Candid Camera

H/T to Sabres.com for posting the game night intro video on Sabres.com. I’m going to wade into the shallow end of the pool for a moment.

Look at their matching injuries – Stafford’s lip scrape and Gaustad’s beak scrape. It’s pre-season and these guys are already beat up.

- The #KyleWellwoodIsSoFat meme that broke out on Twitter was cracking me up for most of the afternoon. Could you imagine some of the ones that could be done for the Sabres?

1. Derek Roy is so fashionable that…
2. Tim Connolly is so injured that…
3. Ryan Miller is so skinny that…
4. Paul Gaustad is so environmentally conscious that…
5. Jason Pominville is so adorable that…

I promise some actual hockey content tomorrow as I recap the Battle of the Crunchies live from my very own sofa. (On a somewhat related note, it’s pretty hilarious that Tampa has pronunciation guides on their player roster for names as simple as Drew Miller. How the heck would you mispronounce that?)

Sabres vs. Islanders – 10.16.09

First Period

- I’m kind of sad that Marty Biron isn’t starting for the Islanders tonight, but he’s promised the media that he’s going to be a Chatty Charlie on the bench towards whatever Sabres play D or forward on the left hand side. Of course, it’s all fun and games for Marty until someone chucks a puck at his head.

- WHOOO!!! Tyler Myers gets his first NHL goal as he calmly skates in front of Dwayne Roloson and pokes the puck past Rollie the Goalie. 1-0, Sabres.

- I hope someone got the puck for Myers. That’s going to make a nice memento of tonight’s game.

- Harry Neale-ism: “Glass is a defenseman’s best friend.” (Pause). “At the rink, at least.” Oy.

- Clarke MacArthur scores on a penalty shot after he gets hauled down while on a clear breakaway towards Rollie. Harry Neale somehow manages to mixup MacArthur and Myers at this point in the game. While both may be empty-headed, but loveable, they’re not really that interchangeable. 2-0, Sabres.

- WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. Miller gets steamrolled by Jackman, and Gaustad immediately leaps to his goalie’s defense and starts beating the ever loving snot out of Jackman. And this is not a petty Andrew Peters type fight. This is an all out whomping. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Goose in that much of a snit before, but I can’t help liking it. I mean, that’s the kind of action that needed to be taken after the whole Gomez situation last year.

- I still maintain that the Ryan Miller ice cream party contest should be expanded to offices with the mentality of 5-8th graders. Only after how cold my office was today, I’d like to substitute a hot chocolate and cookies party for the prize. Would that work?

- How is it that the Islanders are so bad at hockey but so good on the penalty kill? It really does not compute.

- Hecht has been playing pretty well this period. He’s had a couple of shots go off the post and has been reasonably solid defensively. I think that once that first puck goes in the net, it will all be downhill from there (in a good way).

Second Period

- Stafford pulls out a spinorama in the Islanders zone. How long has it been since we’ve seen a spinorama during a Sabres game?

- Pommers inadvertently shot the puck after a whistle and has practically all of the Islanders on the ice attack him. As a result, one of the Islanders heads to the box for being the lead bully in this situation. Timmy spins out of the corner on the ensuing power play and gently wrists one past Rollie. 3-0, Sabres.

- On a related note, I’m glad that the Sabres are again using “Beautiful” by Flickerstick as their goal celebration song. It’s such a great, upbeat song. Download it. You won’t be disappointed.

- The Islanders score while I’m getting some cookies and refreshing my beverage. 3-1, Sabres.

- It’s about damned time! Jochen Hecht goes five hole on Rollie the Goalie. My cousin Rachel is now getting the vapors. As a result, Marty Biron prepares to exit the French Canadian Backup Goaltender Comedy Zone on the bench and replace Rollie. He’s given a tremendous round of applause by the fans. 4-1, Sabres.

- Based on that photo on Getty Images, Mrs. Paille and Mrs. Lalime are gorgeous. This month might be the only time that pink jerseys are socially acceptable at sporting events.

- Miller, you know I love you, but you’re totally fired after getting pwned by Tavares on that one. 4-2, Sabres.

