAIL.... BRIAN GIONTA?

Ryan Miller is a retired greyhound

by Anne

Have you ever seen or encountered a greyhound (not a bus) that has retired from racing and then been adopted?

Well, I have. The best way I can describe "Phinn" (I think that's how you spell it) is very quiet and very bony.

He's eerily quiet and sudden noises tend to freak him out. He has a little cloth holder for the tags on his collar so they don't make noise. If you remove said tag holder so the tags jingle, he totally bugs out and runs around the room like his tail's been lit on fire. When he goes outside he breaks into crazy sprints, whipping around the yard like he's back on the dog track. Othersie, he mostly just sits near whoever's home and stares at them intensely. This is unsettling at best. In my personal experience, if a dog is totally still, staring continuously at something, he's about to attack it. Watch when one dog approaches another, after they sniff each other and just before they tear each other limb from limb, there's a definite pause and stare, a "calm before the storm" if you will.

My sister, known to those in this blog as MK or Mary Kate (I call her Loser) has made an excellent observation: Ryan Miller is EXACTLY like a retired greyhound.

He works his bony bum off for an entire season, each game pushing his body and mind to limits it can only take for so long. Then, after games, when all is said and done, he is creepily quiet in interviews, barely raising his voice to a level most would consider appropriate for a normal conversation. He doesn't move much, and when he does it's pretty slow. He has those wonky intense eyes that rarely blink. How many times have we all watched Crunchy in an interview and wondered if this loss was the one that finally pushed him over the edge and he's going to snap, burn down HSBC Arena and move out into the woods somewhere to "find himself"?

The similarities are uncanny.

See?:

Left: Creepy Dog

Right: Crazy Man

How do we cope with this ever-present threat of Ryan Miller's iminent breakdown?

Well, let's take a lesson from Phinn: Control sudden, irritating disturbances (like defensive breakdowns), let him run around a lot, let him follow you around and sleep in your bed and feed him a lot. Repeat until dog man retires from hockey, then let him just go whacko.