A View from the Roost: The Smoking Gun

by Ryan

I've been examining the work of Bill Wippert for hours, searching for photographic evidence of the train wreck I saw tonight. There are many ways in which to look back at a hockey game, and oftentimes the most effective method is a picture. While your memory may shift and fade over time, and a final score can be deceiving, a photograph gives indisputable evidence of what actually happened. Pure, unaltered, professional; pictures tell the story in a way only the most vivid of writers can replicate.

The problem is that I keep looking for the smoking gun in all these and I've yet to find it. Sure there's one where Derek Roy looks lazy, and one where Teppo is outworked in another; but where is the concrete proof that a 4-2 final score is completely deceiving? Where is the picture with the "I don't give a crap" look on someone's face?

These pictures don't exist, and unless Derek Roy snuck in a break for tea somewhere I'm not going to find them. What I do know is that what we saw tonight was laughable, and no matter what frame of mind you watched this in we all saw the same thing: the Sabres didn't come to play hockey, and the scoreboard didn't reflect the performance at all. It was much worse.

The closest representation of tonight's game is not a smoking gun but rather a simple comparison.



Alexander Ovechkin and Adam Mair. Is that really what we want to see? I know Ovechkin didn't put one in tonight, but who actually disrupted what he was trying to do? Mair and Gaustad. When the Capitals did score, what line was relied upon as the counter-punch? Mair and Gaustad. Lindy's right, when Mair, Gaustad, and Ellis are your best forwards you will not win hockey games.

The truth is that there is no smoking gun that encapsulates everything that went wrong tonight. No picture, no recap, and no single highlight is going to capture the problems the Sabres have. In a season that has given us the same results over and over again, the Sabres dropped the ball once again. Another home loss, and another set of excuses for the same problem.

There was no smoking gun tonight, but I think we all know better.


A few other things while you ponder where those 33 shots were hidden last night:

- If I ever get a press pass I'm going to ask Teppo what the dinosaurs were like. I'm only half kidding.

- A note to the gameday production people: no one cares what Matt Ellis' favorite movie is. Nor do we care what Patrick Kaleta's favorite movie is, or Derek Roy's favorite food, or even Ryan Miller's favorite hooded sweatshirt. These things do not matter and never will.

- Alexander Ovechkin absolutely owns Hank Tallinder at this point. The poor guy is going to have nightmares of red bald eagles with little eights chasing after him for weeks.

- The NHL video portal is annoying, but I just want to show you the difference between how Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville reacted to the loss. Here's Goose:



And here's Jason:



Is it just me or is the difference between the two absolutely phenomenal? I mean at least Gaustad has a vague idea of what the problem is. Even Vanek used the term "embarrassing" and put blame on himself. Is Jason's inner dialogue only filled with thoughts of rainbows and getting pucks deep, or does he actually realize that Clarke MacArthur is winning the scoring race between the two?

- Are any of our defenseman aware that contracts expire? Like, when is the last time we've gotten the obligatory contract year out of a defenseman? Even Campbell struggled for an extended period. Kalinin was terrible last season, and this year Jaro and Teppo have been freaking awful.

I mean, what the hell was Spacek doing on the second goal? I know Miller's not supposed to give up a ten foot rebound, but I'm pretty sure Jaro shouldn't be circumambulating Chris Bourque like a Buddhist stupa. It would be really nice if he even pretended to care about picking up the extra guy, no matter how bad a save Miller made.

- For the record, the "Goose's Roost" sign that was up in section 315 was not us. Our sign is all but retired at this point, so feel free to take up the cause. Just do us justice, that's all we ask.

The AO Show

by Ryan



A note to Sabres fans: please don't boo Alexander Ovechkin tonight. He doesn't need the extra motivation to score, and unlike Miroslav Satan he actually can.

Should be an interesting night down at the Arena, with Goose and Gerbe back in action. Maybe this means there will be some semblance of a forecheck, which will be a nice belated Christmas gift. Miller looks to get the start, and tonight looks like the perfect time to start the climb out of the bottom half of the conference. With Toronto coming up on New Year's Day and just five points between the two, it would be nice to get a little more breathing room before they go and think the playoffs are realistic.

7:00 pm from the Arena. I'll be there hoping Hank can redeem himself, and Atlas can get back to business.

Flat

by Ryan

This picture sums pretty much everything about last night:



Well okay, this one does too.



I think it's pretty clear the differences between the two teams. The Washington Capitals pinned their hopes on a superstar making a spectacular play, while the Sabres had theirs riding on an utter disappointment getting really, really lucky. Is that really where the Sabres are right now? I know injuries have taken a toll and the backup was in last night, but can Maxim Afinogenov really be the hero of this team?

What we saw last night was a flat hockey team after a holiday that's supposed to refresh. Single digit shot totals all night, and a lackluster performance that even the final score overstates. The Sabres were given a chance to score on a bad turnover and put it in. The Max goal late was a complete surprise to everyone, and a mistake to begin with. (Either Max isn't supposed to leap out of the way of that, or it was supposed to hit the net. Either or.)

But that was it. Not many chances, not much of a forecheck, and sloppy play in their own end. Again. It feels like the same old story over and over again, this time with a different all-world player ending it. Alexander Ovechkin played another fantastic hockey game, and showed why he is the best goal scoring talent in the league. He probably should have had two last night, but the completely inconsistent goaltender interference penalty calling took one away. Give credit to the officials for making the right call last night, but how many times is that not called this year?

What was so disheartening about last night was that there really wasn't much effort to get excited about. The two previous games were theirs for the taking but slipped away, last night was never in doubt. You knew after the first that there was no way the Sabres were coming out of there with two points. That's not good, and that's not even something we can "build" on. That was losing a game you need with a complete disinterest in playing hockey. What, did Jason Pominville get Animal Crossing for Christmas? Did he have other things to do?