- In another flurry, Tallinder saves Miller’s bacon as he deflects another Tavares shot away from the wide open net.

- The Sabres gave up 19 shots in this period. While they’re still in the lead, that period was a bit of a hot mess.

Third Period

- Yawn. I’m feeling extremely sleepy right now. I think the Buffalo Spree article about the “turf battle” between Buffalo News/Artvoice/WNY Media/Buffalo Rising about did me in. I only made it halfway through. I do want to finish the article though.

- Marty is completely pwning Hecht tonight. He just made the 3rd or 4th solid save on Hecht. Then again, the Sabres are shooting solidly on Biron’s chest and not towards the five hole or open areas of the net.

- Gaustad riffs one off Marty’s shoulder and the crossbar and sends it out of play. It was a nice shot, if slightly misguided.

- I think the 11:40 mark of the 3rd was the first time I’ve heard Roy’s name tonight. Where has the little fashion plate been all night?

- Well eff me. Patrick Kaleta now has more goals than Roy and Pommers. While I’m glad that Patty is scoring, Pommers and Roy need to start scoring and start scoring quickly. They’re not the young little pups who can get by on their adorability. They need to start putting up or shutting up. 5-2, Sabres.

- The Islanders score to make it 5-3, Sabres.

- Fuck. Miller’s making like a reverse snow angel on the ice and is slow at getting up. I think he’s ok, he had this kind of sheepish smile on his face when he was pulling himself up to his knees. I don’t know much about coaching hockey, but I really think this is a sign that Lalime should play tomorrow night against Atlanta. I mean, Miller’s played five games already. Let’s let Lalime have a turn.

- Oh god, Neale’s quirkiness is affecting RJ, as he’s now mixing up Gaustad and Pominville.

- I don’t ice skate, but I think I would have more oomph in my step on the ice than the Sabres during this third period. It’s like they’ve gone into cruise control mode, which is incredibly dangerous against and Islanders team that has proven they’ve got some skip in their step tonight.

- Finally, the population of Pominville increases by one. This is Pommers 100th career NHL goal and 256th consecutive game. 6-3, Sabres.

- I can hear the crowd doing the “We Want Seven” cheer in the background. I love that cheer.

- Well, the Sabres won, but it was a fun, ugly win. They need to work on not trying to coast the remainder of the game. I know it’s baby steps and the season is still early, but October points will help later on in the season.

Hitting Him Over the Head…Hard

- Why do I have the feeling that Lindy has done everything short of beat Derek Roy over the head with a goalie paddle to emphasize that he needs to stick to the system and not turn everything into a fancy-schmancy pretty play clinic? And judging from this quote, it sounds like Roy-Z may be ready to run in the opposite direction whenever he sees Lindy coming.

We’ve talked about it in Zurich, we talked about it in Bern, we talked about it in Calgary, I’ve had a lot of time with Derek.

Lindy’s like that bad cold that Roy just can’t shake.

I also like that Paul Hamilton elaborates on Roy’s (ahem) maturity and how he needs to grow into a leader. I can’t help but wonder if Roy was taken to the woodshed by the organization after those photos hit Deadspin last year. It also probably doesn’t help matters that the second item on Google’s helpful list of potential search queries is “Derek Roy drunk.”

Time will tell if Young Grasshopper Roy-Z (oh hell, now he’s Old Grasshopper Roy-Z) will rise to the level at which he needs to perform both on-and-off the ice.

- I didn’t watch the game last night (bad feed + headache + gymnastics needed to run earbuds to laptop = chaos), but judging by the presence of the “Free Goose” tags on Twitter, it sounds like Mr. Gaustad was unjustly punished while some other dudes got away with things. Also, I did like the fact that it sounds like he stood up for a teammate. If that carries over to the regular season, I’ll be happy. We can argue that toughness and stick-up-for-your-teammate-ness was decidedly missing from the team these past two years.

- And I just ordered the NHL Network. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a semi-live blog(ish) of tomorrow night’s Sabres/Leafs game. I’ll catch up on ANTM and Top Chef afterward.

