Sep

30

Last night’s preseason game was another eventful evening that proved further how well the Sabres can play. After some questionable moments and action-packed plays, Buffalo eventually came out ahead to beat the Penguins 4-3. Once again, the power play unit was unstoppable, going 2 for 6 and generating the types of chances that boosted the team’s playing style. Afinogenov was one to watch, as he seemed to be everywhere and made his presence known with a lot of aggressive play. The team did take some careless penalties, but the overall control has markedly increased during the preseason. This was also the first game that Connolly and Kalinin played, after suffering from minor injuries earlier this month. So much for easing back into the game! Kalinin scored a goal on an amazing shot during the second period, and also set up the game winning goal in the third period, scored by none other than Tim Connolly. Other scorers for the Sabres were Pominville and, not surprisingly, Derek Roy.

Now that the preseason is over, many of the doubts about how the team could possibly survive after the losses of Briere and Drury have been silenced. It has been said before, and it will continue to be said: The Buffalo Sabres have a team filled with talent that has not fallen apart, contrary to some reporters. Last night, Tallinder wore the C, while Connolly and Gaustad were honored with the A. Although it does seem like there will be some sort of rotating captaincy, everyone on this team can play their hearts out. Time for another great season!

Sabres New HD Scoreboard

The new HD scoreboard was also unveiled at the final preseason game, and was something to see! The four screens show pretty much everything that goes on, and the puck looks like more than just a pixelated problem. It is also easy to see from everywhere, and goes a long way towards giving the arena its own sort of feel. While watching the game, it was actually better to watch some angles on the scoreboard. This move also puts the Sabres near the front of innovation, being one of the few arenas to have a state-of-the-art high definition scoreboard. Now to hope that nothing like what happened to the former jumbotron will happen!

Fixing the Briere ProblemIt was a sad state of things to see hundreds of Briere jerseys milling about. Honestly, he is gone, and should be labeled as dead to the fans! Fortunately, there was one smart woman among the rest who solved the problem. This is how to fix the issue associated with traded players: DUCT TAPE! An ingenious method, and something that holds a lesson for anyone with a jersey. Oh how my fellow fans never cease to amaze me!


HockeyGiant.com

Sep

28

Quite literally, it was the end of the third period that gave the Sabres a 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins! Once again, Derek Roy was on fire with his attacks, scoring two goals and assisting on two others. He has clearly stepped into his new leadership role, as have many others on the team. We also witnessed defensemen entering more and more plays this game, which included goals by Tallinder and Campbell. Another positive point was the number of penalties, which was not too terrible tonight. Taking semi-ridiculous ones, though, is no way to win a game.

Tonight’s game was filled with a lot of suspense, as the Sabres stormed ahead to an early lead 1:26 into the first period. The Penguins came back to lead at certain points, but Buffalo always came back to tie the score and come out ahead. There does seem to be a trend to slack off a little in the second period. The plays during the first and third periods seem to make up for this, but it is difficult to have to completely change strategies each period. More consistency in game play would be much more beneficial. No one can truly complain, since the whole team is coming together nicely! Aside from some random falls and spills, the Sabres played pretty well.

The next game is tomorrow, September 29, at 7:00 PM against the Penguins. This is the final preseason game, and a homecoming of sorts for the team. Die By The Blade will have another open game thread, which is highly recommended. We will actually be attending this game, which is said to be the debut of the new HD scoreboard. There is also an autograph session after the game with some or all of the players, which will hopefully make for some great photos. We look forward to sharing our experiences with the fans!

Sep

26

After watching, or more like listening, to the Sabres struggle to score for the past few games, tonight’s outing was clearly different and much more rewarding. Beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2, the Sabres have a lot to be proud of! The power play unit was, once again, quite successful, going 2-for-5 and generating chance after chance. The biggest problem with the previous preseason games was Buffalo’s lack of aggressiveness from the start. Tonight, they came out with a bang, scoring just 1 minute and 24 seconds into the first period! There was a time during the second period that they seemed to come apart a bit, but everyone really came together to generate a really amazing game. The top honors obviously go to Derek Roy, who ended up with a hat trick and three assists! His short-handed breakaway goal would have been quite exciting to watch, had the game been televised for Buffalo fans.

