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?

Swinging for the Fences

The title of this post covers a multitude of sports news from the past couple of days:

• The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be looking to hit a home run with all of the money they've thrown around this off season. Their latest move has been signing Vinny "I'm so beautiful it hurts" Lecavalier to an 11-year, $85 million contract. Now, I love Vinny as much as the next female hockey fan, but sometimes, swinging for the fences means you might strike out every once in a while. Let's think about this...11 years? Vinny may look baby-faced, but he's already 28. By the time his contract is up, he'll be 40 years old. Tampa's new owners are starting to look more and more ridiculous to me. If we head towards another lockout, we'll have contracts like this to thank.

Maybe I'm just jealous that this gorgeous piece of hockey player will never be a Sabre.

• My sister's softball team had a pretty productive weekend in Rochester. They went 2-1 in their triple-header in 90-plus degree heat. Of course, the scorching heat was followed by torrential downpours during the elimination round on Sunday. We waited at the diamonds for 3 HOURS in the monsoon before they called the games. Let me tell you, there has never been a longer two hours of my life than the ride back to Buffalo in a car with a disappointed, wet, and tired teenage softball player.

• Tonight, at 8 p.m. on ESPN is the 2008 MLB Home Run Derby. I don't consider myself a baseball fanatic, but I am a casual fan. I've taken a side in the great Yankees-Red Sox debate (I'm a sucker for pinstripes), and I really like the Cleveland Indians - mainly because I go to Bisons games, so I know who many of them are. As a casual fan, I always get excited for the Home Run Derby. I know it can get long and boring, but it just seems like a lot of fun. Plus, this year, some of my favorites are participating:

1. Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)

He's a rookie, he's adorable, and his name is so close to a Desperate Housewife that I smile every time I hear it.

2. Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers)

After battling drug addiction following being pegged as a future superstar, I can only imagine how rewarding this season and this recognition must be for him. I'm a sucker for a great human-interest story, and his comeback is one of the best.

3. Grady Sizemore (Cleveland Indians)

My favorite player in the Majors, Grady is a former Buffalo Bison doing us proud in the Big Leagues. Not only is he a good player, he is downright beautiful. I'll be rooting for him tonight, if only to see his face on my TV for a few more hours.

Finally, I got lots of requests for where I bought my "Buffalo Likes it Ruff" shirt. The answer is Bay 6 Buffalo Clothing in the Southgate Plaza in West Seneca. This store directory lists their phone number; I wish they had a website. They have lots of other cool Sabres, Bills, and Buffalo t-shirts there, too. If you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely check it out!

Pommer and Kaner and Ovie - Oh My!

It's time to talk about the award show everyone was glued to last night...

Bravo's A-List Awards!

Just kidding!

The NHL gave out its annual awards last night, and, of course, they had to schedule the ceremony while I was still at work. That, combined with my family's aversion to getting Tivo, means that all I have to base my opinions on are the photos from Yahoo!, the brief but helpful new coverage, and the recaps provided by all of my favorite bloggers.

What I missed:

• Alexander Ovechkin can now add Hart Trophy and Pearson Award-winner to his resume along with his invention of the concepts of "fun" and "enthusiasm."


• Vinny Lecavalier spoke in French during his acceptance speech for the award for being not only beautiful on the outside but the inside as well. It may be a good thing I missed this because my body may not have recovered from the massive swooning.


• Apparently, voters think that Pavel Datsyuk is more of a gentleman than Jason Pominville. That's ok, Pommers, if they gave out awards for dedication to "The System" and most endearingly delusional optimism - you would win in a heartbeat. Oh well, you still get to room with Goose, which, in my mind, is better than any award.


• Pat Kane is doing nothing to combat my desire to marry him and join his adorable family. His speech was delivered surprisingly well - you did us proud once again, Kaner!

And now for the award that really matters: Katie's Most Attractive Man of the Evening Award (and the 3 runners-up - because I just want an excuse to post pretty pictures of studly men):

4.) Jarome Iginla

The smile! The polka dots! I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to watch the West before I loved Iggy.

3.) Vinny Lecavalier

I know that he shaved his beautiful head, but he is still more attractive than 99% of all the men I've ever seen.

2.) Jason Pominville

I like the lighting in this picture - it makes him look even more like the cute, little angel that he really is. Now, that is the face of a gentleman (no offense, Datsyuk).

1.) Patrick Kane

I need to get out more if there are other guys like him wandering around our fair city.