Ugh!

Sorry, I'm not going to give you one of my rising/falling stars column for tonight. I just don't have the energy for this. I don't know how brief or long this blog will be. It's going to be all over the place. I'm just going to type away.

I feel bad for Tyler Ennis, Ryan Miller, Lindy Ruff, Steve Montador, Mike Grier, Tim Kennedy, the bloggers, the people who spend money on this team, apologists, pessimists and even the media. In the end, we all have our ways of showing emotion, but we really do want the Sabres to win. Playoff hockey brings out the best in Buffalo.

During the season, I was very guarded about this team. I just didn't think they were as good as their highs or as bad as their lows. Quite frankly, I was more pessimistic than optimistic. However, when the playoffs were on the horizon, I really changed my tune. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to believe. I wanted to live the dream. Well, now I'm awake and I hate my dream. The Sabres just aren't good enough.

I'm the type that wants our teams to go as far as possible in the playoffs. I'm not the type to sit there and say, "Well, at least they made the playoffs." Maybe living in NYC for 8 years and hearing fans rip apart the Yankees for not winning the World Series every year has made me a harsher critic. I just don't believe in excuses. I think they are way overused in the Buffalo sports scene.

My goal is to walk into a NYC office and sport a million dollar grin of winning a sports championship. I want to fly back to Buffalo on the night they win a championship, tip over a police car and get sprayed with tear gas. I don't want to goto a rally and cheer for Scott Norwood and John Rigas. I want to win.

I thought the Sabres gave a great effort tonight. There was intensity, there was battle, there was passion. However, for about 4 minutes in the 3rd period, it was vintage Sabres all over again. Yes, they were some crappy ass calls in the third period. Yes, they are missing Vanek and Hecht. However, you can't give up a 2-goal lead in the 3rd period! You can't do it with Ryan Miller back there! You can't go four games without scoring a power play goal! You can't be a great penalty killing team during the regular season and give up two PP goals against a team that scored the least amount of goals in the NHL.

Plus, you are playing the Bruins! I'm sorry, I just don't feel the Bruins are that good. They have Chara, some gritty guys, a rookie goalie and a bunch of retread Sabre players. Not to mention, they are missing their best scorer.

I really don't wanna get into my disdain for Tim Connolly and Drew Stafford. I've said so much about these guys over the years that it has become overkill. They are bums. End of story. They need to be traded this offseason. I don't care what Darcy Regier says. I'm done with Darcy playing his role as an accountant and telling me about the market. Trades happen in the NHL. Do your job and find someone else. For god sakes, your coach had to recall some dude, who is nothing more than a AHL goon, to send a message to the Bruins in the playoffs??? I mean, what kind of message are you sending to your own locker room? You're not playing the Broad Street Bullies?! Sorry, but Boston's toughness can be very easily matched.

Hell, correct me if I'm wrong, but do you remember seeing a Bruins vs Sabres game during the regular season that I had to worry about them kicking our ass? That's what playoff hockey brings to the table; you play out of character. It's the same thing Ruff always preaches. Is it really that hard to go over to Adam Mair or Paul Gaustad and order them to take out Lucic and Boychuk? The buzz I have to hear on twitter is that we need to start McCormick for the rest of the playoffs? Are you kidding me!? Get some balls, Sabres!

Back to the Sabres top 6 forwards; they are an embarrassment. It's nothing more than a cheap way of saying that we don't have a star player on offense. Using the term top 6 is a way to make fans think the team has a lot of talent. The Stanley Cup is won on star players. The Sabres have one star, and he's not enough to win the Cup.

The bottom line is this; even when the Sabres give the greatest effort in the world, they barely get by. Just look at Game 1, they played great and won by only a goal. Yes, they won the division during a recession year in the Eastern Conference. But if you look at the talent of the top 8 teams in the league, it's not even close. Tim Connolly, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville shouldn't be your backbone offensively. I hate to rip open old wounds, but the Sabres need Chris Drury or Daniel Briere version 2.0. They need that guy who is going to say, "Fellas, get the hell out of my way because I'm scoring the game winner." Besides Miller, they don't have that clutch performer on this team.

Now, if you wanna believe in Tyler Ennis or Mark Mancari, that's fine. However, I must warn you, I remember when guys like Roy, Connolly, Max, Kotalik and Stafford debuted, and everyone was talking about how great these kids were going to be and Regier was executive of the year. Well, where are we now? We have a great goaltender on a below average team.

All I'm saying is the time has come for some of these core guys to get moved. They have peaked. Derek Roy isn't scoring 40 goals. Jason Pominville isn't going to be scary good. It has been three years with this core and it has brought us nothing but pain. They had their shots and they blew it. They tried at times, but they are not good enough.

I can already see into the future of the Sabres end of the year press conference (Hopefully, the jackasses will have one, unlike last year). I can gage into my crystal ball and see them saying that we don't want to make excuses, but...the Vanek injury really hurt us, the officiating stunk, we are against the cap and the Volcano in Europe have the players worried. They will mention some stupid stat that the team has the most wins in the Northeast of the country since the end of the lockout. They will mention Kovalchuk's plus/minus rating. Whatever. They will make something up.

Of course, at the end of their presser, they will reveal their brand new retro home/away jerseys and beg us to buy them. Maybe they will use that money to upgrade their Cellino and Barnes pop-ups during the regular season. God forbid, it's upgrading for all HD games. Yes, if this season ends on Friday, I'm blaming the powers that be. Yes, it has been a played out argument. But I just think the Sabres run their team like a corporation and care only about their bottom line. Trust me, you can care about making money, but you better care about us too. Yes, I'm being irrational and angry. However, I want to leave you guys all with this question:

Do you believe the Sabres management (Regier, Quinn and Golisano) have done enough to bring the Cup to Buffalo?

My memories of the Bruins vs Sabres rivalry

Listen up, all you little youngsters. I know the Bruins match-up of today may not be in your top five for hated rivals. However, about 20 years ago, the Boston vs Buffalo match-up was thee rival. I can remember being 9 or 10 years old and just loathing the Bruins. Prior to being a fan of hockey, the Bruins and Sabres had a history of playoff encounters. Unfortunately for the Sabres, the Bruins took two series from them in the early 80's.

At about the time I started watching the Sabres, the Bruins were coached by Mike Milbury. Yes, that Mike Milbury! The loud mouth commentator that no one really finds that interesting-except crazy old-school hockey fans that want more fights than goals. Milbury only coached the Bruins for a couple of years, but he made sure those Bruin teams represented his beliefs. Tough, dirty, angry and brutal hockey. When you were facing the Bruins, it was like going against the Broad Street Bullies, except they could score six goals on you.

