Winning is the Best Medicine

I've been sick for about a week, but it's funny how something completely unrelated to my antibiotics can make me feel so much better.

I've barely made it off the couch since Wednesday, but once Jason Pominville's shot went into the net, ending overtime and sealing the 5-4 win over the Caps, I was jumping up and down in the living room.

So, I have a couple of thank-you notes to send out tonight:

Dear Buffalo Sabres,

Thank you for making me forget about my sinus infection for a few hours. Tonight, you played with heart and effort the whole game through. Did I like all those penalties? No. Did that game make me nervous at points? Of course. Still, you proved that you're not going to go away quietly. Four points out with a game-in-hand over the Rangers - tomorrow just got very interesting, indeed. That group hug after the win was fantastic; let that emotion carry over into another solid game against the Devils.

Dear Ryan Miller,

Please continue to punch Ovechkin in the face whenever you like (ok, so it was more push than punch). I love it when you get snippy. For that alone, I name you my Unsung Hero of the Game.

Dear Jason Pominville,

You're awesome. Remember how nice scoring goals is? Think you can try to do that even more? I know that I would love to see that goal-celebration smile more often; it's one of my favorite sights in hockey.

Dear Colby Armstrong,

Thanks for the two assists in Atlanta's 3-1 win over Florida, putting the Sabres only two points behind the Panthers! Does this note make up for all of the obscenities I was hurling at you and your team on Wednesday?

*Edit: Just heard the news about Carly Bragnalo, the fiancee of former Sabre and current Canuck Taylor Pyatt, who passed away in a car accident in Jamaica. The two had been together for 11 years, since they were high school sweethearts. This news is truly heartbreaking. My prayers tonight go out to Pyatt, the Bragnalo family, and the Canucks family.

Thomas Vanek is Really Good at Hockey

There's not much that hasn't been said already about Thomas Vanek being named to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster, so I'll just let Thomas tell you about it himself:


Oh Thomas, how I love you and your annoyingly perfect team-first attitude. Seriously, this is about as individual an honor as you can get in a team sport, and he turns it into a representation of the team as a whole. Sometimes I have to wonder who trained him to say such perfect things.

The great thing about Thomas Vanek, though, is that none of his words ever seem "trained" or untrue. I really do think that he wants to help his team win more than anything, and that scoring goals is just his little (or not so little) way of helping. My favorite part of the interview is when he states that an All-Star appearance means nothing if the Sabres miss the playoffs. In a world where it seems that many athletes care more about personal stats than team success, it's nice to see a star player who genuinely wants to be a teammate first.

Maybe it's just the Carly's Club ski cap that has him looking so earnest, but I love the fact that Thomas Vanek is emerging as not just a good hockey player but a good person as well.

In other All Star news, Sweating Like Soupy (my fantasy hockey team) is well-represented on this year's rosters. Pat Kane, Brian Campbell, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Jay Bouwmeester are all players drafted by me who have made the roster for the game in Montreal.

I know what you're all thinking, and I am just as upset as you are that my Fantasy Hockey All-Star Benchwarmer didn't make the cut. Colby Armstrong is nowhere to be found on the roster. Oh well, I'm sure that it was only because they could pick just one representative from Atlanta, and I suppose it had to be Kovalchuk.

Though with a game-face like this, it is hard to imagine how such a high hockey-IQ could be ignored

To round out my discussion of all things All Star-related, many congratulations to our baby Sabres who have made the AHL All-Star squads! Mark Mancari will represent Canada, while Tim Kennedy and my future husband favorite Pirate Nate Gerbe will represent PlanetUSA.

Since I have made a New Year's Resolution to make sure every post mentions Paul Gaustad at least once, I must end this with a recap of Jason Pominville's latest blog:

*Marley and Me brought a tear to his eye (and anyone who doubted this does not know Jason Pominville)

*The system is finally starting to love him back by rewarding his line with goals.

*Goose made sure he was tucked in by 11:30 on New Year's Eve before they played the Leafs.

*He loves his new linemates, which include roommate Goose (and Matty Ellis). He says that Goose is "fun to play with," which is always nice to hear said about your favorite player. You can tell they're having fun out there, too, with the success they've been having.