He wasn't the only one. There was no forecheck at all last night; only Adam Mair looked like he gave a crap. That's not a good sign when guys like Kaleta and Gaustad are still missing time. I've said it before, but the more and more I watch this team the more obvious it becomes that something needs to change. The Sabres have gone to the farm once again, but when that injection of fresh rookie excitement fades what will be left?

Tonight the Sabres come home to face a team much worse than they are. It's two points they absolutely should take, but I feel like we've heard this story before. A home game with your starting goalie in net against a team just as "tired" as you are should be a win, and a convincing one at that. Then again that's quite a mouthful, and last night the Sabres showed they can't focus on much.

Let's hope the up and down play continues, and this one will be an up.

Pray For Henrik Tallinder

by Ryan

Vanek may have blocked an Ovechkin shot, but at least he didn't get his knees broken by the guy.



Yikes. Another all around poor effort from the defense tonight, and another one for the highlight reel for Alex Ovechkin.

Monday is NOT Hump Day

by Ryan


Versus may want to break out the Popsicles on Ovie, but all that matters is the final score.

3-1.

Five in a row.

Much more to come later.

Back in Washington Not the State

by Ryan

Tonight the Sabres travel to Washington to play the Caps at the MCI Center Verizon Center. It will be the first time Buffalo has played in the Phone Booth since clinching the President's Trophy last April. You all remember that game, don't you? Timmy came back, Briere speared a guy, good times all around.

The Sabres are coming off a four game winning streak against two of the hottest teams in the league.(well, they were hot before we got to them) The Capitals just fired their coach and have won two straight. Hilarity shall ensue.

At this time I usually express my displeasure for Alex Ovechkin and his prissy demeanor and lack of proper shirts. (see below)



However, my anger towards today's opponent comes directly from their new rookie with bad hair, Nicklas Backstrom.



I don't care how sweet those jerseys look, Nick, I drafted you with high hopes and you did nothing for me. I held on to you with the faith that your inner Mats Sundin would come out and maybe I could keep you on as a fourth center, but you kept on sucking for me, and my team sank into the toilet.

So the moment I drop you, your team drops your coach and you post a three point night on your birthday, capped off by an overtime game winner. Happy Freaking Birthday, man, I hope you are allergic to whipped frosting.

If you as much as touch the puck tonight I'm going to convulse like a Spanish American War soldier with yellow fever. My fantasy team is slowly creeping into playoff contention, and if you actually produce some points I may be temped to pick you up again. I feel like it would be best for the both of us if you just continue to suck.


Slugs vs. Evil "W" Birds
7:00pm Versus

Even A Norris Trophy Can't Make That Look Good

by Ryan

Just when we thought this whole jersey redesign was going pretty okay, we get stopped dead in our tracks. I mean sure, there have been some mistakes along the way, but the Panthers unis have sucked since the onset. Still, there have been some positive strides made in the aesthetic appeal of hockey, even in Columbus.

Then the Red Wings had to come and gay it all up.

I'm not even sure what to say about that travesty. Let's face it, folks, it looks like a freaking nightgown from that angle. I'm sure the 80+ crowd in Detroit is going bonkers over the redesign as we speak.

Seriously though, the half moons or whatever the Free Press wants to call them look like garbage. I'm sure some brilliant mind at RBK thought it proper to design a hockey jersey around some frat boy's party getup, but I declare shenanigans on the polo-form. I guess when you consider how many Russians they have on the team, half of those frat tails will be tucked in, but isn't knowing what's there half the terror?

Besides, you can't hide the "C" and "A" going on the right. That's just gay. And here I thought the Sabres had the market cornered on the right chest, but that freaking winged wheel had to get in the way. Now I know it's been done before somewhere in that 82 year history, but it's still going to look backwards, well, forever.

If there was one uniform design that everyone respected and wanted to go unscathed during this disaster of an off season, it was the Red Wings. But could they stay true to the path? No. They tinkered, and it looks like crap.

Say what you will. Tell me I'm going to get used to it. Call me a whiner. Say that the new fabrics can wash my car and change my oil. Whatever. I'm still going to be averting my eyes when the Pinstripe Panthers play Pi Kappa Beta at the Joe. But hey, as long as they stay dry...

The Storm Before The Draft

I've been told I'm crazy for being excited about the draft.

But since when has being sane helped me as a sports fan? There are actually a few things I love about the NHL Draft that you can't get in other sports. For example, in what other league is it a good idea to brush up on regional dialects before you even scout players?

But aside from player names this year's draft is especially intriguing. With regards to aesthetics, this will be the first chance to see what teams have done with RBK's new sweater. Boston has already revealed theirs (see below) and the Caps have given us a peak of their redesign, but this will be a nice chance to see it on something other than a foam body.

The draft is also unique in regards to it being more so about trades than anything else. With the exceptions of the first round, most players won't see any NHL action for at least a year. That means that for most teams the draft is less about players like Jordan Staal and more about blockbuster trades.

At the time of this posting, Tomas Vokoun, Vesa Toskala, Mark Bell, and Adrian Aucoin all have new homes. Who knows where some star players will land by night's end. Even Maxim Afinogenov has been in some trade rumors over the past few weeks. By Sunday night we may be talking about some major roster moves by the Sabres that most casual fans would have never expected.

Finally, if there is any reason to watch the draft, it may lie in Pat Kane, the Buffalo native that has the chance to go #1 overall to the Blackhawks.

''I can remember in my basement kind of announcing myself getting drafted No. 1. It was to the Buffalo Sabres, but wherever I go, it would be unbelievable to go No. 1.'' -Pat Kane

If a quote like that doesn't make you root for him then you've never been a little kid. Which is impossible.