They had Cam Neely, who is arguably one of the best power forwards in league history. Ray Bourque, a defensemen who could take your head off with his slap shot. Craig Janney (who later was traded for an even better player in Adam Oates), a play-making center who was always looking to get his teammates involved. After those star players, it was a bunch of gritty guys that wouldn't pull any punches. Mainly because they had every intention on knocking your ass out.

As for the Sabres, you think today's version is much maligned with the fan base? You didn't live through the era of Pierre Turgeon, Dave Andreychuk and Alexander Mogilny. All finesse, no grit. As much as I hated the Bruins at that time, I always envied the way their team played. At the end of every Sabres/Bruins game, I would go away shaking my head, wondering why couldn't we beat down the Bruins like they did to us. They were just so tough and big. They would work the forecheck against us like no one else. It would seem like Neely would control the puck for an eternity behind the Sabres net. It really seemed like a one sided rival.

However, I decided to go back and look at the win/loss record of these rivals and was presently surprised how it wasn't as one sided as I had originally thought. Their regular season games were almost even between the two teams. Except, I wasn't considering the post season. From 1988 to 1992, the Sabres and Bruins met three times in the first round of the playoffs, with the Bruins winning all three of those series.

I can remember the first two series being the same ole' for the Sabres. The Bruins would come in and push the Sabres around; get in their face, and none of the Sabres could match the Bruins physicality. The Sabres lost the first series in six games and the second series in five games.

The series that ended in five games started out great for the Sabres. They beat down Boston in their own building by a score of 6-0. I can remember feeling jubilation and thinking that this could be the year that we finally get rid of those dam B's. I was wrong. The Bruins ended up beating the Sabres in four straight games; outscoring them by a 16 to 8 count.

All of the Sabres fans wanted the team to be built like Boston. You know, a tough blue-collar squad that wouldn't take s#$t from anyone. Of course, when you want your team to be something they are not, you're going to have your little tirades against those guys. Turgeon seemed to get the blunt of criticism. Turgeon was like a cross between the likes of Derek Roy, Miro Satan and Thomas Vanek. He was the first overall pick in the 1987 and had a ton of expectations. He had a nice career in Buffalo, but was inconsistent in his scoring and there were questions about his toughness in the playoffs.

Speaking of Turgeon, I have a funny story about him. My first ever jersey that I owned was his white home replica. I was only about 8 years old when my older sister bought it for me at a Sabres game. Now, for whatever reason, the jersey was about 3x the size of what I should have been wearing. It literally went below my knees and only my fingertips were able to see the light of day while wearing it.

So, being the fashion connoisseur that I am, decided the only logical thing to do was to shorten my jersey. By shorting it, I mean by cutting it...with scissors. So my 80 dollar jersey was finally able to fit below my ass and my hands were able to be seen in public. I didn't realize it, but my jersey looked as if it had a run-in with a bunch of sword swinging ninjas, who really f#$ked me up.

Of course, I went to school the next day, sporting my brand new ripped Turgeon jersey. I thought I was going to be like the kid who just bought the newest Air Jordan's. Everyone was going to look at me and say "Wow, look at that jersey!" How wrong I was. About a hundred insults later and a sad bus ride home, I threw my jersey deep into the abyss of my closet; where it sat there for about the next six years. So kids, make sure you try on the jersey when you buy it at the arena. And if it doesn't fit, then you must return it.

OK? Where the hell was I? Oh yeah...Turgeon and the Bruins. Even though Turgeon was an OK player, he really wasn't the franchise player the Sabres had hoped for. On October 25th, 1991, Turgeon was traded to the Islanders for Pat LaFontaine. Yes, there were other players involved in the deal, but those were the two big named players. Of course, LaFontaine went down in history as one of the Sabres best play-making centers in franchise history.

Later on that year, the Sabres once again met the Bruins in the playoffs. Most fans thought it was going to be the same old ending for Buffalo. The Sabres started off the series well, beating the Bruins in the opener by a score of 3-2. Unfortunately, the Sabres lost the next three games and once again, it looked as if the prognosticators were dead on. Well, the Sabres made a series out of it. They won next two games, including a game six, 9-3 thrashing at the Aud. The series was tied at three games a piece.

However, the series ended for them in Boston by a score of 3-2. I remember at the end of the game when the camera panned across the Sabres bench and everyone looked really sad and defeated. I felt so bad for those guys that I almost broke down and cried. However, after the game, my feelings started to warm up.

Mike Robitaille (Yes, dude has been announcing Sabres games since I was 8) said that he felt differently about this team losing to Boston than in years past. He felt that the team didn't give up like in previous series. He mentioned that the team was coming into it's own with LaFontaine, and were on the cusp of finally beating these guys. I happened to agree with him.

The next season, the Sabres had one of their best offensive performances in team history. LaFontaine scored 148 points and Mogilny had 76 goals (God, if only the NHL could get back to those numbers). The Sabres also added Stanley Cup winning goaltender, Grant Fuhr, to the mix at the trade deadline. Once again, the stage was set for the Bruins and Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.

Of course, the same questions were being asked if the Sabres could manage to offset the Bruins physical play. Finally, the Sabres answered the bell. The Sabres jumped out to a 3 games to none lead over the Bruins; winning all three of their games by one goal. Then there was game four; "Mayday." The Sabres were down 5-3 in the third period and nobody wanted to go back to Boston for game 5. However, the Sabres scored two late third period goals, sending the game to overtime. Of course, Brad May scored the game winner and Rick Jeanneret became a legend with his "Mayday" call.

That series became my version of the Red Sox finally beating the Yankees. It was like this giant boulder was lifted off my shoulders. Trust me, I wasn't the only one thinking that. The series victory marked the beginning of the end for the Bruins. Cam Neely was finished because of injuries, Ray Bourque was getting older, and the team's toughness began to lack. Boston didn't win their next division title until 2002.

As for the Sabres, the series win ended up being the apex for LaFontaine and Mogilny. The following years, the dynamic duo didn't come close to eclipsing their numbers of the 93' season. The duo ended up not making it out of the first round again for the Sabres. Mogilny was traded during the off season of 1995, and LaFontaine was traded just two years later. Plus, the B's vs Sabres rivalry started to deteriorate. It's kind of like comparing the Bills vs Dolphins rivalry of the 90's to today's version.

Now, the two franchises did meet in the 99' playoffs, with the Sabres beating the Bruins in the second round, four games to two. Of course, the star power wasn't really quite the same, nor was the bad blood. The only funny story I remember from that series was when a Bruins player tried to poke a rebound loose from Dominik Hasek. Hasek didn't take too kindly with the poke check and started going after the player towards the corner. By the time Hasek was about to throw a punch, he backed off, only to have all five of his Sabre teammates jump the poor guy. I so wish I could find a youtube clip of that moment.