Tomorrow Chris Drury comes back to town once again. As Thomas Vanek said so profoundly, he's just another player once the puck drops, but he's another player I'd really like to beat.

Game Night

Tonight marks the first trip for the Atlanta Thrashers to Buffalo this season. It also marks my first regular season game at HSBC in the 2008-2009 campaign.

This means that I get to see the mighty Jochen's return to the ice for the first time since the Islanders Game; it will be so nice to have his defensibly responsible self back out there with Pommers!

I hope to see a lot of this happening tonight

I also get to see Captain Craig's return to home ice after he proved that he is, indeed, Super(defense)Man in New Jersey. I swear, sometimes I think I see the shirt with the "S" sticking out under his jersey. The last game I went to, he kicked the tar out of Ryan Hollweg, and I really hope he does the same to someone tonight.

For those of you who have read this blog since the summer, yes, I did pick this game for a reason, and that reason is...Colby Armstrong!

I love Colby almost as much as Sidney Crosby does, so this is the first game I'm going to where I actually genuinely like a guy on the other team. It makes me really excited that I get to see him probably do nothing except get penalties (which is all he does on my fantasy team), but I don't care because, for some reason, he just makes me smile.

Hopefully before I get to the arena tonight, I will know whose lovely face I will not be seeing on the ice. Will it be Timmy still nursing his sore groin (which begs for comments about Chippewa that I will leave to your imagination)? Will it be Matt Ellis placed on waivers again (I hope not)? Will Drew Stafford be sent to Portland for his lackluster play? Personally, I think it's this last choice - sorry Drew.

So if anyone else is going to be there tonight, stop by Section 307 and look for a really short girl wearing a Goose jersey.

PS: To whoever found this blog by looking for "best grinder ever hockey" I believe the answer you're looking for is Paul Gaustad.

100 Things: The Big Finale

I've decided that I really dislike two things:

1.) The rain

2.) Boring football games

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see Poz out there on the field again, but I think my last trip to the dentist was more enthralling than the snooze-fest that was last night's Bills-Redskins game. I was, however, happy to see JP throw that touchdown and 2-point conversion. I always loved him and his spacey look and aversion to throwing accurate, short passes - that love will never die.

I was saved from the boring game by Michael Phelps and many lovely birthday gifts from my family and friends. My personal favorites have been season's tickets to the Bandits from my two best friends and...

...a signed picture of Sid's favorite and mine - Colby Armstrong! Did I ever mention how cool my sister is? I'll post a picture of my picture tomorrow!

In honor of turning the big 2-0, I shall share with you all the final 25 random facts about me that you will never need to know (though there may be a test later):

76.) My favorite summer Olympic sport is the individual medley in swimming or softball. In the winter, it's hockey or pairs figure skating (feel free to laugh).

77.) My sister says I have no "indoor voice." I inherited that from my father and my aunts.

78.) I have two godmothers and no godfather. My mother wanted her sister to be my godmother and my dad only has sisters (4 of them), so the roots of my feminism were set down at an early age.

79.) My favorite place on Earth is the auditorium at St. Mary's High School in Lancaster. I have more good memories of that place than any other in my life.

80.) I think I may be legally blind. Seriously, people with bad vision always think I'm exaggerating until they put my glasses up to their eyes.

81.) My top five favorite books are: 1.) The Great Gatsby 2.) To Kill a Mockingbird 3.) Their Eyes Were Watching God 4.) any book in the Harry Potter series (especially Prisoner of Azkaban) 5.) Twilight

82.) I don't sing in the shower but I LOVE to sing in the car.

83.) If I was on Dancing with the Stars my dream dances would be a cha-cha to "Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Santana and a waltz to "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan. I would dance with Maks of course!

84.) My favorite food is lasagna, but I could live on just eating breakfast.

85.) I'm a huge literary geek who looks for symbolism everywhere. I also subconsciously edit everything I read (a habit I got from my mom).

86.) I love taking pictures and have about 15 picture frames. I believe that all memories should be captured.

87.) I'm addicted to Facebook like the worst kind of junkie.

88.) I have a bit of a potty mouth. I'm not sure when it developed, but I think high school had something to do with it.

89.) I'm an extremely emotional person who cries at pretty much everything, especially A Walk to Remember and Moulin Rouge. I have to turn off The Notebook before it gets to the sad part because I can't take it.

