The one where I disagree with a lot of people

I've been relatively quiet throughout this whole discussion on the job security of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier. That does not mean that I do not have an opinion.

It means that I understood that I would be seen as the voice of the supposedly mindless masses, and my point was already being stated by bloggers and radio hosts and journalists alike...only my point was the one that they were saying had no validity anymore.

I suppose I should just come out and say it...I like Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff and think that both of them have done the best that they can with what they have been given.

You can start cursing me for drinking the Kool-Aid now, but I am happy that both men are staying with the team through next season.

I feel like I am probably in the minority today with this statement. I know I shouldn't have been reading the message boards today, but I think I almost had a coronary at 20 reading some of the things that people are saying about this. One person went so far as to say that today is worse than the day we lost Briere and Drury; another stated that this move will have Thomas Vanek on the phone with his agent demanding a trade.

So today I feel like I need to make my case for Lindy and Darcy; it's time for me to come out of the woodwork on this issue.

I'll begin with Darcy. Has he made mistakes as a G.M.? Yes. I hate to bring up the "D and B words" again, but any conversation about Darcy nowadays has to deal with his handling of the Drury and Briere situations. In all honesty, my only complaint with Darcy there has been that he went after the wrong guy. He chose to court Drury, who was looking for the first plane to NYC, over Briere. I can't fault him on his choice (who wouldn't have taken Chris over Danny that summer?), but I do wish he could have seen that Drury was no longer interested in playing here.

The Campbell trade? No problems with that one: I didn't want to overpay the human spin-o-rama machine. Signing all the players who underperformed this year to long-term contracts? Over the summer we were all cheering about how solid our "core" was looking for years to come. It's not Darcy's fault that these guys chose this year to have slumps or ignore their coach.

This brings me to Lindy. Let me preface these comments by saying that I have an extreme bias towards Lindy Ruff. He was one of my parents' favorite Sabres, so I grew up with them talking about how much heart he had as a player and how happythey were that he was coaching here. In my opinion, Lindy is the only coach I want behind the bench for the Sabres. He gets the city, the people and the way we want to see hockey played.

That has become the problem the last two seasons. It seems as if many of the Sabres, and some of the best ones at that, have tuned out what Lindy is trying to teach them about hard-working hockey, the kind of hockey that Buffalo fans wany to see. Is that really his fault? Some of these players are so stubborn that they would do whatever they wanted on the ice, regardless of who is coaching them.

As for Lindy's supposed failure as the "great motivator"? These are big boys; if they can't motivate themselves, then there is a much deeper problem than coaching on this team. As Ryan Miller said in his last interview, if they can't kick themselves in the butt to compete every night, they should not even bother coming onto the ice.

This is where I think the problem lies - in certain players on this team who either slack off or "go rogue" (as Paul Hamilton likes to put it) in games when they are needed the most. I know that it's unrealistic to say that we should trade many guys on this team and expect to get comparable assets in return, but it's what I hope Darcy can do to some extent this summer.

If October rolls around and I'm still looking at the same underachieving roster, then I'll be in the unhappy place that some of you are in today.

Busy Day

I love trade deadline day. It's the day I really get to embrace my inner hockey geek and sit down with 5 different websites up and the free preview of the NHL Network (thank God) on my TV, and no one in my house judges me for it.

This year didn't really disappoint for me, with the action beginning in the morning and lasting after 3 p.m. came and went.

I'm sure most of you reading this were just as crazy as I was about getting as much information as possible today, so I'll just offer my quick two-cents on the deals involving the Sabres:

- First things first: The Sabres re-signed Tim Connolly for 2 years and a reported $9 million. Yes, the money is a lot, but I really like this deal. I like that Timmy showed loyalty to the team that has taken risk after risk on him and his glass body. I like that Darcy is still proving that he wants to keep the core of this team together because I feel that Timmy is a valuable part of this core. He makes this team so much better, and I firmly believe that we have a much better chance of making the playoffs with him than had we traded him today.

