Rewind to last night, which was another debacle. Losing 6-1 to Columbus wasn’t quite was I was expecting, nor do I think any Buffalo fan could have predicted the score. Most alarming has been the goaltending situation. Lalime proved early on that he could fill in for Miller and pull off some great saves. Unfortunately, last night was not his night. I felt a mix of frustration and sympathy for him. I really think that he is a great improvement over previous backup goalies: He can make most saves, gives the offense a chance, and knows what to do. Alas, he apparently just needs a few days of practice to get back to the level of play he showed last month. Which he better return to… Lalime is not a one hit wonder for the Sabres.

So I’m on a negative tangent tonight. Optimism still prevails! Buffalo has a few days before their next game on Wednesday against the Bruins. Recall the last back-to-back losses in late October? Lindy shook up the team, resulting in two consecutive shutouts of 5-0 and 2-0. Time for another one of those insane practice sessions. I’m not horribly worried: The Sabres always bounce back, and aside from the last two games, this season has been phenomenal. Let’s just hope they can turn around by Wednesday!

Tonight’s 5-0 shutout win was spectacular. The first two losses of the season were not easy to swallow. Everyone looked a little out of it, and it seemed like our goaltenders were falling apart. However, being the optimist that I always have been, I knew things would turn around. This is Buffalo, after all! Lindy Ruff took action immediately, according to a Sabres news report:

We talked a lot about our forecheck and the intensity on our forecheck- what our first two guys have been doing, and haven’t they been doing,” Ruff said. “Our strength of our club has always been playing in the offensive zone and it’s been our weakness in the past two games. We gave up 23 scoring chances last night and part of that was due to the fact that we didn’t’ spend any time in the other team’s zone. We identified what we thought was missing and that’s always the great challenge – get them back on track…[Today we] tried to get ourselves grounded again.”

Did it work? You be the judge after checking out the game summary. Both Paul Gaustad and Tim Connolly have recently returned, bringing some additional offensive talent to the line-up. More than that, though, I see the Buffalo Sabres as a team. No one tries to out-do everyone else. Whenever someone gets knocked down by some crazy fool on the opposition, you can bet that another Sabre is lurking a few feet away, ready to jump in. The depth chart has been surprising at times, yet it works. Even with the newest shake-up, I still see good things from every single line. After tonight’s game, I can not wait for another outing with my Sabres… Monday, 7:00 PM against the New Jersey Devils. Make sure to tune in on Versus!

The bad news comes with more injuries: Jochen Hecht underwent surgery, thereby joining the Paul Gaustad Club. He is expected to return in about two weeks, and Gaustad has another three or four weeks. Fortunately, everyone is stepping up quite a bit to fill any voids that may have been created by their losses. A 7-1 win and a 3-1 win? I’ll take those in less than a heartbeat.

In terms of what is the cause of the Sabres’ success, I don’t think there is any one specific thing. The defense has been phenomenal, and I’m usually one of the toughest critics of the blue liners. The offense and goaltending are other very strong: It’s worth noting that Ryan Miller should be able to relax knowing that he has a reliable back-up. Everything has come together perfectly, and I’m already counting down the time to the next game!

Friday, October 17th at 7:30 PM the Sabres take on the Canucks. Make sure to tune in!

The highlight of the night, at least for me, was the chance to yell “TEPPO!” every time I saw #27. With the documentary about Numminen playing before the game, as well as during one of the intermissions, it was hard not to get excited about his return.

Another thing I missed? Jaro Spacek’s interviews. Rob Ray’s questions were perfectly articulated, yet Spacek gave another wonderful performance. I do have to say that he is getting better at speaking English, but his trademark yell-into-the-microphone style is absolutely priceless!

Offensively, I think Buffalo had a few issues with setting up plays. However, there was also the issue associated with them not being able to completely figure out Montreal’s defense. To their credit, they held off the Sabres for a decent amount of time. But when you’re up against an offensive powerhouse with amazing goaltending behind it, there’s not much you can do. Hence, the shootout win.

The Sabres will next play on Monday, October 13th, at 2:00 PM against the New York Islanders. Get ready for another great game!

Similarly, the last few games have simply been great hockey. Some might say it was a shame that the Buffalo Sabres waited until the end of the season to whip out all the talent, but we all can agree that it is better late than never! Maybe somebody went out and listened to a little Vanessa Williams… Add that song to the game playlist! The Sabres are still in a precarious situation, situated between Philadelphia and Washington in the ninth spot. Everything is going quite well, though, and does not appear to be slowing down. Word even has it that Numminen is skating with the team in practice! How I miss Teppo and his smile. The rest of the blueline is pretty banged up, yet I see no reason to panic. The only issue is being careful about pronouncing #3’s last name in an adrenaline-filled moment!

The Sabres take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, March 21st, at 7:30 PM. Be prepared for another great rivalry, some possible fights, and more unbelievable hockey moments!

On a bit of a random tangent, is it just me, or do the Versus announcers absolutely hate the Sabres? Every goal we scored was blamed on Biron being out of position… But how common is it for a guy to get a puck through a six-inch area?! There was more talent than the announcers cared to share. Or maybe I was just going through withdrawal without my Jeanneret-Neale team.