Now, normally when I reach into my bag of memories, I try to tie in those memories with today's events. Unfortunately, the Sabres and Bruins rivalry isn't really there. Derek Roy and Daniel Paille aren't going to get confused with Neely and LaFontaine. The hate for Boston just doesn't exist.

Then it hit me. The only real memories I have of the Bruins vs Sabres is playoff hockey. I couldn't tell you what happened between those teams during the regular season from 88' to 93'. After the Bruins beat down the Sabres for so many years, we finally got our revenge. Then after that, it was the Flyers that kept ending our springtime hockey. However, the Sabres got even during the 98' playoffs. Even the Sabres were doing their own dominating. The Senators couldn't beat Buffalo in the playoffs to save their lives. Unfortunately, the tide turned and the Senators finally got their sweet revenge in the '07 playoffs.

That's what playoff hockey means to me. It's passion...and revenge! It's the final payoff for watching a long season of hockey. That's where the hockey memories really began for me. Hopefully, this Bruins and Sabres match-up will kind of rekindle my hatred towards the B's. Even if it doesn't, I couldn't be more happy for the Sabres to be in playoffs again. I'll be watching and sporting my torn up Turgeon jersey that I finally grew into.

(OK, I made that last part up. Come on, you know I would have upgraded my jersey collection by now.)

Top 5 Reasons: Not to like the Sabres chances in the playoffs

5) Lindy Ruff
What? How the hell can you have Ruff on both lists? Yes, even the Teflon Don can have his own bad days. For one, Ruff has always been a coach that is fixated on giving his four lines almost equal playing time. How many times this season have we seen Adam Mair and Matt Ellis on the ice with two minutes remaining in a tied hockey game? Too many for my taste. At times, it seems like Ruff has more confidence in Mair than he does in Vanek.

We all know that if you're struggling during a game, Ruff is going to cut your ice time. It doesn't matter if you're Roy, Ellis or Vanek, he's going to go with someone that he finds to be playing well at that particular moment. Sorry, but I've made no bones about seeing the fourth line in crunch time; don't want to see it.

Speaking of playing time, we all know that Ryan Miller is the key to the Sabres success in the playoffs. If Ryan Miller struggles in the postseason, a lot of fans are going to blame Ruff for tiring him out and screwing up the goalie rotation during the regular season. Hey, I wouldn't exactly think it's a big deal, but everyone keeps on talking about Miller possibly wearing down.

4) Injury bug
I swear, the last two weeks for the Sabres season have looked like the Hurricanes series in 2006. Don't look now, but for the first time all season the Sabres have some serious injury questions. Yes, Thomas Vanek came back from injury with a vengeance against the Senators. But the injuries to Tim Connolly, Pat Kaleta and Jochen Hecht have to be a concern. The Sabres have been very hush-hush about the extent of the injuries.

We all know the injury history of Tim Connolly. Hell, he was suppose to make it back for the start of the 2006 season and we didn't see him until the playoffs. So there's no telling when or if he will return. As for Connolly the player, the guy can look like the real deal for a 10 game stretch, only to disappear for the next month. However, we know when he gets hot, he can be a game-changer on the ice. Thinking of Paul Gaustad as the team's second line center, doesn't exactly yell roll the highlight reel.

Pat Kaleta (Who returned against the Devils) can be a game changer in his own way. He can get under the skin of the opposition very easily and enrage them into taking stupid penalties. Plus, he can hit like hell. Hecht is Lindy Ruff's pet...more like teacher's pet. He does everything that Ruff wants out of a hockey player. He's a great two-way player and never really gets the credit he deserves. Those three players bring a dynamic to the Sabres roster that at times have been lacking this season. Sure, they may be ready at the start of the postseason, but you have to wonder if they will be a 100%.

Lets not forget that their replacements are guys that have only played a handful of NHL games. You could have afforded to have the likes of Tyler Ennis or Nathan Gerbe learn on the fly during the regular season. However, one rookie mistake in the postseason, and it can cost you a series.

3) If the east is weak, then are the Sabres weak?
I know a lot of fans have spoken about the East taking a step back this season. There's no denying it. However, if the East is so weak, wouldn't you think that the Sabres should have dominated it? The Sabres have had their issues against the weak Eastern Conference. Going into Sunday's game against the Devils, they are 14-15-4 against playoff teams in the East. That's not exactly a great record against a less than superior conference.

Not to mention, it gets worse against the top seeds. The Sabres are 5-10-2 against the Capitals, Devils, Penguins and Senators on the season. Yes, I know, the Sabres finally beat the Senators on Saturday Night. However, lets be honest, they were playing against the Senators 2nd string goalie and a team that had already clinched the 5th seed. Hell, the Sens were too interested in giving Daniel Alfredsson his painting and staring at his hot wife. Of course, there were positives you could take out the game. Vanek finally coming out of his shell comes to mind. But to say that the Sabres got the Senators monkey off their back? Sorry, more like a banana peal.

2) Heart for the playoffs?
On the surface, if you were to look at the Sabres roster, you'd come away with being very impressed with their playoff game experience. The Sabres have nine forwards that played on the team's back-to-back playoff births after the lockout. The defense has Craig Rivet and Henrik Tallinder, who have both tasted playoff hockey. Of course, we all know that Ryan Miller has extensive playoff and international experience. All and all, the Sabres have 14 players (Including Raffi Torres) on their roster with playoff experience.

The only problem in my view is that these 14 players haven't exactly had to "be the man" in the playoffs. Take Ryan Miller. Yes, Miller has had some nice postseason games, but if you were to look at the success of the Sabres playoff games from 05-07, Miller really wasn't the focal point of winning games. The same goes for the nine forwards. I hate to bring up you know who (or them), but the backbone of those teams were Briere and Drury. Guys like Vanek and Roy were complimentary players to those guys. Dont forget, Briere had the most points in the playoffs from 2006-2008. I'm sure we don't have to google Chris Drury's playoff performances to see what he brought to Buffalo.

This time around, the Sabres aren't riding the coattails of Briere and Drury. Guys like Roy and Vanek have to step up and become the focal point of the offense. Over the years, we've seen some of the team's core players come up short when adversity hits them. Now, the pressure is really on. You can't rely on Drury or Briere for the playoffs anymore. It's time for those kids that we saw on those early playoff teams become men. If the Sabres aren't successful in the playoffs, the vultures are going to be swarming around some of those core guys.

