Nov

30

Wednesday was a painful loss for the Sabres, although it was not something the team deserved. The winning streak may have been broken, but no one in Buffalo doubts the abilities of the team to continue to dominate the NHL. The game was exceptionally good, with everyone putting forth their full efforts. Only two penalties were taken during the entire night, showing the control and discipline of the Buffalo Sabres that we have not been seeing lately.

Jason Pominville, Ales Kotalik, and Andrej Sekera scored for Buffalo, keeping hopes alive. As always, Ryan Miller kept his team in the game up until the final minute, although a defensive meltdown was more to blame for the loss. In any event, the Sabres looked pretty good, even without earning any points.

Buffalo next plays on Saturday, December 1, at 7:00 PM against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Nov

29

A quick reminder that Drew Stafford will be appearing at Dave and Adam’s Store at the Sheridan location (Map) tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Good luck to all making the trip! This is the last scheduled autograph signing at the store until late December or January, so make sure to meet Stafford tonight!

Nov

27

For nearly 30 years, the Buffalo Sabres and the Rochester Amerks have been partnered together. Most of the Sabres’ talent has come from the Amerks, and there is no better place for extra conditioning and training. However, Tom Golisano, owner of the Buffalo Sabres, spoke today about how the unbreakable relationship may be coming to an end. The Democrat and Chronicle carried news of possibly cutting the ties. Reasons for the relationship breakdown include financial instability for the Amerks, as well as ambiguous interests in purchasing the team. From the accounts available, one might assume that the parties involved are just acting immaturely. It seems impossible that the Sabres and the Amerks would break apart. For one, where would the young talent come from? What about the farm team? This 30 year old relationship is a key to both franchises, as western New York fans often owe their allegiance to both teams. This news was astonishing to hear, and the future of the Amerks-Sabres so-called marriage is very uncertain. We will keep you up-to-date on any more developments. For the time being, we can only hope that Golisano and Steve Donner, owner of the Amerks, can come together and understand the bond between the teams.

Nov

26

Congratulations to our Sabres on a five game winning streak! It took some time to get the season going, yet this success shows no signs of stopping. Jochen Hecht was, by far, the best player in the most recent winning. Scoring twice and assisting on Jason Pominville’s goal, he simply dominated the ice. This is a great sign, as he has been a little invisible lately. Of course he always plays the game to the fullest, yet Hecht has been in his own little slump. Overall, the Buffalo Sabres are becoming the unstoppable force that they have always been known for. This identity has carried them through thick and thin, combined with the confidence and determination of each individual player.

The team will try to continue their winning streak on Wednesday, November 28, at 7:00 PM against the St. Louis Blues. Time for another spectacular performance!

Nov

24

A four game winning streak? You better believe it! The Buffalo Sabres are currently on fire, both in regards to scoring and keeping out goals. Jaroslav Spacek, Thomas Vanek, and Jochen Hecht scored for the Sabres, capitalizing on some excellent scoring opportunities. Leading up to the win was the underlying desire to win: The Sabres flew into the Canadiens’ zone, beat out the defense, and simply put in the effort to keep themselves ahead. The first period looked a little dead-locked, with no goals scored and both teams looking pretty good. The key factor? Jocelyn Thibault, playing in his third game this season, was amazing! He stopped shots that looked like guaranteed goals, and was fully on-track for a full 60 minutes. Although he may not be the starting goaltender in the majority of the games, it is obvious that Thibault has a vital role on the team, and can easily cover the net. He was aided by the defensive corps, which played a very complete game. Unfortunately, Henrik Tallinder was injured at the end of the second period, forcing him to miss the final 20 minutes. With Dmitri Kalinin already out, one hopes that he will be OK very soon! Aside from the injuries beginning to plague the team, the Sabres are looking like the team we all knew still existed!

Buffalo’s next game is on Monday, November 26, at 7:00 PM against the Washington Capitals. With the way the team is playing, an extended winning streak looks like it can boost the Sabres above last place in their division! Make sure to tune in!

Nov

24

The Sabres continue to look better and better with each passing game. Last night was another 60 minutes of full-fledged dominance, culminating in several spectacular goals and even more confident defensive playing. The Canadiens did manage to come together to somewhat take control during the second period and parts of the third period, yet the Buffalo Sabres kept themselves on top all night long. Exciting times, indeed! Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Thomas Vanek, and Daniel Paille each scored for Buffalo, showing once and for all how scoring opportunities can be completed! The power play was also something to keep an eye on. The Sabres generated many set-ups, and were able to go 2-for-3 during the night. Although one would be hard-pressed to say that the power play unit has been struggling, it is good to see the confidence of our team building in other areas. The one player who has continued to stay consistent is Ryan Miller. His abilities have kept the Buffalo Sabres alive more often than not, and he deserves a lot of credit for not just stopping pucks, but stopping them in style. Early into the season, many of his saves will be remembered as some of the greatest. Congratulations to our team on a three game winning streak!

The Sabres will next play tonight, November 24, at 7:00 PM against the Montreal Canadiens. A nice showdown has been set up, and it will be interesting to see how both teams react to one another.  One thing is for sure: So long as Buffalo keeps the momentum on their side, a nice “W” shall be lying in wait!

