"Karma Police"

by Ryan



One of the coolest pictures I've seen all year. Still, this is the picture that matters:



Winner winner, chicken dinner.

Boston picks up a point, but we can still catch them. Maybe. Sort of. But hey, it's not over yet.


Philadelphia saw a lot of this:



And finished up looking like this:



The good news is that we are not eliminated from the playoffs yet. The bad news is that the Hurricanes won, which means Washington can't win the division without eliminating us in the process. We now want the Canes to win the Southeast and hopefully watch the Caps lose out.

Brad Riter of Buffalo Main Event has a good breakdown of what needs to happen, but here's the deal: two teams need to lose out. Still. Tonight was huge, but it only means we are alive for another 24 hours.

So far the Radiohead worked, but sleep well folks, things get even messier tomorrow.

Protein Shakes and Power Bars

by Ryan

There are times during the season where things just get tiring. Game after game, day after day, the season seems to stretch out and losing games seems inevitable. For me, we've been in one of those stretches the past few weeks, something that can't be good for our playoff hopes. So the question is, what do you do to break this funk up? What can you do to change the ambiance, or the decor if you will?

Well, I got a haircut. This is a big deal for me, you see, as I don't get many haircuts. In fact, shaving is overrated. For the majority of the year I look a little something like the Orca a few posts down. (With some scalp hair to match the beard...) Today I look a lot like Derek Roy, faux-hawk and all.

It's the equivalent of going from a homeless man one day to that British exchange student in your Communication Theory class the next. It's enough of a change to make people think you are a completely different person, and in some aspects I need to be. No more screwing around, this is crunch time for both the Sabres and myself, and so hopefully the physical change will carry over into the psychological aspect of things. Assuming, of course, the Sabres play based on how nice my haircut looks. (Hey, it worked for Vanek...)

Now that we've gone into "over share" territory, let's bring it back and talk about the Hurricanes. Despite what most think, the Hurricanes will make the playoffs even if they don't win their division. They also aren't terrible, and haven't sunk since Captain Fugly-Face's injury. (I only call him that because I can't spell Brind'Amour...) Recovering from their captain's absence is something the Sabres still can't seem to get right, so I respect them for that.

The last time we met Carolina it looked something like this but I doubt that's happening again. The Hurricanes need these points to keep that lead over Washington in tact, and although neither of them will go higher than 3rd in the conference, a drop of six positions by losing the Southeast is enough to make you play hard.

The "new look" Canes have moved Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman and added Joe Corvo, Patrick Eaves, and Tuomo Ruutu, someone I've always liked myself. The loss of Stillman and Commodore seems to be minimal as of yet, but I've always thought of Patrick Eaves as a less talented Timmy Connolly as far as health is concerned. I guess time will tell.

Jochen's back tonight, and Sparky goes back down the 90. Safe driving there, Clarke.

7PM start from the college basketball court-turned hockey rink that is the RBC Centre. (Hey, it should be spelled like that...)

Go 'Cuse. Go Sabres.

The Devious Temptress

Ah Stormy, you seductive little pig. Look at you trying to woo me with that risque pose, peering deep into my longing eyes. But I've told you before that I will not follow you into your love van, no matter how much bacon you offer. The price of my affection cannot be measured in your sizzling flesh, no matter how delicious.

Besides, my tastes prefer a rarer, more unique delicacy.


Mmnn... nothing says home cookin' quite like Irish orca.

Well He Looks Concerned...

by Ryan

8-1 Final



Suck it, pretty boy.


Some other thoughts as I watch a tape delayed version of the shellacking.

- There is a guy named "Gleason" on the 'Canes. No wonder I freaking hate them.

- Timmy had one shot tonight. It went in. Yes, it should have been stopped, but it went in. Keep shooting, Tim.