Timmy is happy because he gets to stay in a place where he knows he's loved (especially by a select female "fanbase")

- The team acquired a more experienced backup goaltender for Patty Lalime with a trade for Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2010. His stats look good, and Rob Ray said on the radio that he seems like a good, team-first guy. We needed insurance at that position, and that's exactly what we got.

Tellqvist (in the foreground, back in his Toronto days) showing on of the reasons why I will love him

- Bye-bye Big Al: Ales Kotalik was traded to Edmonton in a four-team deal that was more complicated than my Calculus class (in short, we got a 2nd round pick from Carolina, which was later used). I did love watching him in shootouts, but I'm not too depressed to see him leave. I always felt like he had more to give, and I was frustrated watching him only use his body when he felt like it. I couldn't preach more about how much I like gritty, tough guys, and Al never really fit the bill there. Trades always make me sad when they involve guys I've come to know, so this does feel strange to say that he's an Oiler now. I wish him the best, and I feel fine saying that because we won't be seeing him anytime soon.

He was such a cute baby Sabre back in the day

- Finally, I would like to offer a big Muckers and Grinders welcome to the newest Sabres center, Dominic Moore from Toronto, who we acquired for a second-round pick (which we got for Kotalik).

Anyone who hits Chris Neil in the face is a good pick-up for me

From all that I've heard, Moore is a true heart-and-soul type of player. That kind of effort is something that we really need on this team, especially in the push to the playoffs. It seems like he's never one to back away from a scrum, and I love that in a player. He is having a career season in terms of points, but I'm happier to see the effort he'll bring to the ice.

I'll be at the game against Phoenix on Friday, and I'm so excited to see his first game as a Sabre.

All in all, I think this was a good day for the Sabres. We picked up insurance in goal as well as a strong all-around center. We signed a player who I firmly believe we need on the ice in order to be successful.

Do you agree that today was a positive day for the Sabres? I do know that it will be much better if we win against Montreal tonight.

In 1992...

• The Sabres picked up a goalie by the name of Dominik Hasek from Chicago.
• Aladdin was tops at the box office
• Bill Clinton became the President (and had yet to meet Monica)
• I was starting preschool
• The Bills were on their way to their third Super Bowl with an 11-5 record

A LOT has changed since the Bills last went 3-0, but the feeling of hope it gives this city remains the same.

I know it was more nerve-wracking than it was supposed to be. I know Jason Peters got blown up all day long. I know we need to get our running game going stronger than it has been.

But once that kick sailed through the uprights and the clock hit 0:00, none of that mattered.

I know it's cliche, but "good teams find a way to win." When we needed him the most, Trent came through with the poise that has quickly become his trademark. Now, we're 3-0 and alone atop the AFC East (thank you, Ronnie Brown). How strange yet wonderful does that sound?

In hockey news, the preseason starts today! Some random notes before they drop the puck:

• I'm very happy that we re-signed Darcy for two more years. I think Darcy unfairly became the scapegoat for the team's numerous problems last year. I can only hope the events of this summer have shown people what a smart GM he really is.


• Paul Gaustad hurt himself already. He bruised his shoulder in the first scrimmage, and Lindy thinks he won't play until at least the weekend. The same goes for Thomas Vanek, who pinched a nerve in his knee on Friday. All I know is that I have tickets to Saturday's game, and I strongly hope that I can see Goose out there.


• In sad news, Lindy is going to break up Hank and Toni! No more Tallydman! I feel like US Weekly reporting on the split of Bennifer. I suppose it's good to see new defense partners, but I will miss those two together.

My New Campaign

Pommer: I get to be a Sabre for 5 more years! Yay me!!

Goose: Now I'll always have my nap buddy! Gimme a hug, Pommer!

Yesterday, the final piece of Darcy's summer puzzle finally fell into place. Jason Pominville signed a 5 year extension that will keep him in the Blue and Gold for the foreseeable future. The numbers aren't too bad either. While I was hoping for the ever-elusive 5/25 because even a broken clock is right twice a day, I can't complain with these figures: $4.5 million in 2009 and $5.5 every year after that. For a guy who will turn 26 in November, this can end up being another Roy-esque steal considering Pommer's continued improvement.