It’s All Starting To Come Together

- Paul Hamilton is reporting that the Sabres lines appear to be coming together quite nicely. I’m happy that the “popular opinion” line of Gaustad, Hecht and Grier appears to be a reality. (Not that I think Lindy reads the blogs or other writings outside of the MSM, but hey, it’s all about me on this blog.) I hope that playing with Grier and Gaustad pulls Hecht out of the funk that he appeared to get into at several points last year.

And Lindy’s also altering The System. Oh, how I’ve missed hearing about The System. Then again, by mid-January, I’ll probably be so sick of hearing about The System, I’ll wish that we traded The System to Atlanta for Max Afinogenov.

- I wonder how much whining the trio of Miller, Gerbe and Kennedy threw at Lindy so that they all could play in Michigan tomorrow night? I mean, we know Miller probably did the least amount of whining, he was probably more of a demander than a whiner, but Kennedy and Gerbe are the youngins and don’t quite have the clout Miller does. I could imagine Lindy letting them play just to shut them up and get them out of his hair (what little he has left).

- Anne discusses the awesomeness that is the picture accompanying the Tim Kennedy article on Sabres.com, but I want to talk about how yet another one of the little kiddos is looking up to Gaustad as a role model. This time, Kennedy is analyzing Gaustad’s face off skills, trying to pick up any pointers and techniques to help him win more of them. I know Kennedy said that he wouldn’t dream of out-muscling Gaustad in a faceoff, but those two going up against each other in a drill could be fun to watch.

- The Sabres theme for the year appears to be “City Of Hockey.” I really like how the theme is carrying through the passport-like media guide and the season tickets. I’d like a t-shirt with the crossed swords/City of Hockey logo on it, but again, I need another Sabres shirt like I need a hole in the head. Heh.

- Where are Michael Kors and Nina Garcia? Project Runway just isn’t the same without them.

- How awesome are the Voltaggio brothers on Top Chef? Not only are they good cooks, but they also have some dry wit and intensity that’s a welcome break from the typical reality show crazy.

Look! It’s Real Hockey(ish) Played By Real Hockey Players

I went to Puck Drop today, and this wordy, photo filled post summarizes my day. Carry on at your own risk.

Make ‘Em Laugh

- Check out this Goose photo on NHLoL. The Marty Brodeur ones are pretty good as well.

- Whose bright idea was it to make the Team USA hockey players look like junior serial killers? I mean, we know it was Kane in the cab with the ice pick, but Miller looks like he’s going to be ready to use that ice pick on the first little punk that only gives forth 40 minutes worth of effort in a 60 minute game.

Although, does the fact that Miller is included mean he’s more of a lock to be the starting goalie over TimTom? Or  is it that Miller just looks more menacing that TimTom?

- Lindy just threw the gauntlet down at Tallinder (which means Tallinder flubbed the catch, tripped, broke his foot and will be out for three weeks). If “Uncle Fluffy” Tallinder shows up to camp or the preseason games, I really think he’ll sit. If “NHL Caliber” Tallinder shows up, then I don’t know who sits.

- I know it’s only the first practice, but it will be nice to see the players on the ice again and who’s ready to play. With Lindy saying that there will be more scrimmages, it should be easier to keep track of what’s going on as opposed to when practice is mainly drills.

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Some of Them Are Still Alive…

Or, a brief roundup of some recent Sabres media appearances.

- Ryan Miller did an interview with Schopp and the Bulldog during the Hunter’s Hope Radiothon.

Ater spending the past couple days at Camp USA in Chicago, Miller is back home and was out chasing his godson Riley – all of age “not even 3″ -  around the “big boy golf course” (his words, not mine). They talked briefly about Hunters Hope and screening newborns for different diseases and how not all states screen for the same diseases. Miller was definitely emphatic that passing legislation is tough (like duh…makes me wonder what side he’s falling on in the health care debate), but that every American has the right to have a strong healthy family in these United States.

After the obligatory Hunter’s Hope talk, they moved on to discussing Camp USA. Miller reported that he had fun at camp and it really wasn’t about getting on the ice and showing off for the coaching staff, it was more about starting to come together as a group, having meetings and starting to develop that patriotic feeling before the February games.

