Yes, I know it actually started last week, but for me, it doesn’t count until the home opener. Broke out of my normal routine for a game since I had the good fortune of sitting in the Greatbatch suite for the game. They’ve done a great job in there; hardwood floors, touchscreen TV controls, wine fridge, the works. According to my brother, the design of the place is very similar to their corporate offices. Very well done. (Not going to lie, I still went downstairs to have my roast beef from the Aud Club….)
On to the game! Lots of pomp and circumstance. The new intro video was very good, although if you saw the one that Adler Mannheim played you’d notice a distinct similarity. They also did a great job with the building. Lots of little things that just make the place feel more like OUR place, not just the place we go to watch hockey.
Not the most terrible game I’ve ever watched, but certainly not the best. Although they generally skated well, they seemed to be out of sync, and in that cutsie mode most of the night. Not grinding out for dirty goals like they did in Europe, but trying for the highlight reel stuff to put on a show for the home crowd. News flash to the Sabres : We like dirty goals just as much as we like pretty ones. Just make the horn go off and we’ll be happy.
Pommers said it best in the post game ; you don’t give up two shorties in a game and expect to win. Were it not for a post and great save on Staal, the eldest product of the magical Thunder Bay vagina, it would have been FOUR. Special teams were so good in Fun Time Euro Land, but atrocious last night. That needs to get cleaned up.
Couple folks were moaning about Erhoff, but I thought he was better than advertised. His shot is stupid fast coming off his stick. Might not be Chara speeds, but the release is fast, and it just seems to get to the good areas quickly. His defensive play wasn’t bad either, even on the odd man rushes. His only job there is to take away the passes, which he did. Carolina just made some great plays.
Speaking of defense, the pairing of Sekera and Gragnani needs to go away. While the offense they generate is good, they’re doing it AT THE SAME TIME. That can’t happen. You don’t want guys like Roy and Leino having to constantly cycle back and cover the wall because Gragnani is putzing around below the dots. That happened more times than I can count last night. There’s a major difference when these two come low. Myers , Erhoff, and Leopold will get low to make a play, but spin out and hustle back when they can to get back into positon. Sekera and Gragnani stay in the corners so long you wonder if someone is giving away free shots. I want Leino in the corner fighting for those pucks, not having to stand on the half wall to cover up once Carolina recovers the puck.
I almost expected them to be a little flat last night. 6 days between game action is hard on any team, Euro trip or no Euro trip. Now they have another game in, and the coaching staff has things they can yell about. Trust me when I say that’s a GOOD thing. They get back on the road now, and into the normal regular season mode of games every couple days. That should be quite helpful getting past that kerfuffle last night.
Either way, hockey is back!