- That stretch where Vanek took two penalties in a row bothered me to no end. There was absolutely no point to that second slash; he got beat to the puck and took his anger out quite loudly on Staal. That booing you heard when the penalty was called was not for the ref, but for Vanek's stupidity. (But holy crap that snapshot on the break was sick)

- I hate seeing things like that from Vanek and Roy because at this point we have come to expect better of them. They are not mere prospects anymore, but the core of our hockey team. We have those assets lined up for the next 4+ years, and when a play like that happens you know we may see those stupid penalties for the next half-decade. It's unsettling when Sekera or Sparky screws the pooch like that, but when the big check is already cashed it will drive you crazy.

- After Goose's second assist I got this text message from Rich: "Sick cross from Goose! The boy is dropping nasty dimes tonight." Indeed.

- It was good to see Max get the "piano" off his back. It was a full month since his last goal. I wish I could say this will change things for him, but things were supposed to change after that OT winner in Game Five... right?

- Worst leg lift of all time on Stafford's penalty shot.

- Nolan Pratt has an intensity that this team will need down the stretch if we are ever going to make some noise. You have to wonder what happens to him if/when Teppo comes back, but in the mean time I have enjoyed his game recently.

- Carolina was a tired team, but there is no excuse for playing like that. We didn't exactly run them over, but it sure ended up looking like it.

Big West Coast trip starting on Wednesday. Hopefully the time zones don't mess with us too much, and we can keep scoring some goals.

Holy crap! They remembered how to score!

By Chris

Goal explosion for the Sabres and Red Light Fever for John Grahame (or "Grahame Cracker" if you're Harry Neale). Brian Campbell month has started off with a bang.

Quick Summary of tonight's game against Carolina:

1st Period- 1:32 Ales Kotalik

1st Period- 4:18 Tim Connolly (PP)


2nd period- 15:32 Adam Mair


2nd Period- 16:28 Maxim Afinogenov


3rd Period- 1:16 Derek Roy (SH)


3rd Period- 6:48 Thomas Vanek


3rd period- 10:34 Ales Kotalik (PP)


3rd Period- 12:03 Jaroslav Spacek


3rd Period- 18:05 Let's forget about that one for now.

Stormy, Soupy, and Sparky- Saturday Storybook

by Ryan


The Hurricanes have six players with a higher point total then our leading scorer.

June 1st, 2006.

Their fans are... for the most part awful excuses for human beings.

But what I hate the most about the Caroline Hurricanes is their mascot, Stormy the Pig.



Look at that. I wasn't aware a stuffed animal could be classified as a "douchebag" until that thing came to fruition.

I have a serious problem with mascots that make no sense. Stormy fits into this category. I'm not saying we have the best of mascots in Buffalo (Why is Billy Buffalo purple?!?), but at the very least the species of mascot somehow fits the team moniker.

Sabretooth- Sabres. Billy Buffalo- Bills.

Stormy the Pig- Hurricanes?

I get the first name, that's quite witty; but what does a hurricane have to do with pigs? Is there a large number swine farms displaced by tropical storms that I'm not aware of?

I think this pretty much sums things up. It may be petty, but when you hate a team, you hate every aspect of that team, including the moron that's made of 20% foam padding.

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According to the Sabres "blog", Brian Campbell is the captain for December. I know that makes a certain Jon quite happy, but I of course am crushed. However, this still leaves the door open for a Winter Classic Gaustad jersey. Maybe this is for the best...

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Also from the website...

Adam Mair will be playing tonight, something I am very excited about. I really like Mair's game, and he isn't the most productive offensive player we have, but the lineup has a more balanced look when he's in it. Adam had a very philosophical take on his return:

"This is pretty much when I've been ready to play," said Mair. "I don't think I could have played before this.

Uh... thanks Adam.

This means Sparky MacArthur is getting shipped down the 90. It was fun while it lasted, but I'd much rather have a healthy lineup, even if it means seeing him go. To be honest, he wasn't playing as well in recent games, and a more experienced lineup will help take care of those youthful mistakes Lindy was talking about.

Hurricanes at Sabres. 7 PM.

Be careful with Erik Cole, boys. He's Fra-gi-le.