Now this is where the interview got a little funny. They had to take a break so that Miller could go off and make a birdie putt. As Schopp and Bulldog pointed out, it wasn’t just any putt, it was a birdie putt. When Miller got back on the phone, it turns out that he missed the putt. That really didn’t matter, as the day wasn’t so much about golf, but more about teaching his godson golf etiquette. Schopp and the Bulldog did mention the irony of trying to teach someone golf etiquette and then talking on the phone during a round of golf. I’m willing to cut Miller a pass on the phone thing, as cell phones are an essential part of my company golf tournament, as gossip spreads throughout the course (who fell off a cart, who made a hole in one, who’s got the snacks, etc) and, when we’re lucky enough to have hockey in May, hockey score updates.

And now for the actual hockey talk. Miller launched into what seems to be his standard talking points these days: management believes in the group of guys that are assembled, Miller believes in the guys that are assembled. They’re going to miss Spacek, but really, they’re a group of guys who are growing together blahblahblahsamestuffdifferentdaycakes.

They talked about Grier coming back, and Miller was positively gushing (for him) about what Grier brings to the team and how much respect he has for him. Miller also made a comment about the “fan sites” speculating about the reasons Grier left Buffalo originally. Hmm. And what fan sites could those be? Inquiring, and slightly paranoid, minds want to know.

The interview came to an end here, as Schopp and Bulldog wanted to return Miller to his golf game. And it’s less than a month until the preseason starts. Yay!

- And Paul Gaustad hasn’t been hiding his light under a bushel lately, either. This article from Portland, OR discusses Gaustad’s recent involvement in promoting youth hockey in the Portland area. He’s excited to be involved with the group, as it not only will help introduce more kids to the sport, but also help develop a fanbase for his former junior team, the Portland Winterhawks.

He also had some nice things to say about the Sabres.

“I’ve been with the organization for seven years, and I’ve had the same roommate on the road (Jason Pominville) all seven years,” he said. “The Sabres have been a class act, and they showed a lot of trust in me to give me a long-term extension.”

I wouldn’t call it trust. I know what he’s trying to say, but that seems like the wrong word.  I see it as the team recognizing that the guy works his ass off day in and day out and holds himself and his teammates to a high standard and isn’t afraid to call himself and his teammates out if they don’t meet those standards.

- Craig Rivet was on the news this afternoon, participating in an event at the Fair with Home Depot and Stone’s Buddies.

- What’s the deal with the “Sabres Road Crew” tab on the new and improved splash page on Sabres.com?

- I’m still undecided about hitting the Tent Sale on Sunday. Sure, there’s some good stuff available, but at the same time, there’s kids and parents to battle at the street hockey tourney, streets closed due to parking, and general chaos. Is it really worth it, is the question?

There’s Been Hockey News Lately

- Color me completely shocked that Mike Grier signed with the Sabres. I guess that “commitment to winning” thing is secondary to having a contract. Anyways, Grier did an interview with Howard Simon and crew this morning in which he reiterated that he has the utmost respect for Lindy and Darcy and that Craig Rivet helped to sell him on the idea of returning to Buffalo. Part of me wonders if Rivet did this so as to have another strong, veteran presence in the locker room to help control some of the younger, immature guys. As we all noticed last year, Gaustad, Miller and Rivet were the only ones that regularly called out their teammates publicly, which did not go over well in the room, as reported at the end of the season. Tell me, if you’re a snot nosed punk Sabre, would you want to go up against Rivet, Miller, Grier and Gaustad?And if you did, would you live to tell about it?

- WGR also reports that Grier’s deal is worth 1.2 million. That deal brings the Sabres current payroll to within $455k of the current salary cap level. With about eleventy bazillion forwards on the roster and Drew Stafford still left to sign at a considerable pay raise, I can’t help but think there’s going to be some trades on the horizon before camp starts. In my eyes, the only untouchables are Gaustad, Miller, Rivet and Vanek. Everyone else should be worried.