Pommer is my second-favorite Sabre for an innumerable amount of reasons. He was the little forward that could - in fact, I'm sure Goose still probably reads him that story before nap time. Really, though, he never let the fact that he was waived and passed on by everyone make him bitter. He used it to make himself better.

There have been many points in his short career that people have questioned him. No one thought he was good enough in 05-06, and he then proceeded to give us one of the most memorable goals in Sabres history (go check out the video again for an instant pick-me-up). People doubted if he could be a first-liner in 06-07, and then he entered the 30-goal club alongside Briere. In 07-08, everyone thought he would fail without his former center. Not only did he actually get better in terms of overall points, he became one of our fearless leaders and best choice for captain.

Speaking of the all-important "C" - it looks like Lindy is still blinded by the idea that the rotating captaincy is a good thing. I know it's nice to let everyone have a turn, but this isn't kindergarten, Lindy. You need to give these guys stable leadership, which is what I feel the signing of Teppo is all about. However, I feel that Teppo should only wear an "A" because he won't be around much longer. Still, he could train our next captain with his sage wisdom.

And who could that new captain be? If you ask Paul Hamilton, it could actually be captains again. His two nominees for a co-captaincy are two men who demonstrate leadership both on the ice and off it, two men who have pledged their loyalty to management, their best friends on the ice, and their city. These are two men who make up an integral part of the core while setting the good example of team-bonding through shared rooms and movie nights.

Yes, dear readers, like Paul Hamilton, I support Pominville-Gaustad '08 for Sabres Captaincy. Because the team that naps together, wins together.

Tomorrow is Puck Drop 2008. I'll be working, but I hope everyone who goes has a blast. I can't wait to hear all of your stories!

It's Time to Celebrate!

There are many reasons to be happy today:

• The Olympics have begun! The opening ceremonies are on right now, and there is always something so stately and moving about them. I love watching the smiles on the athletes faces, smiles that say that they are making memories to last a lifetime. I love the idea that sports can bring people together, which is probably why I've loved the Olympics ever since I was old enough to understand what they represented. I especially loved watching Yao Ming hold that little boy who went back to try to rescue his classmates during the recent earthquake, it was a goosebump-inducing moment. Plus, the US outfits are amazing this year:
  
  
• Sidney Crosby turned 21 yesterday! Now, I'm sure this is not terribly exciting for Sid, as he could drink in his home country since he was 19, but he can now (legally) imbibe in Pittsburgh with his Pens buddies. Happy belated birthday, Chops! I hope you celebrated with your BFF Colby and your beverage of choice, just hopefully not to "Soupy singing" levels of "celebration."



I hope Colby gives Sid some birthday man-love, too!




• TEPPO'S BACK!! In case you haven't heard this most wonderful news, the Sabres re-signed Teppo Numminen today to a 1-year deal worth $1.1 million. I've only been dreaming of this for the last few months - thank you, Darcy! Teppo will give us so many of the things we missed last year - defensive stability, calmness on the bench, veteran leadership, and a great teacher for our young d-men, especially Sekera.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I'll be watching the Bills open their preseason (Saturday) and celebrating a little birthday of my own (on Sunday).

He Likes Us, He Really Likes Us

Because I love lists, I bring you five interesting things I learned at Ryan Miller's press conference yesterday (which can be found on sabres.com):

1. Ryan looked good. I don't mean that in a puck-bunny "ohmyGodRyanMillerissohawt" kind of way (no offense, Ryan, I can't get past the eyebrows). I mean, he looked the way I've always wanted to see him look - happy. Summer looks good on him; he looks rested and he may even have added some weight to that supermodel-skinny body he was dragging on the ice for the last few weeks of the season. He looked genuinely happy throughout the whole press conference, which I take to mean he is genuinely happy to be playing here for the next six years.

This adorable photo courtesy of the Derek Gee of The Buffalo News

2. I've found the greatest words in the English language, and they are as follows:

"I'd trade all the money in the world to bring a championship here, and to accomplish something with my group of friends, my teammates."

