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!

The Internet Makes You Stupid

Of course, this isn’t true. The internet doesn’t MAKE you stupid, it just exposes you when you ARE stupid. Anyone who interacts with others knows how true that is.

This morning, I saw another such example. It’s almost not even funny, because it’s so sad. The Buffalo News, ran a story about the possible effects HSBC’s retail branch sale might affect their interest in naming rights on the arena downtown. A relevant topic, and it did a good job explaining what could happen, while making sure to point out that HSBC has made public comment that it’s not planning on taking their name off the building anytime soon.

Then…the comments start…and the stupid happens. We have this little gem from Ms. Elisabeth Brauza of Cheektowaga.

Given that HSBC is abandoning Buffalo and their stake here, I don’t think their name belongs on our arena any longer. I, too, believe a change to a “less corporate” name is called for.

This struck me as odd in many ways. HSBC isn’t ‘abandoning Buffalo’. They’re only selling their retail banking business. They still have a huge presence in the area in non-retail businesses, and have no plans to shut any of that down.

I thought about this, and decided that maybe I was being too harsh. Maybe Ms. Brauza didn’t know that HSBC wasn’t leaving town. Then, I scrolled back up the page…

HSBC is showing no signs of wanting to give up its naming rights at the downtown arena and went out of its way to suggest otherwise.

“These things always have value,” bank spokesman Neil Brazil said Tuesday, “and we do have a good relationship with the Sabres.”

Zimbalist said it’s possible HSBC, given its continued corporate and commercial presence here, might consider the naming rights valuable enough to retain, especially if the price is right.

There we have not one, but two separate references to HSBC not planning on skipping town, right on the same page. You have to get by these words in order to even place comments!!

It was revolutionary for The Buffalo News to make people register and use their real names when commenting on stories. Maybe they could jump further ahead of the curve and devise a way to make people READ the stories they talk about.

We can only hope.

So what did they actually change?

For starters, the Ralph is going full non-smoking. No more designated smoking area with a re-entry gate. They’re not the first team to institute such a policy; a quick check shows that plenty of other NFL teams, and lots of college teams, have the same policy. Of course, this brought out the Rampaging Indignant Smoker’s Alliance folks who vowed to cancel their season tickets and never attend a Bills game gain. I’d guess that most of these folks also promised never to patronize bars or restaurants again after New York State passed the current smoking bans, but I’m sure they still do.

Listen, I’m not a smoker, so I’m not really affected. I get that it’s an addiction, and it’s something you HAVE to do. (Unless you nut up and decide to quit.) However, your complaints are silly. You’ve watched the last 10 years of Buffalo Bulls football and THIS is going to get you to cancel your seats? I think your priorities are a little out of whack.

The second major change has the tailgating crowd raging like there is no tomorrow. Instead of opening at 8am, the team run lots will delay opening until……

9 am.

OH THE HUMANITY!!!

I’m sorry, but nothing can convince me that this will be the ‘end to tailgating’ like some are suggesting. It’s a freaking HOUR. This is not a big deal. If you can’t get to your spot, set up, cook, eat/drink, tear down, and get to your seats in 4 hours, you’re doing it wrong. Four hours is a TON of time. Before you start in the comments, I was a season ticket holder for 5 years. Gave them up because the team sucked. I’ve still been to at least one game every year for 15 years running. I know the tailgating scene pretty well, and nothing you say can convince me that the extra hour is going to ruin your gameday experience.

Jeremy White from WGR was railing about how badly it’s going to cause traffic snarls. Really? Traffic down there sucks already. It’s not going to get appreciably worse. The people who are married to starting at 8am are still going to start at 8am. They’ll just move to one of the private ‘lots’ in the area. Of course, White ignores the last part of the release, where the Bills say that they’s working with law enforcement to improve traffic patterns down there anyways. That does kinda blow a large hole in White’s argument that he conveniently ignores.

The four hours of tailgating is plenty of time for anyone, if you’re hosting your own, or attending someone else’s. The amount of rage this is generating is quite comical.

Look at the upside. At least you can still smoke out there.