1) Scoring inconsistency
It's really hard to believe that the Sabres are ranked in the top 10 for scoring in the NHL. It kind of boggles my mind. However, even with the high ranking, the Sabres have had there issues with scoring consistency. There have been a number of moments during the season that we have scratched our heads and wondered, "where has this top six forward been over the last five games?"

Now, it should be noted that over the last 2-3 weeks, guys like Pominville, Roy and Vanek have found their scoring touch. However, we have seen this song and dance before. The top six forwards have a knack for showing up for three week stretches and then disappearing for another three weeks. I know a number of fans have been using Miller as the reason to like the Sabres chances in the playoffs, and you should. However, this isn't the era of Devils hockey that ruled the NHL in the late 90's and early in the 2000's.

Since the lockout, three of the four teams that have won the Stanley Cup didn't really have ideal goaltending. Sure, goaltending can win you a series or two, but you still need to have guys that can put the puck in the back of the net. The success of the two previous Stanley Cup champions should tell you that. The Sabres can't count on winning every game by the score of 2-1 or 1-0.

We all know what the Sabres are getting with Ryan Miller. However, we really can't say the same about the top six forwards. Even if Miller struggles in the playoffs, fans would be certain to forgive him and place blame on Ruff and Lalime for tiring him out. Now, if the top six forwards falter, I don't think the Buffalo fan base is going to be as remorseful.

My thoughts on why there's a lack of buzz with the Sabres

The Sabres are in the playoffs! The Sabres are in the playoffs! The Sabres are in the playoffs! Yes, that's my Paul Revere impression of the Sabres are coming. However, it seems to be that the buzz on WGR and the pages of TBN consists of a lack of buzz surrounding the team. Some media members and fans have been asking why the electricity that the city endured from 05'-07' seasons are now enduring a major power outage.

The logical answer that everyone seems to be giving us is that the fans are too scared or can't trust the Sabres. As if cheering for the Sabres represents selling your soul to the devil if they lose. They don't want to get their hopes up and have their little hearts broken for the 100th time by a Buffalo sports franchise. Are you serious?

Look, I know I haven't exactly been glowing with esteem optimism when it comes to this team. But the main reason I haven't exactly gotten behind the squad is because at times, they have reverted back to their old self. Now, I'm a big boy, and I can definitely handle being disappointed. Those of you who can't deal with the playoff ride, really need to buy a Tony Robbins inspirational tape.

Now, there is still the question of why the buzz appears to be lacking. Actually, let me make one more point on the thought of fans being scared by disappointment. How many games in a row have the fans sold out Ralph Wilson Stadium? Fans keep on going to those games and it always tends to lead to a groundhog day of disappointment.

Yes, I'm allocating that most Bills/Sabres fans are interchangeable. Sure, some only root for one or the other, but the fans pretty much cheer for both teams. If you ask me, I think Sabres fans are more optimistic than Bills fans. What exactly is the problem for someone to get behind your team? If other cities had the "we are too scared to watch" approach, then what the hell would be the point of being a fan?

Now, I may not be the greatest source to speak about the atmosphere in Buffalo for the playoffs; mainly because I don't live there anymore. However, I'm always talking to friends, reading message boards and pretty much have my eyes and ears open to the pulse of the town. It's kind of puzzling that it was only three years ago that the Sabres had a season ticket waiting list of almost 14,000 and now they can't even sell out playoff games.

So, here's my opinion on why the Sabres buzz has been lacking and how tickets for the playoffs aren't selling like slug jerseys or Sabre Medallions. I think a lot of it has to do with the Sabres popularity being somewhat of a fad or trend after the lockout, and now they are kind of cool, but it's just not fresh.

Actually, trend and fad is a little harsh. I'm thinking along the lines of "Yeah, they are good, but we've seen this before." Now, I'm not saying we've seen this before as a thought process that they will end up losing. I'm talking about seeing the Sabres win the division and make the playoffs. To me, the reason for the lack of buzz are because of two things:

1) Show me something I haven't seen before.

2) It was cool...like four years ago.

Now, before you start emailing me comments on how Buffalo is the "new hockey town" and I don't understand the love affair of the NHL, let me give you an example that has to do with reason number one:

When the Buffalo Bills became a perennial Super Bowl contender in the early 90's, the love affair for the team swept the city like a tidal wave. No one saw it coming; kind of like the Sabres success after the lockout. Buffalo endured the Bickering Bills era of the 1989 season, and many fans thought the team was ready for an implosion. However, the next year, the Bills went 13-3 and headed to their first of four straight Super Bowl appearances. The town was in a frenzy. The team was selling out their stadium with 80,000 screaming fans. Everyone on the team had their own local TV show. Fans were buying as many zoobas pants as possible. It's was a crazy time.

However, I can remember during the 1992 season, things started to change. This may be a shock to some Sabres or Bills fans who weren't born around this time, but the Bills had trouble selling out their games. The famous Bills vs Oilers comeback playoff game wasn't even seen on TV, because the game didn't sell out. It seemed as if every home game, the Bills were battling the deadline for a blackout. Hell, I think they extended the blackout for those games until 12:45PM on Sundays. The last two years of the Super Bowl era consisted of two non-sellouts per season.

I think the biggest reason the Bills had issues selling out was that the fan interest was still there, but the actual chase for the prize became played out. The fans had seen the Bills go through the regular season and the first round of the playoffs so many times, that they began to take the team for granted. It was as if to say, "Keep on working and we will see you in January when it really matters."

Things got even worse for the Bills when their 1994 season resulted in a 7-9 record. The Bills only sold out half of their games that season. The fans passive approach with the Bills reached its climax when the team needed a win in their home finale to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Patriots. You know how many tickets sold for that game? Just over 56,000.

Now, the Bills were able to rebound after the disappointing season and remained very competitive for the rest of the decade. They were even still talked about as being a Super Bowl contender. However, the Bills still had issues selling out their stadium. Think about that for a minute. The Bills of today, and their 10 year playoff drought have produced sellout after sellout at the stadium. Can you imagine if the Bills were actually good? Hell, Buffalo fans would go to Toronto to see a game because of tickets not being available in OP.

To me, the Bills success of the 90's is kind of a equivalent to what we are seeing with the Sabres today. Yes, the Bills were more successful during that period, but the issues of fan support seem to be the same. The fans still loved the Bills and Sabres during their respective time periods, but when you were seeing the same results within a short period of time, fans developed a state of content. Eh, wake me up when we get to the second round of the playoffs.

In a lot of fans eyes, it's a big difference going from five years without a playoff game to just two years. The hunger just isn't there as much as it was before. I'm sure if the Sabres make it to the EC Finals, the fans will regain their appetite.