The Sabres next play tonight at 7:30 PM against the Washington Capitals. Both of these teams are hovering around the bottom of the playoff rush, with the Sabres ahead of the Capitals by a somewhat comfortable three points. Fatigue might be a factor for Buffalo, after coming off of last night’s rough and tumble match. One thing is true, though: This is another must-win situation that can be achieved.

Make sure to tune in to Versus tonight to see the Sabres and the Flyers go at it at 7:00 PM. Expect some sparks to fly, as these two teams have never been all too friendly, and both are grasping at the bottom rung of the playoff ladder. Go Sabres!

Both the acquisition of a powerful forward and a solid win are exactly what the Buffalo Sabres have been looking for. There were some sticky spots from time to time, such as when a 3-0 lead was cut to 3-2 in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, the Sabres had a lot of fight in them. Once again, this proves that they have the talent to score enough goals to paralyze their opponents. For heaven’s sake, Peters scored his fourth career goal! Physically speaking, Nashville was bowled over on many different occasions. I still have the opinion that the team is still maturing, but with so many young players willing to do anything towin, every Sabres fan can rest assured that there will be many good seasons to come.

The Sabres will next play tomorrow, February 29th, at 7:30 PM against the Montreal Canadiens. This is a vital divisional game, seeing how Buffalo is at 71 points and Montreal is at 77 points. Another star performance from the team could put them in a much more comfortable position within the standings.

This was a game that was very much needed. With such a close playoff race, even one point can mean a huge difference. There was very little to complain about… Aside from a missed shutout opportunity! Buffalo Sabres hockey is all about scoring and continuing to attack. There is no reason to sit back, even with a three or four goal cushion. Last Thursday proved this point.

Sabres (3) vs. Rangers (4): Simply Not Enough

The final seconds of Saturday’s game were heartbreaking. After seeing the Sabres fight their way back in the game three times, the dying seconds sopped up any and all energy left on the ice. The puck barely moved, even though I was holding my breath for a tying goal at 19:59. Not tonight, apparently. The Rangers outplayed the Sabres at some points, but this was a game that we should have taken. The one saving grace was the awesome Buffalo crowd who booed Chris Drury every step along the way! Sad to see him be on the winning side of a game against the team he ran away from. The Sabres might feel a little demoralized after this loss, but there were a lot of positives. They never gave up, and are still 100% in penalty killing against the New York Rangers. Not too shabby… Aside from falling in the standings.

The Sabres will next play tonight, February 25th, at 7:00 PM against the Philadelphia Flyers. An almost reunion of those two co-captains, now known as co-conspirators. At least in my book. The Flyers have been struggling lately, and hopefully the Sabres will be able to take advantage of this.

The boys next play tonight, February 21st, at 7:30 PM against the Toronto Maple Leafs. As much as anyone, I would love to see a complete game, but a few miracle moves saved up for the last period will work just fine. Go Sabres!

Wednesday, February 13th: Sabres (1) vs. Maple Leafs (0)

A little bit goes a long way sometimes! Although the scoring was virtually absent from this game, the Sabres were alive in every department. Toronto played a solid game, yet we were there to hold them off and give them a taste of their own medicine. Ryan Miller was the difference throughout the three periods, looking good on every save and coming alive whenever he was needed. As much as I hate to point out the leadership issues with the Buffalo Sabres, the loss of a stable captain has hurt the team. A goaltender is an unlikely candidate for being a leader, but Miller fills those shoes… Or skates. Many offensive rushes are the result of a big save, and he rarely disappoints. Speaking retrospectively, it was shocking to see what happened next in the Sabres’ playing history. Although this win was not the best one, it was still a continuation of a successful burst.

Saturday, February 16th: Sabres (1) vs. Rangers (5)

Numbfully painful. Maybe afternoon games are just not the right thing for the Sabres… What other explanation is there?! The Rangers attacked right off the bat, while the Sabres looked like they were ready for a nap. Ryan Miller surprised me, most of all, by simply being BAD. One easy save turned into a goal, which turned into two, then three, and pretty soon, it was a runaway game. When a goalie is not on par, it obviously upsets the team and brings about a feeling of losing before the game even begins. However, it was possible for the team to turn around and eclipse one bad period with two good ones. Not so, and I doubt I need to re-hash the details of the loss.

Sunday, February 17th: Sabres (1) vs. Penguins (4)

Anyone notice a pattern with these lone Sabres goals? Not enough in most cases! Last night was another fairly downhill game, despite the team looking much better. They could have done a lot better, though. We could blame it on Tim Connoly’s facial hairstyle, just in time for the Old West classics! Good ol’ TC, putting a smile on my face even when the Sabres have absolutely no idea what they are doing. I know I am being harsh about their losses, but it is only because this team is not a losing one. Again and again, people will point out all of the losses the team suffered prior to October. Yet, more focus should be put on the progress of new talent, in the ranks of Mike Ryan, Kaleta, Paille, and MacArthur. Back-to-back weekend losses are never all too wonderful, but this season is far from over. With a little more patience and determination on the part of everyone, Buffalo will be able to go far. A year without any playoff beards (or lack thereof) is simply disastrous!

The Buffalo Sabres will next play on Wedneday, February 20th, at 7:00 PM against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The team’s next game is on Wednesday, February 13th, at 7:30 PM against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Keep an eye out: This is another crucial game where Buffalo must make their presence known very early on.