90.) I was a theater geek in high school. I performed in three plays and four musicals in high school. My favorites were The Dining Room and Seussical: The Musical.

91.) I have the hardest time spelling "definitely." I think it's the second "i" that throws me.

92.) I have a very distinct "signature face" that I make in way too many pictures:

93.) If I could marry any man (who doesn't play hockey or football) it would be Justin Timberlake. Nothing is hotter to me than a man who can dance.

94.) My favorite sound is the ocean or the crescendo of an orchestra.

95.) My favorite scent is the smell of wood (like Home Depot).

96.) I'm the only older sibling who shows up regularly at my sister's softball games, and I take pride in that fact.

97.) My five favorite movies are: Beauty and the Beast, Singin' in the Rain, Wedding Crashers, Miracle, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

98.) If one quote could define my attitude about life it would be: "Dance like nobody's watching. Love like you'll never be hurt. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's heaven on Earth." by William H. Purkey.

99.) My best sports memory is being at HSBC Arena for Game 5 of the 2007 EC Semis vs. the Rangers. I will never stop thanking my dad for giving away his tickets to me and my best friend.

100.) I've always been known as someone who writes too much, way more than is necessary. If I've done that here, thanks for bearing with me.

Looking Back

Hockey season is over.

It hadn't really bothered me before because I was so busy. My dance recital went off with no major disasters to speak of, and my ballet class that I teach looked adorable if I do say so myself. Although today I think I'm battling what Lindy would deem "general body soreness" with the possibility of a "lower body injury."

Now that I have time on my hands, I feel like I should give these Sabre-less Stanley Cup Playoffs the send-off they deserve. So without further ado:

The Top 10 Things I Learned During the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

10.) The Calgary Flames are the poster team for mucking and grinding. The Flames play hockey the way I love watching it be played - physical, gritty, and with a little bit of an edge. I've decided that I would give my right leg (and that's my good dancing leg) for the Captain to beat all Captains (sorry, Pommer), Jarome Iginla. He exhibits all that I love about hockey - toughness, scoring prowess, ability to fight when called for, and true heart.

Pretty and gritty - what more could a girl want?

9.) I love watching the Ottawa Senators FAIL. As a Sabres fan, nothing in these playoffs was sweeter than watching the Sens get swept by the Penguins in the first round.

8.) For his own safety and sanity, Brian Campbell should sign in the Eastern Conference next year. Preferably with a team like Florida or some other place where hockey is second to NASCAR in popularity, so he can see how good he had it here. Seriously, though, Soupy looked down right intimidated by the physical style of teams like Calgary, and it showed in his poor performances and untimely giveaways.

7.) I miss Danny and Marty 1000 times more than Chris Drury. I think we all still bear the scars of being stabbed in the back by Chris Drury. While I wanted to see Danny and Marty succeed despite hating their team, I was glad to see the Rangers and their overpaid "intangible" leader exit in the second round.

6.) Ryan Malone is ridiculously attractive.

And his playing isn't too shabby, either

5.) The Sabres NEED Brooks Orpik. I know he's too expensive for a stay-at-home defenseman, but it's nice to dream. Watching this Buffalo native's hard-nosed blueline play this postseason has really opened my eyes to the kind of shot-blocking, gritty defense the Sabres have been missing since Jay McKee left.

4.) I miss Colby Armstrong on the Penguins. If you haven't picked up on this, today must be your first day reading this blog, so welcome! My name is Katie, and I am a recovering Army addict. Watching the Penguins get so far was the next best thing to having the Sabres in the playoffs, but it felt incomplete without Army along for the ride.

3.) Sidney Crosby isn't really a robot after all. Sure, he always seems to say the right things and never show any emotion whatsoever beyond what the NHL tells him to show. However, the Finals brought out the human side to the young man with the "Chops." Whether it was the clips of him lighting up at seeing Colby again as an analyst, or his ultimate disappointment with losing it all after coming so close, Sid became more "real" to me this postseason. His final interview was just heartbreaking, and made him seem like the vulnerable little boy that I think he really is.