As for the trend setter idea, lets not forget there were a ton of "alleged" hockey fans that came out of the woodwork to clam they were "Blue and Yellow" through thick and thin. Come on. Admit it; you had at least 2 or 3 friends come up to you and talk about their love for the Sabres, when you knew deep down inside they were just cheering so they could fit in. Hell, before the Sabres became good, the only times these fans had uttered the words "1st period" was when they were discussing why their girlfriends were pissed off at them.

Yes, I'm sure some of those fans are still rooting today for the Sabres, which is always good. But you can't ignore people who routinely show up whenever something new and exciting takes place in any sort of trendy period. That's what happens when a trend happens, everyone wants to be a part of it and whenever it cools down, they find something else to do.

Remember, the Sabres were almost as successful during the late 90's as they are today. However, the big difference was those teams were giving away free tickets at the Arena. Four years ago, the team was able to steal the city's heart because Buffalo was so hungry for a winner with the Bills/Sabres struggles. Hell, if the Buffalo Destroyers were still in town and won the Arena Bowl, there would have been a huge party. Plan and simple, winning brings out fans from different walks of life. Especially when it's been so long.

I'll be honest, if there is an ounce of distrust between the Sabres and their fan base, I'm sure it's with the die hards who don't want to get hurt. But I really do think that the "been there, done that" approach, along with the following the trend idea has to do with lack of buzz. I mean, whatever happened to the Sabres having a season ticket wait list and six of the top ten jerseys being sold on NHL.com?

I seriously doubt all of those fans decided to turn away because they couldn't bare the thought of having their hearts broken again.

The Saga continues...

Dear Sabres,

You and I haven't always seen eye to eye. However, even a grouch like myself can't hate on you guys for winning the division title. Yes, your inconsistent and boring style of play have driven me bonkers during parts of the season. However, the beauty of sports sometimes fools us (and yours truly) into believing that it's all about how the journey goes, instead of seeing where the journey leads us.

Looking back, I'd go through all those peaks and valleys again; just so I can get to this point of winning a division title. Honestly, as much as there are some players on this team that I'd like to kill off, and as crazy as this sounds (which I'm sure I'll take back next week), I'm kind of proud that the majority of the team's core have gone through all the highs and lows of the last five years.

It's like watching a three part movie, where a group of guys rise too fast to the top, only to come crashing down to earth. However, they either are going to use all of their experiences to reach their ultimate goal or will spiral even more out of control.

Now, we are in the third act of the movie and they are trying to learn from their successes and failures. I think the biggest question is whether we are watching the movie Rocky III or Raging Bull. Right now, it looks as if we are watching Rocky III. As for how the Sabres clinched the division, it's a hell of a lot nicer to clinch without having to worry about five other teams losing in the final week of the season.

Anytime you can add decorations to the ceiling of the HSBC Arena, it's always a great day. Congratulations on showing some of the fans, the media and myself on how wrong we were prior to the season. Hell, you can even go before the start of March when I was already claiming that the Sens were taking this division. BTW, every Sabres player should go out and shake Ryan Miller's hand for the team's success. Without Miller, we would all be asking for Tom Golisano's Florida address to send him our hate mail.

Now, for this Sabres fan, I'll enjoy this division title and pop out my chest for the next day or two. However, this is where we separate the men from the boys. Playoffs are here and it's all about winning. I'm not going to give a rats ass if the Sabres top six forwards suck, or if Tyler Myers hits a rookie wall, or if the Sabres play the dullest form of hockey this side of the American border, or if Lindy Ruff is playing Adam Mair in the final two minutes of a tied hockey game.

As long as they are winning in the playoffs, style points are out the door. It's not about being a movie critic anymore, it's about whether you can bring home an Oscar. The Sabres have brought home a Golden Globe, now it's time to rev up for that Oscar push.

Sabres thoughts on..well...everything

FYI: I had a long day, so don't look for any of my classic rants. I'm too tired to even look for a photo on this article. But, if I did have the energy to look, I'd probably show a picture of the words "F$#K You, Sabres" on it.

If you're reading my blog for the first time, I'm sorry this is the article to greet you. If you'd like, scroll down a bit, and to your right, there is an archival section. Click on my GM series.

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Look, apologist or not, if you were to tell me at the beginning of the season that we'd be two points away from winning the division with a week left in the season, I'd be sending Tom Golisano and Monica Seles a new toaster oven. I'd be buying a dam slug jersey and a stupid Sabres playoff flag for my car. However, I'm broke, I don't own a car and I sure as hell don't know where Tommy G and Monica are these days.

Now, with all that being said, I still don't think it's negative for me to voice a concern about the Sabres. It's the same concern I brought up when the Sabres were in first place by 13 points over Ottawa. It's the same concern I brought up when they were struggling before and after the Olympic break. Hell, it's the same concern that I've been bringing up since the start of the 2007 season. Now, I'm bringing that same concern up today.

It's the BIG "I" word. Inconsistency. It's inconsistent play from the top two lines. It's inconsistent physical play. It's inconsistent effort. It's inconsistent "Whip" topics. It's just inconsistent everything. Sorry, but there's no room for inconsistency in the playoffs. You lose 3-4 games in a row, you're finished.

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I don't wanna say I told you so, but I told you that the Sabres recent hot streak wasn't exactly something you can build your hopes around. Beating weak ass teams, shouldn't get you excited. The Sabres have been very inconsistent (There's that dam word again) against the playoff teams in the East. Here are the records for the top 3 seeds against the Eastern conference playoff teams:

The Capitols are 15-4-5
The Penguins are 17-13-2
The Sabres are 13-14-4

For the record: The Sabres are 2-5-1 against the Penguins and the Capitols this season. I seriously doubt you want me to get into their record against the Sens. Since February 1st, the Sabres have only two regulation wins against playoff teams in both conferences. Sorry, but Tampa Bay and Florida aren't going to be on the Sabres schedule during the playoffs. Again, we are in the unknown stage of what the Sabres are going to do in the first round of the playoffs.

BTW, don't come at me with your Monday morning quarterback routine. You know what I'm talking about. If they play well next week, you'll by telling me that you were never worried. You're going to say I'm just a negative person and a wannabe Jerry Sullivan.

You're worried, and you know it. You may not tell your friends. You may not tell your husband or parents. You may not type it on Twitter. You may call WGR and say that there are peaks and valleys in a season. But deep down inside, you're worried.

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As for the bottom three teams of the top eight in the conference. Remember when Montreal and Boston sucked? Remember when Philly was pushing for the division? Yeah, lots can change over the season. The Canadians worry me the most of the trio. They decided to pretty much start from scratch in the offseason. They brought in a ton players via free agency and trades.

