The Terrible Twos

Today, Muckers and Grinders turns two!

I know, boys, I'm excited too!

I know this year has been an uneventful one around these parts, and I honestly feel awful that I didn't post more. Between internships, jobs, and finishing up my final year in college, I would always be late to even think about a post, and, by then, someone else would have already said what I wanted to say a thousand times better than I ever could.

Well, now I'm done with school. Forever. My last exam at Canisius was Wednesday, and I graduate the 22nd. Hopefully, this means that I will actually have time to be a legitimate blogger again, even as I frantically search for a job. (If anyone's looking to hire someone with great editing skills, let me know!)

Lots of changes will be taking place in my life in the coming weeks and months, and I hope that they're positive ones - especially for M&G. To those of you who still read my stuff, thanks for sticking around.

My Version of Draft Analysis

If you have ever read this blog before (or even glanced at its name), you know what kind of hockey players I like - big, tough, gritty players who win by physical punishment and force of will rather than fancy feats of skating prowess. It's been that way ever since I can remember watching hockey; I've always gravitated towards the worker bees and tough guys.

Therefore, it should be no surprise to anyone that all who know me and my hockey preferences have been coming up to me in the last couple of days saying the same thing:

"You must be really happy with the draft this year."

Let's see: The Sabres used their first-round pick on Zack Kassian, labelled the toughest player in the draft. They drafted no player under 6'1, 187 lbs. They took the son of a former captain, a young player that has been compared to my favorite player.

Yeah, I'd say "happy" pretty much covers it.

I know that there's a chance that some of these kids will never see the NHL. Even the best probably won't be on the team right away. Still, though, the team at least acted like they know what they are sorely lacking right now. They addressed their needs, which is all you can really evaluate in the NHL draft.

With all that being said, I now present "Katie's Completely Unnecessary Guide to the Sabres 2009 Draft Picks":

1. Zack Kassian

• States that his shootout move is a "shot" - I love a guy who doesn't over-think things.
• Favorite restaurant is Applebee's - This boy needs to be introduced to the Buffalo culinary scene. Now.
• Calls himself "the guy that just sits at home and plays video games" - Is there any way we can keep him away from Tim Connolly at training camp every year? He needs to stay this innocent boy and not be introduced to the debauchery of Chippewa.

3. Brayden McNabb

• Hails from the beautiful town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. You know who else calls Saskatoon home?

Colby Armstrong. This automatically makes him fantastic just by proximity to my favorite non-Sabre NHL player.

• Likes Harry Potter books - he would have earned even more points with me if he would have specifically said Prisoner of Azkaban.
• Patterns his game after Calgary's Robin Regehr. I love Regehr's ability to stay relatively unnoticed, which is a good thing for a defensive defenseman. I became a big fan of his two years ago, so it's nice to see him mentioned by one of our prospects.

4. Marcus Foligno

• Was born August 10, 1991 - We share a birthday! But he's three years younger than I am and getting more press than I will ever receive. Oh well, I'll look past the bitterness and enjoy the fact that I now actually know someone with my birthday.
• Was compared to Paul Gaustad, which automatically makes him my new favorite prospect. However, this comparison was about how he needs to work on his skating just like Goose did. Still, though, if he has the work ethic of his dad, I think he'll succeed just like Goose did.

5. Mark Adams

• Smallest Sabres draft pick this year
• Still in high school - God, I feel so old!

6. Connor Knapp

• Undecided major at Miami (Ohio) University
• As a goalie at 6'5, 215 lbs., he makes Ryan Miller (6'2, 166 lbs.) seem like even more of a twig than we already thought he was.

7. Maxime Legault

• Plays for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL, the same team Jason Pomiville played for.
• Is only about a year younger than I am (5/28/89), which makes me feel somewhat better about myself.

Question for all of you Facebook users out there - now that these boys are so much younger than I am, is it creepy to request to be their friend? I'd appreciate any and all opinions on this very important matter (because I know how much this matters to all of my readers...or not...).

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.

What Have I Done with my Life?

This is the question I've been asking myself since seeing that I am nearly two years older that everyone the Sabres have drafted this year. Seriously, I'm going into my Junior year of college and these boys are just finishing high school! At the tender age of 18, they are future NHL-ers, and, at 19 years and (nearly 11 months), I am...a sure-fire draft pick for the National Term Paper Writer League. Don't laugh, I take my future with the NTPWL very seriously.

So today, I have decided to play stalker - I mean, investigative journalist - and provide some fun facts about each of our newest Buffalo Sabres. Most of these exciting pieces of random information come straight from the official 2008 NHL Draft website

1. Tyler Myers

• Is very tall
• Models his game after Chris Pronger - hopefully without the whole stepping on people with skate blades thing
• Going out to dinner is a favorite hobby of his. (Private to Tall Tyler - there are some great places to eat in Buffalo, if you wouldn't mind a girl 18 inches shorter than you showing you around)
• If he could invite three people to dinner, one would be Jarome Iginla. Did I mention I like this kid already?

2. Tyler Ennis

• Is not so tall
• Likes chicken wings - he should fit in fine here
• His goal celebration is the one knee fist pump made famous here by Danny Briere. Um, Tiny Tyler? Derek Roy already has dibs on that celebration - and he doesn't seem to be one who shares well with others.
• "mmmBop" is on his iPod. It takes a guy whose comfortable in his masculinity to admit to listening to Hanson.

3. Luke Adam

• Is a Facebook addict because he accepted my friend request literally 15 minutes after I sent it, which has secured his spot as a new Muckers and Grinders favorite.
• Models his game after Vinny Lecavalier. We can only hope he will grow up to look like him as well.
• His favorite shootout move is "Going cheese." I don't know what that is - but I can't wait to hear RJ call that!
• One of his friends believes that Buffalo is a great city to go to, hopefully he agrees (I guess he's here for the prospect camp).

4. Corey Fienhage

• May be a worse Facebook addict than his future teammate. I clicked on the request button, and literally two minutes later, he was my "friend."
• Likes to cook Easy Mac, which is about the extent of my culinary prowess as well.
• He is a choir boy. Maybe some of this image will rub off on Tim Connolly (please just let it not be the other way around).
• Believes that Tom Hanks "changed history."...Well, no one said they had to be deep thinkers to play hockey.

5. Justin Jokinen

• Has great taste in books (To Kill a Mockingbird) and movies (Miracle)
• Has "The One" by the Backstreet Boys on his iPod. Now Justin, as a die hard BSB fan from back in the day, there are many more profound songs you could choose..."I Want it that Way"? "All I Have to Give"? "Shape of my Heart"?

6. Jordon Southorn

• His nickname is "Southy"
• Wants to bulk up more - maybe Tiny Tyler can make him some wings and Corey Fienhage can make some Easy Mac for a side dish

7. Nick Crawford

• Is a defenseman
• Is our seventh pick - seven is a lucky number
• Has very little written about him

In other news - Happy 20th Birthday to Sabres goalie prospect Jhonas Enroth! Thanks for being older than I am, "Jhonas Brother"!