I learned even superstars like Sid and Geno need snuggles

2.) Nothing compares to Sabres hockey. Yes, the playoffs were exciting. Yes, some players captured my attention and a little piece of my heart. However, my team is still my team, and a postseason without them helped solidify that feeling. Jarome Iginla is a great captain, but he's not Jason Pominville. Marc-Andre Fleury is a quirky, awesome goalie, but he's not nearly as quirky or as awesome as Ryan Miller. For as good as Sid and Malkin are, they're not Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. And Ryan Malone, I'm sorry, as attractive and tough as you are, you will NEVER take Goose's spot in my heart.

1.) I really LOVE hockey. Even without the Sabres, the playoffs were still fun to watch because it's hockey. It's the most physically daunting postseason in sports, and it's great to watch these men put their bodies and their hearts on the line for one goal. How long until next season starts again?

Mixed Emotions

The Top 5 Things I Learned from Last Night's Pens 3-2 Win

5.) How to spell "Sacrifice" in languages I can't even discern:

Yes, I did just post this so we can all check out Sid's nice legs and Flower's scrawny ones

4.) Brooks Orpik is a hitting machine. Officially, he hit 4 Red Wings in the course of 14 seconds during one shift. That was such a thing of beauty. Way to do Buffalo proud, Brooks!

3.) Adam Hall is secretly very attractive, especially when scoring hard-working goals

Now THAT is a winning smile

2.) Sidney Crosby is a legitimate star and a true leader. He earned every bit of that 1st star last night. Not only did he score two goals, the first for the Pens in the series; his passion and drive carried the entire team. That was the kind of performance legends are made of.

Best. picture. ever. haha

This is the face of clutch - isn't it pretty?

1.) My advice in matters of hockey and bro-mances should always be heeded. Colby Armstrong must read this blog - it's the only explanation. He read my last post about how much Sid needed him, and he decided to outdo my suggestion of simply calling him and instead flew to Pittsburgh to work as an analyst for Rogers Sportsnet.

Check out the video on their homepage of Colby sharing what magical change he brought about in Sid. Apparently telling him the Chops "look better in person" gave Sid all the confidence he needed to perform the way he did. My favorite part of the video, though, is the 0.005 second shot of Colby seeing Sid before the game - I love how his face lights up!

Really, though, think about it. Sidney looks and sounds dejected and desperate before Game 3. Then his best friend shows up, and his teammates are talking about seeing a different Sid in the locker room. I'm not gonna say "I told you so," but coincidence? I think not.

Sid was given a much-deserved day off today. Let's hope he spends it with his new good luck charm, playing video games and dancing along with Ellen.

In sadder news, Vancouver Canucks baby d-man Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle crash at the age of 21. The Canucks are my favorite Western Conference team, and I often watch their games late on Saturday nights on CBC, so this loss felt like it was to player that I had watched really develop in the past year alone. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with his family, friends, and Canucks family right now.

R.I.P. Luc. You will be deeply missed.

The Missing Piece

As the Pens get more and more trampled and my prediction seems more and more unlikely, I would like to offer a totally unreasonable explanation for the problems faced by those youngsters from Pittsburgh.

As I looked at their sad faces on the bench and my beloved Sid's endearingly delusional determination in the press room, I realized that the Pens are really missing a very important factor in their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.

Scoring? Discipline? Defensive responsibility? All of these are very reasonable answers, but they're not what I'm looking for.

What the Pens are missing - what Sid is missing- is...

Colby Armstrong

It was said over and over again before Colby was traded in the Hossa and Dupuis deal - Army was the "glue" that held the locker room together. Now, these boys are becoming more and more "unglued" with each passing moment in these Finals. Yes, they're talented, but they're also young and feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. If there was one thing Army did, it was bring some much needed laughter and lightness to what could have been a very pressure-filled team.

I will admit, I have a EXTREME personal bias towards Colby Armstrong. He is in the running for, if not already the winner of, the title of "Katie's favorite NHL-er who is not a Buffalo Sabre." He is the definition of the kind of player I love - gritty and chippy, hits hard, plays far outside of his expectations, and is a great guy off the ice. When he got traded, I was more emotional than I was for Soupy. It still pains me to see that he is just as broken up about the trade today as he was 3 months ago. In a time where we often get jaded about player's attachments to a team, it's nice to see that it genuinely broke his heart to leave the Pens.