With such a huge roster turnover, the Canadians had a hard time gelling when the season started. I remember how the Sabres media apologists were using the Canadians as an example of how free agency and trades mean jacks#$t when it comes to building teams. You know, Marian Hossa never guided the Penguins to the Stanley Cup type of rhetoric.

Now, they seem to be coming into their own, and guess whose slated as the six seed. Yup, Sabres vs Canadians aren't exactly an ideal first round match-up for me. Plus, you know that the HSBC Arena would be 50/50 when it comes to the fans in attendance. D'oh, Canada.

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Um, you think Ryan Miller is pi$$ed off? Miller didn't even speak to the media after tonight's game. I'm sure he didn't want to verbally insult his teammates again. Well, he has every right to be disgusted. The Sabres played piss poor hockey tonight. They have no excuses. I don't want to hear how Montreal had a lot more to play for (Plus, the Canadians played Friday night).

The Sabres had the division title on the line tonight. Hell, you'd think they'd want to clinch the division tonight, so they could maybe get some rest before the playoffs. Oh wait, they don't have a problem with taking nights off during the regular season. So, who needs to clinch?!

Back to Miller, we all know he pretty much crapped all over the team's effort against Toronto on Thursday, and tonight's performance was far worse. Previously, Miller has called his teammates fragile kids and weak. What else can he call them? Lazy f$#kers that he wouldn't piss on if they were on fire? Maybe he'll mention names next week.

Hey, at least Craig Rivet spoke up...even though having him say you played like s#$t, is like the pot calling the kettle black.

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Here's the bottom line, folks: The Sabres aren't this bad of a hockey team. They play solid defense at times and have the greatest goaltender in the world. However, I think we can stop with the idiotic comparisons to the 05/06 squad that fans and certain WGR hosts love to use. The Sabres are a one man army (Ryan Miller) with a couple of decent soldiers.

They are lucky as hell to be in a WEAK ass conference. If they were in the West, they'd be dead as fried chicken. Of course, being in a weak conference sets-up the Sabres to go far in the playoffs. Everyone in the Eastern Conference has a weakness with their team.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the Sabres need momentum going into the playoffs. I'm sure there have been a number of teams that were hot entering the post season; only to fizzle out in the first round and vice verse. Now, I'd like for the Sabres to at least show me that they can play a solid 60 minutes of hockey against teams that aren't from Florida.

Well, they are going to get their chance. They have Ottawa and New Jersey this week. Plus, they are going to play the Bruins and Rangers, who are fighting for their playoff lives. To me, this week isn't about getting momentum for the playoffs, it's about that old ruler...the measuring stick. Sorry, but I just can't keep on rolling the highlight reels of the 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks and the monster comeback win against Pittsburgh. Man, that was this season?

I don't know, apologists. You and I may finally have something in common for a change....it's uncertainty.

Sabres vs Bruins Recap: 6 Star Edition

Rising Stars

1st Rising Star: Sabres heart and soul

Entering tonight, I was ready to write off the Sabres. I mean, how can you beat a playoff team like the Bruins, when you're missing four players from your regular rotation. I was getting ready to write that tonight's loss was all about not being healthy. Hell, even a cynic like myself, knows that playing with a quarter of your forwards that were in Portland just a week ago is merit for cutting the Sabres some slack. Well, that's why they play the games.

This may have been the Sabres most impressive victory since beating the San Jose Sharks before the Olympic Break. Sorry, but I'm not counting the beat down of the Florida teams. I said a week ago that it was going to be interesting to see what the Sabres would do against playoff teams like the Canadians, Bruins and Senators for the upcoming week. Yes, they lost again to the Senators. However, you can't dismiss their comeback effort against the Canadians. You also can't dismiss their effort for playing with five rookies in their line-up against the Bruins. Both of those winning efforts wouldn't have had happened if it were last year.

2nd Rising Star: The Sabres system

OK, so this is a continuation of the first star. I've been one to scoff at the notion of Sabres fans who try and compare this team to the 05/06 version. However, tonight, I couldn't help myself for going down memory lane of that time period. I remember during that season, the Sabres battled a ton of injuries, mostly due to their sports hernia problem. Even with all the injuries, that Sabres team were still able to find someone to pick up the slack. Tonight's game, had a bunch of kids that only played a handful of pro games, and were still able to play as if they had been 10-year pros. Hell, they made a Bruins vs Sabres game entertaining. I mean, when was the last time you said that?

3rd Rising Star: Tyler Myers

WTF else can I say about Myers. I mean, aren't you suppose to be hitting a rookie wall just about now? Myers 11th goal of the season is the most for a Sabres blue-liner since Brian Campbell had 12 goals in the 05/06 season. You want to talk about exceeding expectations, start with Myers. We all knew that Ryan Miller had the makings of being a great NHL goaltender before this season.

However, at the start of the season, no one in their wildest dreams would have expected this sort of production from a 19-year old kid. Myers, not only has been the Sabres best defenseman, but he has also added a play-making ability that the team has needed on the blue line since Campbell was traded two years ago. You could have also put Tim Kennedy or is Tyler Kennedy (More on that later) into the rising star category for tonight. He's been playing great as of late.

Falling Stars:

1st Falling Star: Tim Thomas

What the hell happened to this guy?! He won the fricken Vezina Trophy last year?! From a Boston stand point, he's got Bill Buckner and Grady Little written all over him. To let in three goals on 13 shots against a Sabres team that wasn't at 100% is totally unacceptable. That dude needs a bro-hug or a shrink couch, ASAP.

2nd Falling Star: Joe Micheletti

Or maybe I should call him Joe Rogan or Doc Emerick, or Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles. Memo to Versus: You are suppose to be the home of hockey coverage on your stupid network that nobody watches. I counted at least 3x times that play-by-play man, Joe Micheletti, said the name "Tyler Kennedy," when it came to describing the play of Tim Kennedy...or was it Tyler Ennis? Hell, he could have been talking about John F. Kennedy at this point?! Now, this wasn't over one shift or a power play, this was throughout a period. Don't you think someone in the dam truck would have told him that Tyler Kennedy plays on the Penguins? Totally stupid.

3rd Falling Star: Drew Stafford

Was Drew Stafford even on the ice tonight? You would think that with two of the top six forwards not playing tonight, Stafford would at least try and put on his best effort to pick up the slack. Instead, he did absolutely nothing. If there's one top six forward I would love to jettison after this season, it's Stafford. He's done nothing during his career and is lucky enough to even be considered a top 6 guy. The Sabres need to trade this guy while they still can get value for him. Trust me, don't make this into a Max or Kotalik situation where you can only get a bag of pucks for him. The Sabres tried lighting a fire under Stafford when Ruff benched him earlier this season, and it worked..for like two games. Sorry, but Stafford's ship has sailed...actually, more like sunk.