Hearing Ryan say this literally brought tears to my eyes (I know, I'm a crybaby). It just feels like we've waited for so long for someone to say that winning a championship for us is priceless. As Sabres fans, we've been burned by "fan favorites" who've left us in search of the big paycheck, a quick chance at success, or a bigger name team. For once, we have a star player who understands that the pride of being the first to bring us the win we've always dreamed of will be better than any amount of money.

3. There's a definite method to Darcy's madness. Darcy has always talked about the importance of keeping the "core" of our team together. I believe that, in order for that to have happened, we could never have kept Drury, Briere, and Campbell. Now, looking at it with all that was said yesterday, I'm not sure they were the best for the team in the long run, anyway. Ryan said over and over again that he loves the Sabres because he gets to go to work with his best friends. Those guys from the 2004-2005 Amerks are like family, and what they have is rare in pro sports. They've grown up together, and they've dreamed of winning the Cup together. I can only hope that they get to accomplish that all together because I feel like that would be such a unique and emotional moment for them and for all of us who got to watch them grow together. I think Darcy said it best:

"I do believe that when Ryan signs, Paul [Gaustad] signs and you’ve got [Thomas] Vanek and [Derek] Roy and others, that group is together...The dressing room is a big deal. It’s a big deal to walk into the room and say, ‘I like that guy, I like that guy, I like that guy.’ It’s a bigger deal to say you trust them and a bigger deal again to say you’ll go to work for them.”

4. I fully expect Jason Pominville to be signed before training camp. Now that Pommer is Darcy's number one priority, I can't imagine negotiations will take too long before one more piece of that brotherly "core" is locked up long-term. Jason seems very similar to both Ryan Miller and Paul Gaustad in his loyalty to the team that drafted him, the team he grew up on. He's part of that Rochester group that seems so inseparable, Goose's roommate for the last seven years. I can't wait for the next press conference, announcing that Jason is signed and has been named our fearless leader and Captain. What a difference a year makes, I've gone from fully expecting captains to leave to fully expecting this one to be signed long before he hits free agnecy.

5. Teppo's coming back! I know, I know, Darcy said nothing was final yet, but it's definitely moving that way. I couldn't be happier. I've been chirping about his importance to the team since July 1, and I stand behind everything I said. We need a calming force both on the ice and off of it for these young players still growing into new roles. He can teach our baby d-men so much, and he genuinely likes it in Buffalo. Wait, a veteran player liking it here? I though Bucky Gleason said we were a terrible organization to play for, and no one would ever come here by choice? Maybe not...

As a reward for getting through this novel of a post, I present to you a daily dose of cuteness, courtesy of Goose and Danny Paille at a street hockey game with kids from Camp Good Days:

Happy Day!

To all the whiners who said that Ryan Miller will walk out on the Sabres and run to Detroit after this season...

I wonder what it tastes like to eat your words.

5 more years of Miller!
Ryan's happy, little puppy Max is happy, I'm happy. It must have been a VERY good birthday for Millsey indeed!

Now I must run to dine at my grandmother's house. Ryan's the only Sabre she really knows, so she will be very happy to hear this news. I promise more on this awesome news tomorrow!

Goodbyes and Hellos

My Fourth of July felt like that of a bipolar schizophrenic:

2:30 p.m.: What?! The Sabres traded Steve Bernier! For DRAFT PICKS?! This is the WORST TRADE EVER! Vancouver totally fleeced us on this one. Poor Big Bear; I'll miss you and your adorable accent so much. I strongly dislike you, Darcy.

6:00 p.m.: What?! The Sabres picked up Craig Rivet in a trade from the Sharks! For DRAFT PICKS?! This is the BEST TRADE EVER! So this is why we traded away Bernier. Oh well, we did what we had to do. Sorry, Big Bear, you were a little slow for our speed demon ways anyway. I knew I always liked you, Darcy.

Anyone else experience these glaring mood swings?

