They're Back...

I never thought I'd say this...

Thank God Patrick Lalime is in goal tonight.

No offense to Jhonas Enroth, who I'm sure is a great kid, but we need someone who has at least, at some point, proven that they can handle tending goal in a game as big as this one is for our team. Even though he may not be the ideal goalie for us, Lalime has experience, which Enroth simply can't supply.

This is what I like to see - Lalime by the net with the puck not in it

In other news of the joyous variety, it seems that Thomas Vanek is not only back skating but skating well enough to move his timetable up for his return. What was recently deemed another two weeks has been moved to one.

Next Wednesday. I don't know about you, but I got a little emotional just thinking about seeing that Austrian face (behind his cage) mercilessly screening goalies again. I'll give you a second to wipe your misty eyes.

Still no word on Ryan's ankle, but it should make the situation even a little bit better having Vanek back out there. We counted on him so much at the beginning of the season, and I have faith that he could really help this team just when it needs help the most.

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.

20 For 26

This is the face of clutch...

...and it is a very nice face indeed.

Not only did Thomas Vanek take over sole possession of the league-lead in goals, he did it on a goal that his team needed in order to put away one of the Beasts of the East.

Vanek also had some great defensive plays last night that are making me wonder just how good he is going to be in this league. Yes, I just said "going to be." Sometimes we forget that he is only 24, and the best may still be yet to come for him. As of this point, I'll just stick to being glad that we're getting the best that he has right now because it's pretty fantastic stuff to watch.

Another thing I love about Vanek is that acts like he's been there before. He's never the showboat, always the professional. He'll accept praise when it's due, but he's more than willing to face the media and take the blame when he messes up on the ice. I think last year taught him a lot. He's a lot older than his years, with a wife and son to prove that observation. I think some of his teammates could learn a little from their younger Sabre-brother on how to act like grown-ups (yes, I am talking about Derek Roy).

Now I must return to studying for finals. Two more to go (both English writing finals - ugh!), and then I'll be done for the semester and ready for much more blogging!

The Good, the Bad, and the Bolts

The Good:

* Winning! It didn't have to be pretty; it just had to be a win, and that's what it was. The offense was clicking for what felt like the first time in a long time. I know not to get too excited with this team, but I also know that it's nice to be happy after a hockey game for once.

* The fact that the Sabres were physical, winning battles and showing that they wouldn't get pushed around. Mair beating on Downie for his hit on Max was nice to see; I love it when guys defend their teammates.

* Goose's first fight of the season. I only got to hear it on the radio, and I know it wasn't much. However, it's still great to see him doing this again:

* Thomas Vanek scoring his 19th of the season. It's nice to see a star develop right before our eyes, and I especially like that he still seems to be flying under the radar. I'm fine with that; he's our little special secret.

* Seeing Nate Gerbe up with the big club. Besides his one penalty at the start, I thought he played to his strengths nicely. He used his feet and was surprisingly difficult to push off the puck for his size (or lack thereof). I wanted him to score so badly, but there will be plenty of time for that. I hope he gets a chance to make it hard for them to send him back to Portland.

No, he's not kneeling behind the net; he really is that much shorter than Drew, but that's why I love him.

* My Unsung Hero of the Game, Jochen Hecht. With a goal and a fight, he was an assist away from the Gordie Howe hat trick. I love when guys who don't normally fight do something to spark their team; it shows real leadership. Plus, he helped my fantasy team out a lot tonight in the goals and penalty minutes departments. Thanks, Jochen, and thanks for making Vinny Lecavalier a little less gorgeous by giving him a nice shiner.

The Bad:

* The fact that we were giving away leads like the Sabres were my dad when I was little and wanted everything to be tied so no one felt bad about themselves. Good teams go in for the kill after they score; they put the team away. We open the door back open for them right after we appeared to have slammed it shut. This is not kindergarten where everyone gets a chance to score; this is the NHL, even though the two may be interchangeable at times (see Avery, Sean).

* I have to admit, as much as I was sticking up to Ryan after Lindy called him out, I didn't love his play tonight. I didn't hate it, but it certainly wasn't the "lights out" approach Lindy was looking for. However, he did make stops in the the third when we needed him to.

* Stupid penalties. It's a good thing out PK unit is so hot right now.

The Ugly:

* Those Tampa jerseys. "Bolts"? Really?

Now That's More Like It

This lovely pic of Millsey courtesy of sabres.com

Dear Buffalo Sabres,

Thank you for winning. Thank you for not ruining my Halloween party by losing in embarrassing fashion once again. I've let you off the hook lately because I've been in my cold-induced haze, but thanks for making it easy to watch you again.

PS: Isn't defense fun? You should keep trying it every game!

Dear Ryan Miller,

I was so worried you'd give up your patented shutout-ruining goal in the last minute that I made everyone stop playing Apples to Apples just to watch you. You totally deserve Pigeon of the Game, by the way.

Dear Thomas Vanek,

Carry on.

More on this tomorrow when I've watched the highlights properly and am (hopefully) not as strung out on cold medicine.