The Sabres have a mutiny on their hand

The Sabres have just confirmed that Mark Mancari and Nathan Gerbe have been called up on emergency recall from the Portland Pirates and will be with the team for Monday night's game in Boston. Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Patrick Kaleta and Raffi Torres are all injured and the team dressed seven defenseman for Saturday's win over Tampa Bay. They can go back to six for Monday. (The Buffalo News)

Mind of Joe

There is a lot of buzz on the Sabres' blogosphere about being able to see Gerbe and Mancari on the roster, which already consists of Tyler Ennis. I've always said that the fixation with the Sabres prospects has more to do with the civil unrest with the Sabres top 6 forwards than the prospects themselves. It's kind of like the buzz you get when you get the new hot girl (who really isn't that hot) that enters your high school class. You're noticing the girl a hell of a lot more, because you're bored with the same girls that have been in your class for the last four years.

As for Tyler Ennis, I was kind of drooling like some of those guys checking out the new hot girl in class. Ennis looked awesome and was always looking to get his teammates involved on scoring chances. However, he played against the Lightning, which happens to be the worst NHL team I've ever seen. Mancari, on the other hand, has had so many opportunities to make it on the parent club, but always finds a way to get sent back down to the minors. I like Nathan Gerbe, but the dude may be too small to play in the NHL. Every time Gerbe comes to Buffalo, he plays fine, but always has a tendency to get hurt.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and go gaga over any of these guys. For every Tyler Myers that Darcy Regier finds, there's an Ales Kotalik on his resume. Lets not forget that fans were ready to throw guys like JP Dumont off the ship when Derrek Roy and Drew Stafford came up from the minors. Of course, 4 years later, those guys are hanging by a thread with the Buffalo fan base.

Even after Tyler Ennis' nice game this weekend, fans and myself included, need to put the anointing oil away when it comes to these young pirates. Yes, there are some guys on this team that I'd love to get off the Sabres ship and put them on a life raft (Or the door from the movie Titanic) and ship them out to sea. More than likely, we aren't going to know anything about these kids until next year or at least when they can play over the long haul.

Buffalo vs Tampa Bay Recap: 6 Star + Bonus Edition

Rising Stars

First rising star: Paul Gaustad
That's the Paul Gaustad that Sabres fans have learned to love. It has been a while since the Goose has played well in back-to-back games. Goose finished the night with one goal (Could be two, but the goal officials are blind at The HSBC Arena) and acted as if he was Antero Nittymaki's shadow in the first period. He's one of the few physical players on the Sabres that can hold his own in the offensive zone. Goose is probably the biggest body the Sabres have that can take the pounding inside the crease which is always beneficial.

It's been a tough year for Gaustad. He started off very strong in the beginning of the year; hitting everyone in sight and was a key contributor on the forecheck. However, he got injured around Thanksgiving and was out for a couple of weeks and didn't seem like himself upon his return. Over the last couple of games though, Goose seems to be back to his old self and is reeking havoc on the opposition. If Kaleta is out of the line-up for a long period of time, Gaustad is going to have to be the designated hitter for this team.

Second Rising Star: Patrick Lalime
Lalime looked good tonight. OK, who am I kidding...he went against a god awful team. However, I'm happy for Patty. If anyone has been an apologist for Lalime, it's yours truly. If anyone should have a gripe with the back-up goaltending situation, it should be directed at how Lindy Ruff screwed up the goalie rotation. I found it kind of cool that Lalime got his 200th win in front of the home crowd that booed his ass during his last game he started. Of course, the crowd did give him a nice ovation at the end of the game, which will hopefully end the overhyped lovers quarrel between the two.

Third Rising Star: Tyler Ennis
OK, enough of these mixed messages from the Sabres front office. This isn't like the hot girl that has like 10 guys at her disposal, and keeps the flavor of the month around. Keep this kid on the active roster. Find him a hotel room in Buffalo to stay at. This kid looks like the real deal. He looks so good in open ice and is always looking to get his teammates involved. His pass and skating on the assist of the Mair goal was one for the highlight reel. Now, who would I sit if Torres, Kaleta and Connolly return? Maybe Stafford, Mair and Ellis? I don't care, just make room for this kid.

Forth Rising Star: Derek Roy
OK, maybe I should move Roy higher on the list. I mean he did have a hat trick. However, I kind of wish Roy's biggest game moments wouldn't come against the South East Division. Of Roy's 22 goals this season, 19 of them have come against non-playoff teams. Like I've said before, the top six forwards have to show me they can score when it counts, especially against the better teams. But hey, a hat trick is a hat trick. Hopefully he's coming into his own for the season.

Fifth Rising Star: James Woods
Look at James Woods dropping Tom Golisano's name at the beginning of his interview during the first intermission. I think it's the first time all year that Golisano's name has been mentioned during a Sabres broadcast...considering that he doesn't attend the games anymore. Woods was in town scouting possible locations for a movie he's producing, which is always good for the city's economy. Yes, Woods wasn't exactly funny during his interview, even though Kevin Sylvester was doing his best imitation of Paul Hamilton laughing at Lindy Ruff's jokes. However, it's always good to have a celebrity in the house.

Falling Stars

1st Falling Star: The Tampa Bay Lightning
Memo to all the fans who b#$tch about hockey not selling in south: If the Tampa Bay Lightning were known as the Buffalo Lightning, no one would go to their games. No one would buy their crappy jerseys. No one would be partying in the plaza. They are a pathetic hockey team and play some of the worst defense this side of the American border. Chris Gratton and Dave Andreychuk are rolling over in their graves. I kind of feel bad for their fans to hear northerners call them out for not supporting hockey. I mean, how can you support such a pathetic product like that? I sure as hell wouldn't.

2nd Falling Star: MSG
I can only assume that the reason it took over 15 minutes to see the replay of the Vincent Lecavailer spear of Tim Kennedy was because the TV crew was going gaga for having an interview set-up with James Woods. Maybe they were trying to get him the best beef on weck in the green room. First, you run to a commercial break with Lecavalier going to the dressing room without showing a replay of why he was going. Then you come back and not even bother showing the replay.

Yes, I get that the Sabres were going on a long power play, but you could have easily showed the replay during one of the whistles. For god sakes, the score was 1-0 when the spear occurred and it became 3-0 when they finally showed the replay.

Overall
Nice victory...but it's against Tampa Bay. I don't care how many closed door meetings the Sabres had today. They should be able to wipe the ice with teams like these. I still have some doubts, especially against a team whose name start with the letter "O." BTW, THE SABRES ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! Even a grouch like myself is happy for that.