Today, I say goodbye to Steve Bernier. Big Bear, I felt like you could have become a favorite of mine with your hard-hitting ways and affinity for sticking up for little Derek - not to mention your cute broken English. I can only be happy that we traded you to my favorite team in the West, Vancouver. I hope they take good care of you up there.

Au revoir, Big Bear.

As much as I did like Steve Bernier, I am beyond excited to welcome our newest Sabre, Craig Rivet!

Rivet is exactly the kind of defenseman I was hoping for Darcy to bring in. I always say that if I remember a guy from the Western Conference who's not a superstar, he's either really good or really bad. I remember Craig Rivet - in a good way. He's dependable defensively and still manages to chip in offensively as well. Also, he's a righty - something our blueline is lacking.

What most impresses me from what I've seen and heard about Rivet are what he brings off of the scoresheet. He is a veteran leader, the likes of which we sorely need around here. Also, he's not afraid to play with his heart on his sleeve and stand up for any of his teammates (especially his goalie).

Plus, this boy can fight:

I know I've yet to see him play a game in Blue and Gold, but I think Craig Rivet will be a favorite at Muckers and Grinders. In that clip alone, he's everything I love in a hockey player - gritty, angry, and protective of his teammates.

This fight is pretty great as well - all Sabres fans should check it out.

The Waiting Game

It's been over 48 hours since free agency began, and I feel like a five-year-old on a cross-country trip:

"Darcy, are we there yet?"

48 hours and no defenseman to speak of. 48 hours and only one signing (no offense, Patrick Lalime, I'm sure you're a very nice goalie). 48 hours and a market shrinking faster than we all would like.

Darcy, you know that signing Goose wouldn't hold me over forever, right?

According to the Buffalo News, Darcy did not even have serious talks with Brooks Orpik. I understand that he was probably asking for a lot of money at the start, but he ended up signing with Pittsburgh for only $3.75 million per season, a price I would like to think Darcy would have been willing to pay. However, there is a good chance that this was his "hometown discount" price for the Pens, so we'll never know just what his agent told Darcy he wanted that seemed so pricey.

Now, the Sabres are left with one of two choices:

Door Number One: The trade. Darcy seems most fond of this choice, and he has had much success choosing this door in the past (see Jochen Hect, Toni Lydman, and two guys named Briere and Drury). John Vogl brought up an interesting trade idea on Sabres Edge yesterday - Max for Jay McKee. I know Jay is injury prone and getting older, but everything we're missing he has - grit, defensive toughness, shot-blocking, leadership, veteran presence our boys know and respect. Sometimes I think Jay is the ex-Sabre we've missed most since he left considering what he brought to the table. However, he was one of my favorites, so I'm probably just biased.

Door Number Two: Free agency. Contrary to popular belief, there are some UFA defeseman left out there. One of them is Jason Smith, who WGR reports has had preliminary talks with the Sabres. Yes, he's slow, but he's a defeseman's defenseman who's not afraid to hit or get hit. One look at this picture should tell you that I fully support signing him, he's a mucker and grinder through and through:

Speaking of muckers and grinders, guess who was on the radio yesterday?

That's right - Paul Gaustad!

Goose joined Schopp and the Bulldog to talk about his new contract and his Eurotrip with Ryan Miller. It sounds like, much to our sadness they didn't meet up with Spacho; I guess Kotalik played tour guide instead (which is not nearly as funny). They also got to see matches at Wimbledon, which makes me very jealous (that tops my list for sporting events I would most like to attend).

Of course, Goose was humble as always, saying he told his agent that he was loyal to the Sabres because they gave him a shot in the NHL. That kind of loyalty is shrinking in pro sports, and it's nice to know that we have a guy like that on our team. He also said he's working out harder than ever after his sports hernia surgery, paying special attention to his core muscles. Now, if the mention of Paul Gaustad working on his abs doesn't make you sigh just a little bit, I don't know what will.

Wow, he's good looking.

Goose makes me happy, but so does the idea of a new defenseman. It's your move, Darcy, don't make me regret trusting you.

Happy HONK!!

Thank you, Darcy Regier.

