Dec

9

So the west coast roadtrip turned out to have a happy ending, after all! A few poorly played games put a damper on the festivities for the Sabres, yet something must have happened to inspire them to go on the ice and destroy the Sharks. It is a little strange to see how the team goes from one or two horrible games to have a high-scoring route of the opposition. The correct question is not who scored last night, but who didn’t score! Ales Kotalik, Tim Connolly, Michael Ryan, Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy, and Thomas Vanek each scored at least once, showing the western states that the Buffalo Sabres are not a team that can continuously be run over.

The Sabres next play on Monday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM against the Boston Bruins. No more late-night game times! We shall see how the team will do back at home.

Dec

8

Bleurgh and gzyucki. The Sabres looked absolutely terrible on Thursday night, and I was very surprised to see them struggle so much. Thibault started in net, and although he still is finding his place, I have a good deal of confidence in him. Unfortunately, he looked completely off, and was not helped in the least bit by his defense. Miller ended up taking over for the second and third periods, but the 4-0 lead for the Kings after 20 minutes sealed the deal. It was an ugly game, and although I love my team, there is no point in painting a rosy picture. Fortunately, Drew Stafford and and Thomas Vanek managed to foil any chance of a shutout. My, oh my, how I look forward to the end of these night games!

The Sabres will next play tonight, December 8, at 10:30 PM against the San Jose Sharks. This will conclude the west coast road trip, and will hopefully end with a more distinguished finale!

Dec

6

So the west-coast road trip did not exactly get off to a great start. Things seemed to look pretty good when Jochen Hecht scored early in the first period and the Sabres took control of the game. However, that did not continue for long. Anaheim took over towards the end of the first 20 minutes, and never gave up their hold. Buffalo looked somewhat weary and lost, especially around the neutral zone. There was some type of invisible force stopping all passes right around center ice. Depressing, depressing. By the second intermission, it was pretty obvious that the Sabres would be dealt a loss from poor offensive opportunities. Additionally, Ryan Miller was clearly upset over some Ducks flying into him, without any penalty calls! Admittedly, there were some suspicious looking moves, but that anger only served to take away that goaltending intensity that Miller brings to every game. Fortunately, the game saw its share of fights, which have been pretty rare as of late. Andrew Peters took on Parros and his 70s mustache, taking both out. Paul Gaustad also participated in his own fight, showing how he can contribute something to every game. We may have lost the game, but those fights were Sabres wins!

The team next plays on Thursday, December 6th, at 10:30 PM against the Los Angeles Kings. Another late night for the fans on the east coast. Good luck staying up, and be on the lookout for the Sabres to bounce back!

Dec

1

Aside from an insane amount of penalties, the Buffalo Sabres devoured the Hurricanes tonight. Adam Mair returned to the line-up after missing several weeks with an injury, and made up for his absence with his third goal of the season to put the Sabres up 3-0. To add to the festivities, Maxim Afinogenov finally scored after enduring a 12-game drought! The team was simply on fire, to put it in words. Good scoring, great penalty killing, and a total domination, to quote one of the worst movies of all time. Beating Buffalo is not an option: These teams need to bring it on, or at least try to. Carolina went on an offsides spree, rather than a scoring spree. In the meantime, aside from those already mentioned, Ales Kotalik (twice), Tim Connolly, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, and Jaroslav Spacek scored.

Ryan Miller’s shutout bid was ruined with about two minutes left, when Carolina scored on the power play. Who’s to blame? A certain someone who was waiting for a comeback. Thank you, sir! Shutouts are nearly impossible for the Sabres, but the wins are becoming more and more common.

The bodies were flying for 60 minutes, and Rick Jeanneret and Harry Neale had a field day in talking about the lumber and near-fights. Rob Ray apparently wanted to get out there, too, when Paul Gaustad got into a fancy altercation near the Carolina bench. This is clearly the team we have all stood behind, and one that has been around since the beginning of the season. Some confidence, hope, and teamwork have thrown the Sabres into the role that they deserve. “Go Sabres” now has that extra flavor and meaning!

Buffalo will next play on Wednesday, December 5th, at 10:00 PM against the Anaheim Ducks. A roadtrip to the West will be a challenge for the team, as well as for the fans!

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