The Sabres scored 18 goals against the Flyers. While those 1-0 shutouts were great stuff, they kept the goal totals down a bit. Since $2 a goal is only $36, I’ll be donating the $50 minimum instead.

Did YOU make a pledge? If not, it’s not to late. You can donate to my ride here , or find another rider here .

A new challenge is coming soon for Round 2. Stay tuned!!

That being said, I wrote you off for dead in December. I thought there was no way you’d even have a sniff of 8th. The numbers didn’t add up. I couldn’t imagine that a team that was playing that poorly in all phases of the game could win at least 2 out of 3 for months straight, especially in the age of the 3 point game.

You proved me wrong. You proved that even knowledgeable fans (of which I humbly consider myself to be) don’t know as much as they think they know.

Thank you, Buffalo Sabres.

Thank you for reminding us that you’re not out until the standings say you’re out. Thank you for ending yet another Maple Leaf Race for 9th. Thank you for reminding us that the coach and GM just might have a clue what they’re doing. Thank you to the Hockey Gods for sending us Mr. Pegula. Thank you for giving the fans something to hold onto for the last couple months. Thank you for re-igniting the fire and passion this town has for you.

You may win this series against the Flyers. You may lose. But, this season, you gave all of us one very special gift.

Hope.

For the first time that I can remember, most Buffalo sports fans have hope. Instead of holding our breath waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the magical ride to be over, we’re looking forward. For once, we finally believe that you’re going to do it. It might not be this year, might not be next, but it WILL happen.

Thank you, Buffalo Sabres. We’re with you until the end. Whenever that is.

(And so ends all rational thoughts for the season. Time to take my patchy ass playoff beard and go effin nuts!!!)

For every goal that the Buffalo Sabres score during their first round matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers, I pledge to donate $2 to the Ride for Roswell to support cancer research. No matter how many they score, I’ll donate at least $50.

I challenge YOU to do the same. Pledge $1. Pledge $0.50. Doesn’t have to be a ton, but I challenge you to do it ANYWAYS. Roswell Park is a phenomenal institution. They do a lot of great things for a lot of good people, and deserve our support.

If you’d like to donate to my Ride, you can do that here. I’ll be doing the 44 mile route with a great group of Roswell employees. As an added incentive (or bribe if you like), I’ll match the first $250 in donations that I receive with a donation to the Buffalo Sabres Foundation. Everybody wins!!

If you’d like to donate to someone else, you can search for other riders or teams here.

Support Roswell and the Sabres at the SAME TIME!!! LETS GO BUFFALO!!!

What does this number mean? Game number 82 at home. Win and you’re in. Playoff destiny in your own hands. This is the situation that hockey fans DREAM about. Well, a lot of fans anyways.

Apparently not in the Carolinas.

17,805.

Everything on the line. After a furious charge, your team is on the cusp of making it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All they need to do is win 1 game. In their own barn.

17,805.

Didn’t. Sell. Out. The. Building.

17,805.

I don’t ever want hear another word from you Hurricanes fans how you have a good fanbase. Don’t tell me again how you guys ‘go when it matters’. Nothing could matter more than this. The biggest game of your season. You failed.

Give up your arguments. Your market sucks. Props to the dedicated fans down there, but stop defending the rest of the ‘Caniacs’.

Bulldog : “Yes. If Miller is healthy, he’s your best goalie.”

Schopp : “But cmon, the way he’s played? He’s earned some playoff starts.”

Bulldog : “Nope. Miller is your guy.”

Hamilton : “That will never happen. As good as Enroth has played, Miller is still the better goaltender. Not a chance that Ruff starts Enroth if Miller is healthy. We’ve gone over this before”

Schopp : “Guys, really. You won’t even consider the possibility? My wife got back from a tennis match and said she totally thinks Enroth is the better goalie.”

Bulldog : “No.”

Caller : “I agree with you 100% Mike. Enroth should be the starting goaltender on this team. Miller is overpaid. We could trade Miller for 12 forwards and get the same production out of Enroth. What do you guys think of Miller and Gerbe for Richards and..”

Bulldog : “Come on now. Richards is an upcoming free agent. Why would you trade for a guy that will be on the open market?”