The Sabres’ next preseason game is on Friday, September 28, at 7:30 PM. This will be another away game, and we encourage all to join us at Die By The Blade for the open thread discussion!

Sep

25

Today, the Sabres reported the retirement of broadcaster and color commentator Jim Lorentz. He spent the past 26 years with the Sabres, and was a famed member of the Jeanneret-Lorentz duo. This announcement was a sudden surprise, as there really was no sign of anyone leaving the team. The Sabres last preseason game is apparently the last we will hear of Lorentz, as the rest of the preseason games will feature different former Sabres players. What will happen this season?! There will obviously be someone to take the color commentary job, but no one can completely replace Lorentz.

This brings up a good point about the importance of a team’s broadcasters. The majority of people do not make it to every game, and rely on radio and TV broadcasters to bring the game into their homes. It is also not an easy find to come across two broadcasters who could add such entertainment and knowledge to a game, like Jeanneret and Lorentz. Most of the focus has been on the calls of Rick Jeanneret, but it was Jim Lorentz who often brought in the outside facts, and even corrected some mistakes here and there. It will be difficult for Sabres fans to accept the many losses that the team has taken this year, but Lorentz will be one man who will be forever missed.

Thanks for all of the years of unforgettable commentary, Lorentz! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and will miss you!

Sep

24

Tonight was a bit of a disappointment after yesterday’s shootout win, with the Sabres falling 2-1 to Minnesota. Throughout the entire game, a lot of scoring opportunities were generated. However, it was difficult for anyone to capitalize. Only Gogulla was able to find the back of the net on a power play goal during the second period. One of the biggest issues with the game was the amount of penalties, which eliminated any chances of a goal during the early and middle of the third period.

Credit goes to Stafford and Spacek, who put in valiant efforts in the waning seconds to generate a lot of chances. Again, though, chances do not amount to goals. This preseason has shown that the Sabres have a lot of talent intact, but need to work on their gameplay in order to succeed during the “real” season. This new fad of falling behind early, as I discussed with D.O. at Die By The Blade, is far from amusing. The team needs to come out aggressive and strong, rather than allowing their opponents to set the pace of the game. Thibault seemed to have done pretty well in net tonight, aside from some wild plays.

Is there such thing as a “good” loss? No. Yet tonight showed that the team has something going. Maybe having a full lineup with all of the regulars will help out. There is still another week and a half until the start of the season! Plenty of time to work on passing, control, and team dynamics. And a chance for another Peters fight!

The next game is Wednesday, September 26, at 7:30 PM, and will be broadcast online by WGR 550. The Sabres have the distinct privilege of playing against those blasted Maple Leafs. Or Leaves… Sabres Center Ice will be back over at Die By The Blade, so feel free to stop in to talk about the game!

Sep

23

Courtesy of WGR 550, Sabres fans were able to enjoy the second preseason game online. It did appear like it might have been a repeat of Friday night’s loss, but the Sabres rallied time and time again to tie the game and, ultimately, win! Kotalik tied the score at 1-1 in the second, while Pominville helped push the game into overtime at 2-2. There were a lot of great things that happened during the game. For example, the power play unit scored a critical goal, and also generated a lot of scoring chances throughout the night. It did seem like puck control and passing were a bit problematic, but this team has a lot to offer. Everyone, from Afinogenov to Zagrapan, contributed something to the overall game. In true fashion, Peters offered us another show with not one, but two fights during the first period! Enforcers may be phasing out of the NHL, but they still have a place on every team.

The Sabres next preseason game is Monday, September 24, at 8:00 PM. Die By The Blade has an amazing live, open-thread feature, allowing fans from all over to talk about the game while it is going on. Make sure to sign up and add to the discussion tomorrow night: Look for Sabres Center Ice to be there!