A Love-Hate Kind of Game

Things I hate:

• Versus commentators. Listening to them, you would have thought that the Sabres were off to last season's start. I mean, I know they didn't play perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but you would have thought you were witnessing a total domination by the Bruins, which, by the second period, was hardly the case. However, they did provide me with the "that's what she said" moment of the game when they kept referring to Manny Fernandez's "big stick." Yes, I am 12 years old.
• Looking like we were the team coming off back-to-back games in the first period.
• When they interview players on the bench during the game. These guys need to be focused; they don't need a pretty commentator asking them dumb questions while play is actually going on.
• How much my heart rate increases during shootouts.

Things I love:

• Drew Stafford coming up big in regulation and the shootout. That tying goal was a thing of beauty.
• Ryan Miller making a case to be considered one of the league's elite goalies. He was a rock once again, and I love his post-shootout celebrations because they seem so against his usually stoic nature. I love when he lets his guard down.
• Thomas Vanek staying hot and saving the game in the shootout, his Achilles' heel last season:

You can't stop him. You can only hope to contain him, and you can't even do that right now.

• Watching the boys give each other facewashes, noogies, and high fives after that win. I love when their inner dorks come out in a moment of victory. Besides, if I had just gotten two points when it looked like I wasn't supposed to get one, I would want a group hug, too:

My Unsung Hero of the Game goes to Clarke MacArthur, who has quietly amassed three goals this season, a season in which he wasn't even supposed to be on the starting roster.

Everyone Loves Winning (Especially Thomas Vanek)

But sometimes, there is such a thing as too much love, boys...

I think that this goal celebration may be the best I've ever seen, and I'm not normally one for naming something the best a mere two hours after I saw it on the highlights. Look at it again though and tell me it's not made of all things fantastic:



That's passion right there, ladies and gentlemen. It's passion for winning, passion for the game, passion for sharing the glory with your teammates.

I can't really name an unsung hero because I saw "Legally Blonde" tonight instead of the game (which was a pretty cute show by the way), so I'll just continue the trend of giving Thomas Vanek all the praise he can get. He deserves it, and I think if he keeps playing with this fire he can lead us to great things this season.

Things That Make Me Happy...

Thomas Vanek. Thomas Vanek on the PP. Thomas Vanek on the PK. Thomas Vanek on pace to now score 136.67 (ish) goals this season.

Beating the Rangers. Beating the Rangers in New York. Beating the Rangers to hand them their first loss and get Lindy's 400th win. Beating the Rangers at their own defensive game.

Watching Thomas Vanek beat Chris Drury to seal the game and hearing him specifically mention that in his postgame interview. Watching Chris Drury lose to the boys he left behind.

Seeing the desire and effort in this team so far this season and having the feeling it's not going to let up any time soon.

My Unsung Hero of the Game goes to Lindy Ruff. Many congratulations on your 400th win and even more congratulations for getting everyone to buy into team defense this year. I honestly was ready to see us lose this one, and I am so proud that they proved me (and pretty much everyone else) wrong.


More to come when I'm not falling asleep at the keyboard.

7 Things for 7 Goals

First of all, the Muckers and Grinders Unsung Player of the Game Award goes to Danny Paille for some absolutely beautiful assists on the goals by Vanek and MacArthur.

Now, in honor of the seven goals the Sabres scored this afternoon, I offer seven observations about a very nice 7-1 win over the NY Islanders:

1. I LOVE Craig Rivet. I know that he probably should have just let Mair handle himself. I know he may get suspended for jumping in. I also know that he is exactly what this team has needed for so long. Today he showed that no one can push this team around. Yes, I did just say that no one can push the Sabres around anymore. It's been so long since that's been true, and it feels so good to say that. Captain Craig is not only a true leader; he is a true mucker and grinder of the highest order.
   
2. The character of this team is changing, and it's for the better. I know it's only two games, but sometimes you can just feel it. You can feel the desperation, the drive to prove themselves once again. You can see the heart and the effort in every shift, and you can sense the maturity starting to settle upon these boys. I don't know much about the technicalities of hockey, but I do know that, if they play every game (or even most of them) like these first two, I will be a very happy and proud Sabres fan.
   
3. I think Point 2 is directly a result of Point 1, as well as a new hatred for losing that last season taught them.
   
4. With three goals in two games, Thomas Vanek is on pace to score 123 goals this season (yes, I did the math). Seriously, though, I love his visible fire this season. You can tell that he is proud to finally be on the PK unit, and I'm so glad he got rewarded for what I feel is solid shorthanded work with the first shorty of his NHL career.
   
5. If I was an Islanders fan, I would be embarrassed tonight. It's never a pretty thing to watch a hockey team simply give up before your eyes. I'm still having trouble deciding if the Sabres were just that good or if the Isles were just that bad. Related to this, does anyone have a picture of Mike Comrie waving the white flag in the penalty box?
   
6. This picture is the greatest thing ever:
7. I wish Goose could have been in that fight, and I'm sure he does, too. It seems like almost every time a brawl erupts (see,Ottawa Brawl), Goose isn't there. Watch the video again and picture Goose out there instead of Max, and think of just how much greater an already great piece of pugilism could have been:

And an extra thought for the one goal the Islanders got against the very solid play of the adorable Patrick Lalime:

8. Trent Edwards is practicing again, and I for one could not be happier. Sorry, JP, even you have to admit that we were lost without him.

Finally, I would like to offer my deepest condolensces to the family and friends of Alexei Cherepanov, the Rangers prospect who, at 19, passed away on the ice during a game in Russia today. RIP, Alexei; things like this are so terrible to hear about that I honestly have no words...

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.