Caller : “MILLER HAS NEVER WON US A STANLEY CUP!! GET RID OF HIM!! 6 MILLION DOLLARS CAN GET YOU A TOP 6 FORWARD!!”

Schopp : “Ok, let’s not talk trades here. Hard to really think about all the possibilities when you’ve been studying up for the Lunch Meat Draft.”

Bulldog : “I still can’t comprehend why you’d take capicola over bologna.”

Schopp : “I already have enough versatility with ham and turkey. I really needed a specialist.”

Hamilton : “So you guys don’t want to talk about the Sabres effectively eliminating the Hurricanes last night?”

Schopp : “There’s plenty of time for that. Julian gets really excited when I open up the cold cuts drawer at the house. With my selections, how could he not?”

Sullivan : “I don’t care that they’re in a playoff spot after coming back from dead last in the east. That game in Washington was an abomination!! Blowing leads again!! This team is soft, and Regier should take the blame for that.”

Bulldog : “But, they took 3 out of 4 points on the road with their backup goaltender, and came back from another 2 goal deficit in Washington. That’s an OK weekend, right?”

Sullivan : “No way. This is a playoff race!! They should have taken 8 out of 4 points. I’m sick of you people with low standards for this team. It’s about winning, not about securing a playoff spot, and eliminating opponents. Get your priorities straight.”

Schopp : “Maybe I could have gone with a pastrami instead. I think capicola went too high. Here’s Greg with sports.”

Last night, before the Sabres game, I tweeted this:

Beechsack Tom Beecher

Two outcomes for tonight. Win : “ENROTH SHOULD START!!” Lose : “OMG THE SEASON IS OVER WE’RE GOING TO LOSE!!” I predict no Twitter later.

Sure enough, My Name is Jonas tosses up a donut against the Rangers. It’s so nice to have a competent backup goaltender on this team for a change. Enroth may not be as chatty as Marty Pancakes, but he just seems to win games. Can’t argue with that, can you?

Predictably, the first part of my tweet has proven true. The morning has been filled with people that are CONVINCED Enroth should continue to be the starting goaltender on this team, even if Miller is healthy and ready to go.

El Oh El.

Enroth is a good goalie. No doubt in my mind about that. But let’s be honest with ourselves here. He wasn’t dominating in the AHL. He might not have even been the best goalie on the Pirates the way Leggio has played. Do people honestly think that the guy is good enough to step into an NHL playoff race and be a better option than the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and Olympic MVP? Yes, Miller is having a down year, but he’s your franchise for the time being. If they have any chance at a championship for the next few years, it’s going to be with Miller. Enroth should stay up here and get 20 or so starts next year, but for the time being, Miller is the man.

It’s been said before, but bears repeating. The most popular players in Buffalo are usually the backup goaltender, and the backup QB, because someone hates the guys that are starting.

Come on folks. Be better than that.

However, in the morning, something interesting happened. On the Twitters, someone had the bright idea to the up at the Arena around noon and sing Happy Birthday to T-Pegs.  Only one problem.

T-Pegs wasn’t there.

Some folks thought the idea of this was silly. I am one of them. What was the point exactly? It was defended by those who said ‘ZOMG THE TV STATIONS COVERED IT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT!!!’. Really? Let’s be honest with ourselves. The easiest way for any news outlet in this town to get readers/viewers is to mention Terry Pegula’s name. They could write a story about an outbreak of genital herpes, tag it with PEGULA, and people would read it.

The fat of the matter is that it wasn’t covered as news because it was important. It was covered because the organizer told the TV stations ‘Look at what we’re doing!!’, and being that Sunday morning isn’t exactly a bustling news day, they sent a couple camera crews down.

Look, if you were one of the 30 people who took time out their morning to go down there, that’s your deal. Although I was accused of it yesterday, I’m not insulting you. I just can’t fathom what the point is to go sing Happy Birthday to an empty room where the person of honor is hundreds of miles away, and not even aware of it.

Honestly, to me, it reeked of a ‘COME LOOK AT ME’ moment, and that’s a pet peeve of mine anyways.