Sep

22

The first shot at this season came as a loss for the Sabres as they were beaten by the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1. It was a bit of a disappointment, judging by the fact that the team is under a good deal of scrutiny due to their off-season losses. Still, preseason games are not always a perfect indicator of how the season will go. Let’s Go Sabres provided a good deal of additional information and some lesser-known facts about the game. Being an untelevised game, interest may have waned from the radio coverage. Somehow, one just has to have Jeanneret and Lorentz in real-time! The two teams will meet again on Sunday, September 23, at 5:00 PM EST. Hopefully this time around will see a well-deserved win, and an exciting time. It will be difficult to top Andrew Peters’ performance, though!

Sep

20

Thank you, Adam Mair and Patrick Kaleta for your time tonight at Dave and Adam’s Store! We really enjoyed being able to take a few photos, and getting our mountain of items signed! It can not have been the most exciting night for you guys, signing picture after picture and puck after puck. All of your fans appreciate the time you spent with us this evening!

It is a completely different experience to see the Sabres outside of the hockey world, yet one that is very much appreciated. It was nice to see a mixed group of fans coming together to support the players! Our raucous Sabres obsessions were satisfied.

Adam Mair, Jessica, and Patrick Kaleta

The next appearance by the Sabres at the store will be on October 2nd, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Andrew Peters and Nathan Paetsch will be in attendance! Tickets are on sale now, and we already purchased ours! Meeting the players has been a very rewarding experience, and we are looking forward to meeting more of the players throughout the season. Hopefully this will be a way for fans of all ages to meet their favorite players in person! Thanks again to Adam and Patrick for their time, and we hope to see them again at Dave and Adam’s Store! Best of luck during the season!

Sep

18

To make the offseason seem a little shorter, our friends at Dave & Adam’s Store will be having several autograph sessions with various Sabres players over the next month! All of the information is listed on their web site, along with some additional material. All tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis, and must be purchased in either of the store locations. We will be traveling to all of the events, and we hope many will join us!

September 20th: Patrick Kaleta and Adam Mair at Dave & Adam’s Store Transit Location
(5575 Transit Road, Williamsville, NY 14221) 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Map

Two 8×10 Photos (One per Player): $12
Two Pucks (One per Player): $12
Individual Kaleta Extra Ticket Item: $5
Individual Mair Extra Ticket Item: $5

October 2nd: Nathan Paetsch and Andrew Peters at Dave & Adam’s Store Transit Location
(5575 Transit Road, Williamsville, NY 14221) 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Map

Two 8×10 Photos (One per Player): $14
Two Pucks (One per Player): $14
Individual Paetsch Extra Item Ticket: $6
Individual Peters Extra Item Ticket: $6

October 16th: Jason Pominville and Jocelyn Thibault at Dave & Adam’s Store Sheridan Location
(2790 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150) 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Map

Two 8×10 Photos (One per Player): $18
Two Pucks (One per Player): $18
Individual Pominville Extra Ticket Item: $9
Individual Thibault Extra Ticket Item: $9

Thanks again to Dave & Adam’s Store, and make sure to stop in for some great prices on Sabres merchandise!

Sep

17

Official AMP NHL Winter Classic LogoAfter weeks of speculation, and some ridiculously obvious news articles, the NHL announced the AMP NHL Winter Classic, which will take place on January 1, 2008, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course it is exciting to see the Sabres taking part in a piece of history, but recent articles about a major announcement at Ralph Wilson Stadium kind of ruined the suspense factor. Now that it is official, tickets are slated to go on sale September 18, 2007 at 10:00 AM EST. The prices are not too bad, considering how much could have been charged. The Seating and Pricing Chart shows a range of $29 to $203. The obstructed seats seem to have a ticket price of $10, according to Let’s Go Sabres. Getting everything to move along smoothly should be the biggest challenge, but the Ice Bowl, now the AMP NHL Winter Classic, will come! To top it all off, it will be broadcast nationally in the U.S. by NBC, and by CBC and RDS in Canada. Finally, some well-deserved coverage for the Sabres!

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