Nov

22

The majority of the Buffalo Sabres season has seen them struggle through the first period and have problems converting scoring opportunities. That is, until now. Many wondered if the extended break from last Friday’s game to last night’s game would erase the momentum and confidence that had started to build. Even after just 20 minutes of gameplay, it was clear that Buffalo still had everything going for them. Mike Ryan, Ales Kotalik, and Derek Roy buried the Senators and spoiled Emery’s return to goaltending. The goal scorers deserve credit for putting the Sabres ahead early in the first period, yet those players who earned assists were the true genius behind the goals. For instance, Thomas Vanek held the puck for an insanely long period of time, forcing Emery to commit himself and allowing Vanek to easily pass the puck to Roy. Pure beauty! The one horrifying moment was when Tim Connolly had a wide open net in front of him, yet he rang the puck off of the goal post. Accuracy, Sabres, accuracy! Still, last night was a very promising continuation of the Sabres’ short, but needed, two game winning streak. Additionally, Drew Stafford capped the win in the third period with his fourth goal of the season. Well done!

The Buffalo Sabres will next play on Friday, November 23, at 7:30 PM against the Montreal Canadiens. Hopefully the power play unit can start succeeding more often, but there really are no complaints about how Buffalo is playing right now. Let’s just hope that the tryptophan won’t have any lingering effects. Happy Thanksgiving to our U.S. readers!

Nov

21

Special thanks go to Brian Campbell, who appeared at Dave and Adam’s Store last night! Meeting a 2007 All-Star was a wonderful experience, and the mob outside did that fact a lot of justice. Our collection of Buffalo Sabres signed items is now enormous, and still growing! Who would not want to have a ton of pictures and pucks?! Apparently, those anti-sweating commercials worked for Campbell: Not a bead of sweat could be seen on anyone! Besides, with those “radical” views about hyper-hidrosis, Soupy might have had an absolute fit! Anyways, we were very happy to have had the opportunity to meet one of the Buffalo Sabres’ best defensemen! Thanks again, Campbell!

Jessica and Brian Campbell

Again, we would like to thank Chris S. and Dave Z. of Dave and Adam’s Store! The next autograph signing will feature Drew Stafford on Thursday, November 29th, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This will be at the Sheridan location (Map), and tickets must be purchased ahead of time. See you all there, and also make sure to catch the Sabres playing tonight at 7:30 PM!

Nov

16

Try, try again, and you might just get rewarded! The Sabres came out flying in the first period, and never looked back. For the first time in fifteen games, Buffalo scored the first goal… And the second… And the third! Tonight was a night of teamwork and whole-hearted hockey. Checks were finished, at least three lines were obviously working together, and no one gave up. There were a few blips here and there, but this was Sabres hockey at its very best! The most important player tonight was Clarke MacArthur, who scored two of the Sabres’ four goals. He never faltered, and had his entire heart in the game. Also of honorable mention is Thomas Vanek, who made up for some unreasonable penalties over the past two days. He came alive, setting up some amazing goals and showing why he is a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Daniel Paille and Drew Stafford also scored for the team, helping to create the most successful first period of the season, and probably the most well-played game since October. A win was bound to happen, and this team poured their hearts in to earn one tonight!

The Sabres will next play on Wednesday, November 21, at 7:30 PM against the Ottawa Senators. If they play like they did tonight, we can just imagine the outcome!

Also, a reminder that Brian Campbell will be appearing at Dave and Adam’s Store on November 20th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This will take place at the Transit location (Map). Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis, and must be purchased at one of the store’s locations. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet an NHL All-Star and one of the best defensemen on the Sabres! See you there!

Nov

16

So the last two, or ten, games have been pretty depressing for Sabres fans. It is easy to focus on the negative aspects of gameplay, which pretty much equate to very few goals, horrible defense, and half-hearted hockey. Then again, putting these things in the back of our minds just hides the obvious. I think the worst part is our expectations of the Sabres to win, which has nearly become a guarantee over the past two years. Right out of the NHL lockout, Buffalo took the hockey world by storm and put themselves in a successful position. Last season, that success continued and we came to expect wins almost every night. The fact that we lost a huge portion of the team over the summer was not thought to be something that would negatively affect the team. I was one of “those people” who believed that the team would triumph over the obstacles and show everyone that they could come together. So far, I have been sorely disappointed with the season, but that disappointment stems from who the Buffalo Sabres were. Who they are now is very different, and I find that it is difficult to accept such a change.

In a way, the team also has to accept a new identity that they are not comfortable with. Frankly, the leadership is not there because no one has been put in that position for an extended period of time over the past. We continue to compare the Sabres to the Sabres of 2005 and 2006, yet there is no basis for comparison. Sharing the same name does not necessarily mean that the two are the same! The main problem is that the post-lockout Sabres built up their identity for two years. This season represents a drastic, horrible change that is not easily swallowed. My feeling is that Buffalo is simply not comfortable with who they are, and that discomfort is translated into each and every game. The solution? Play the game, and realize that there is no reason to live in the past.

Tonight should be interesting, as the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30 PM. I will be looking for more elements of teamwork and actual playing, rather than expecting a win. And of course, there will be some metaphorical “deaths” if need be! Go Sabres!

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