Last year at this time, I was a wreck. We had lost both Danny Briere and Chris Drury, and my vacation to Cooperstown was pretty much ruined.

This year, July 1 could not get much better from my perspective. I'm back from a nice, relaxing two days at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I get to come home to news like this.

Paul Gaustad. Four years. $9.2 million.

Four more years of Chris Neil poundings, aluminum can recycling, community helping, and, of course, rally helmets.
So thanks again, Darcy. Thanks for rewarding hard work and relentless dedication. Thanks for making it clear that what someone contributes off the ice is sometimes as important as what he contributes on it. Thanks for showing everyone that pure effort really does make a difference.

And thank you, Goose. Thanks for making it clear that you want to stay a part of this team, this community. Thanks for showing that you love us as much as we love you. Thanks for being so gosh-darn humble in an age of athletic prima donnas:

“I’m pretty speechless that I have a four-year deal in the National Hockey
League,” Gaustad said by phone from Oregon. “I’m extremely excited to have
the opportunity to be back in Buffalo. It’s just a great place to play. I
really do think we have a chance to win, and that’s a big factor for me.”

Sure, other things happened in free agency today. The Sabres got a new backup goalie, Patrick Lalime, from Chicago for $2 million over 2 years. I promise to properly welcome him tomorrow when I'm less Goose-focused.

The Blackhawks won the Soupy Sweepstakes, signing Brian Campbell to an 8-year deal worth $57.12 million. Have fun with the spin-o-ramas now, Chicago, they get old fast. Private to Soupy: if you do anything to corrupt my precious Pat Kane, I will hurt you.

I know we still need a defenseman, but right now I'm too happy to really think analytically about anything.

This is my happy HONKing dance.

Let's just hope this signing helps Goose's two BFFs in their Sabre-signing decisions:

Now, back to my happy HONKing dance...

The Sabres Draft Party - a Photo Diary

I feel way behind on this entry. Everyone else has pretty much summed up both the draft and draft party well enough that this will just be meaningless fluff (but who doesn't love fluff).

I was supposed to recap this much earlier, but I had another dance competition this weekend. We brought home another round of high score awards, but I'm definitely getting too old to keep doing this much longer. Case in point - after I finished my six dances on Sunday I went home and slept for 13 HOURS - apparently my mental and physical recovery time is not as it once was.

Now, onto more pressing matters...

We drafted a boy who is almost two years younger but 18 INCHES taller than I am! Darcy must have been catching up on his blog reading and saw that I wished for a new defenseman and a big, physical presence to help protect little Nate. Like a skinny, Canadian Santa, he proceeded to grant my wishes in one, Tyler Myers-shaped package.

Welcome to the Sabres, Tall Tyler (I need to come up with a better nickname)

We then proceeded to draft Tiny Tyler - Tyler Ennis, that is. He says his favorite player is Danny Briere. That's great Tyler, he was one of my favorites too, just promise you won't up and leave us for Philly like your idol - I still have a bit of a complex about that.

I'm also quite excited about second-round pick Luke Adam, who's 6'1 and 210 pounds, describing himself as a power forward. I feel a future Muckers and Grinders favorite in the making with that pick.

As for the draft party itself, it was okay. I was thoroughly disappointed by the lack of Sabres in attendance (no offense, Mike Funk and Tim Kennedy). However, the locker room tour was pretty awesome and almost made up for the whole Goose in Europe thing:

The lounge looks like the Brady Bunch's living room - they need a new interior decorator

The trainer's room was pretty cool - I like the picture of the Cup looming over everything like some sort of all-seeing presence

In honor of Heather B. - Hank's lovely locker

I was surprised that Pommer's locker wasn't covered in pictures of rainbows and etchings of "Pommers + System 4EVER"

The highlight of the tour for me (I wanted to just sit in there and wait until he comes back)

And finally...the only thing Darcy did not do according to my wish list...

Trade Max. Darcy, I know you said you tried, but all I can say is TRY HARDER. We have too many forwards, and if you have to let Goose go because no one wants Max, I might have to take drastic action.