- Thanks to Caroline at Hockey Night in Buffalo for linking to this lovely video of Gaustad on a Portland TV show. I’ll avoid discussing anything that could get me accused of frolicking in the shallow end of the pool, but I did like his comments that working on team toughness is again an ongoing goal for the team. For the love of Sabretooth, if I have to watch anymore games where Miller is left to come to his own defense after getting shoved around in the crease, I may have to throw something at my TV set. And then I will have to send the bill for a new TV set to someone and I don’t think they will pay it.

- There’s a teensy part of me that wishes that during Olympic Training Camp next week Ryan Miller goes up to Patrick Kane and delivers a sentiment along the lines of “way to lose the support of the people of Buffalo, asshole.” Of course, it would never happen, because Miller is way too classy for that.

- Today’s announcement that the Sabres will be again hosting the Puck Drop event means that we will be able to watch real live hockey in just five weeks. Can you feel the excitement in the air?

*Headdesk*

- Pictures from this year’s Camp Good Days Gala are up.

1. Gaustad looks good in a tux. Between him and Edgar from Deadliest Catch, this week has been full of yum-in-a-tux.

2. Gaustad looks happier to be with the kids than with the adults; the smiles are more genuine. Could it be that the kids aren’t asking him the usual questions the fans ask? Like “why do you guys suck so hard,” “should Lindy/Darcy/Sabretooth be fired,” and “which of your teammates would you trade / get rid of via free agency / drop kick into Lake Erie without a life preserver in order to make the team better?”

- I’m glad that Jay Mckee found a home in Pittsburgh. He’s a good, hard working guy, but the last thing the Sabres need is an injury prone defenseman. As we all know, the Sabres defense is somewhat injury prone, and since this appears to be the year of the Baby D, the veteran leadership that Jay would have brought would have been outweighed by his injury streak.

I still have a feeling Darcy is trying to make a deal of some sort to improve the team. I find it incredibly hard to believe that this team would enter the new season with the same bunch of guys that they finished the last season with, the exception of the Montador for Spacek swap, of course. There’s optimism that these guys have yet to reach their full potential, and then there’s delusion. Or maybe I’m just becoming even more jaded and cynical than usual.

They’re Alive

It’s been a decidedly quiet time for the Sabres. However, the Sabres related news has perked up in the past couple of days.

- Darcy Regier has made an offer to Jaroslav Spacek. I hope it’s like a 2-year deal, since Spacek is 35-years-old. A longer length of time would be ridiculous.

- Paul Gaustad again proves that he is a stand up guy by pointing out that he knows that the team needs to work on shooting more and defending their goalies and each other. Well, praise the lord and pass the ammunition. Now if Goose can only get it through the thick heads of the rest of his teammates. When Miller spends more time getting run than playing goal, you know you have a problem. Also, if the boys will spend more time shooting the puck next season, they will drastically reduce the amount of times I want to throw something at my television set. That’s good on both sides. They can score goals, and I can keep my TV set in one piece.

Gaustad also mentions that he was invited to play for Team USA in the World Championships earlier this year, but had to decline the invitation due to an injury. He doesn’t specify the nature of the injury, and whether it was upper, lower inner or outer body. Speaking of injuries, was I hallucinating earlier this spring, or did Pominville have some sort of undisclosed injury at the end of the season? If so, did anything come of it?

- How did y’all celebrate the anniversary of the day that brought Tim Connolly into our lives? I, for one, went to work and am now spending the night with Edgar, Crosby, Ding, Dong and my favorite other crab fishing boyfriends on Deadliest Catch.

- Congratulations to Lindy on being named to the coaching staff of Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics. Lindy, you know I love you, but when push comes to shove next February, I’m going to be routing for my USA babies. I also am really amused at the photo editors of TSN/CTV. The TSN photo promoting the story features Lindy giving his best “bitch please” face, while the CTV Olympics site features a photo of a hollering Lindy. They’ve really managed to capture the essence of Lindy, haven’t they?

- I heard a commercial for the Sabres draft party at the Albright Knox on Friday. One of the things the commercial is promoting is a Q&A with Sabretooth. Now tell me, how is Sabretooth going to do a Q&A? Last time I checked, the poor thing is mute. Is he just going to gesticulate his answers or will someone interpret for him?