I read this article just before watching Game 2, and it made me so sad. What stung the most was seeing just how much he misses playing with Sid. I have a feeling the separation anxiety is mutual. Colby was Sid's grounding force, always making fun of him and allowing Sid to mock him right back. Seeing all the stress on Sid's face right now makes me wonder just how much he misses having someone to make him laugh and forget that he has to be the "face of the NHL."

There is nothing sadder to me than splitting up a perfectly good bro-mance

I know in the article Colby said he didn't want to call Sid because it would distract him and "he's a psycho," but I think that Sid needs his best friend right now. Hopefully, he can tell him how pathetic he thinks his beard is, but let him know that he's growing one, too.

I know that the sensible hockey fan in me says that the Hossa trade was the thing that made this run possible for the Pens. Colby is not a better player than Hossa; that I'll admit to. With Colby in Pittsburgh, who knows if they would have even made it this far. The thing is, though, that sometimes fanhood isn't sensible; it's emotional and totally irrational. I'm a fan of Colby Armstrong, and I miss him on my second favorite team. I miss celebrations like this:
So, come on, Sid, Protect the Chops, and do it for Colby.

Waiting for Tonight...

(insert JLo music here...)

Tonight. 8 p.m. Versus or CBC (CBC, thank you very much). Be there.

If you haven't noticed, I kind of want the Pens in this series. However, no longer do I like them just because they are young, speedy, and adorkable. I don't even want them because they have SuperSid on their team.

This is why the Pens are winners, both in hockey and life in general.


Things I learned from this video:

• Max Talbot is more amazing than pretty much everything except the Buffalo Sabres.
• Geno and Gonchar make awesome Russian mobsters.
• I NEED to hear Geno speak.
• I miss Colby Armstrong.

Pens in 6.

You Made Me Love You...

I didn't want to do it...After yesterday's fluff, I have decided to once again enter the realm of serious blogging topics. What says "serious sports writer" better than a gratuitous shirtless picture of Sidney Crosby?

After reading numerous blogs about the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals, I have come to this highly intellectual conclusion - a lot of people aren't feeling the "Sid love."

And I'll admit, I used to be one of them. After the Ice Bowl, I never wanted to see his face or hear his name again. I still involuntarily twitch when I see photos or video of his big-toothed smile after he scored. As a hockey fan who favors players who fly under the radar, Sidney Crosby is the exact opposite of the kind of player I gravitate towards. I'm also a big fan of big personalities off the ice, and there's only so much "Robo-Sid" that one can take.

Then I read this article on ESPN.com, and my opinion changed. I highly recommend it, even though it is a tad bit lengthy. Watch the video, too; you'll be glad you did.

It's amazing how, with one story, I went from strong dislike of Sid to something akin to protective love. I always respected his talent, but now I have come to respect him as a person. He's barely a year older than I am, and he has been forced into a position of trying to "save" the NHL in America. I feel like this is the reason for "Robo-Sid" - he feels so much pressure to always do and say the perfect things. It can't be easy wanting to be a normal guy but never being able to really let loose. He needs a snuggle...

But a lot of the credit for my change of heart must go to my favorite former-Pen, Colby Armstrong. As his best friend, he seemed to bring out the real Sid, the 20-year old who laughs and jokes and has (gasp!) flaws like a real person. In one section of that article, Sid and Army are trading jabs back and forth about TV preferences, and I love the image of the two of them dancing along with Ellen. Colby made Sid more human to me, whether it's in getting him to crack that professional exterior or simply informing everyone that's Sid's booty is "kind of big."

In conclusion, I would like to offer some pictures to help increase the cuteness of Sid the Kid in the eyes of nonbelievers:

You can't deny the cuteness that is babySid!

He has his own #87 sippy cup!

And now, if this picture can't melt your heart into loving the adorableness that is Sidney Crosby, I do not know what will...

Two of the most attractive things ever - curly hair sticking out from under the ski cap and sweet hockey boys doing charity work.

Let's recap. Sidney Crosby deserves some lovin' because:

1. He's a pretty good hockey player
2. He's bootylicious
3. He's the best babysitter the Lemieux kids will ever know
4. He has a fierce set of playoff "Chops"
5. He's a great captain who has the respect of his teammates despite his age
6. His BFFE and roomie has been torn from his side to Atlanta
7. He looks good without a shirt on