Sabres vs Sens Recap: 6 Stars Edition

Ugh! How I hate writing posts on the Senators kicking our asses! I bet the word "domination" is mentioned like 10x in this post.

The Rising Stars

First Rising Star: Brian Elliott
Can you say Roman Cechmanek? In case you don't know about the history of Cechmanek, he was the Flyers starting goaltender during the 2000-2001 season, and completely owned the Sabres. During the regular season, Cechmanek had a record of 4-0, with two shutouts and gave up just TWO goals in four games. Roman wasn't anyone special. But for whatever reason, he completely owned Buffalo.

Flash forward nine years later, and Brian Elliott is on a similar streak against the Sabres. Going into tonight's game, Eliott had won all seven of his career starts against Buffalo; sporting a GAA of under two goals a game. Tonight, Elliott looked awesome in turning away 41 Buffalo shots. Even though Elliot has been hot as of late, it shouldn't justify his domination over the Sabres. Against the rest of the NHL, Elliot is just an average goaltender on a talented hockey team.

If the Sabres meet the Sens in the playoffs, they need to figure out a way to solve the riddle of Elliott. Maybe it's having Adam Mair take a run at him. Maybe it's having Marty Biron make a special appearance and pick a goalie fight with him. How about taking Elliott to the same restaurant that all of the Sabres players had food poisoning at. They have to do something to figure this guy out.

If they don't, the series is going to end in five. As for whatever happened to Roman....well, the Sabres met the Flyers in the playoffs that year and won the series in six games. The Sabres were finally able to figure out the hot goaltender, especially in game six, when the team scored eight goals. So, maybe all isn't lost.

Second Rising Star: The Senators
What the hell can you say? Ottawa owns Buffalo. If you want to give me the history of Derek Plante's game seven goal or sweeping Ottawa in 99', well, go ahead if that makes you feel better. It's not even a rival anymore. I mean, you have to win once in a while to make it a legit rivalry, right? Dating back to last year, the Sens have dominated the Sabres; winning nine straight games. You don't even want to know their record against the Sabres since the lockout.

There are a ton of factors involved in the Sabres inability to beat the Sens. You pick it, the Senators have dominated it. They have had better goaltending, better star player performances, better coaching, better physicality...just better everything.

Seriously, take away the playoff series in 2006 and the Senators have completely outplayed the Sabres in every facet of the game. Oh, and I'm not even going to get into the Sabres psyche against Ottawa, because like Ryan Miller said once about his team, "It's fragile."

Third Rising Star: Sabres 3rd and 4th lines
I know there are times that I bash Lindy Ruff for giving so much playing time to the 3rd and 4th lines. However, for tonight, those forwards definitely earned it. Welcome back Paul Gaustad. Goose, along with Grier, Mair and Ellis were all over the ice . They were constantly pressuring the Senators in their own zone and were all over Elliott. You can tell those guys really wanted to end the losing streak.

The Sabres started the game on a mission...a very psychical mission. They wanted to beat the crap out of the Sens and it almost worked. If you can't skate with the Senators, you may as well try and slow them down by playing old-school hockey. How about that fight Patrick Kaleta started? Unfortunately, the effort was there, but the end result was the same.

Falling Stars

1st Falling Star: The Sabres top six forwards

Tell me if you have heard this one before? Where were the top six forwards tonight? I don't care if Pomer got a goal on a two on zero. When your 3rd and 4th lines are showing the most effort and getting the most scoring chances, you have issues. This is the only, and I mean only reason why my confidence is shaken for the playoffs.

The Sabres top six forwards have been so inconsistent this year. If the Sabres really want to make noise in the playoffs, they are going to need at least two of their top six forwards to go on a nice point streak. Yes, you can talk all you want about goaltending, but you can't win all four games of a playoff series by a 2-1 score.

I'm in no mood to see Mair/Ellis/Kennedy go up against the Spezza line with 2 minutes left in a game, because Lindy is pissed off at Roy and Vanek for being invisible. You want to know why Ottawa kicks the Sabres asses all the time? It comes down to the star players on both squads. Guys like Alfredsson and Spezza are Sabres killers. The last time the Sabres top six forwards did anything against Ottawa was when RJ was screaming "these guys are good, scary good!!"

Yeah, it's scary alright. So scary that someone needs to call Ghost Busters, because since Pominville beat Alfredsson and Ray Emery, the Senators have been haunting the Sabres.

2nd Falling Star: The Sabres Memos

Memo to Toni Lydman: It may be funny to try and stick your leg out when the waiter walks past your table at a restaurant, but it sure doesn't work on the ice. Dumb, DUMB tripping Penalty that lead to the Senators 3rd goal of the game.

Memo to Tim Connolly: Thanks for the nice fricken slashing penalty that nullified a five minute power play. Really, thanks a lot.

Memo to The Whip: Please, just end the segment. Interview the Senators beat writer or talk about the Water Front Project that your boss is designing. Your topics are nothing more than rehashed garbage from a slow sports day on a talk radio show.

Memo to the Sabres Power Play: I don't care if you score two power play goals a game for the rest of the season, the power play will always stink.

Memo to the Sabres feelings: I was reading on Sabres Edge that prior to the game, there were a number of Sabres that were rolling their eyes at the questions about the Sens domination. Um, start manning up, wimps! Stop sticking up for Patrick Lalime getting booed and realize there are bigger fish to fry! The Sens have dominated your ass over the last four years! I'm sick of you guys acting as if you're kids, who are sick of being disciplined because you're constantly getting detention in high school. You're professionals, and you shouldn't be rolling your eyes at anybody else but yourselves. Welcome to professional sports, boys.

3rd Falling Star:Ryan Miller
Look, I'll be honest, it's very hard for me to give Miller a falling star. He was good tonight, especially in the third period, but not great. However, this falling star is more of an indictment of his play against the Senators overall. For Miller's career against Ottawa, he's 8-14-2 with a GAA of just over three goals a game. That's not very Miller like.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Miller is the heart and soul of this hockey team. You can always tell that he treats every single game as if it's his last. But, enough with the cliches. Miller just doesn't seem right against the Sens. Even the first Ottawa goal tonight, which wasn't really a bad goal, kind of made Miller look as if he was pressing a bit.

Miller knows that the key to the Sabres survival in the playoffs rests on his shoulders. He knows there are plenty of questions and concerns about the Sabres being dominated by the Senators. I'm sure he wants to win the most out of any of his teammates. But, if you were to look at the season series, and ask me which Sabres player has had the worst game against Ottawa, you gotta put Miller up there.

I'm hoping that Miller's performance against the Senators is just a hick-up for his career. Hick-ups can always go away. He's proven that he can dominate the best in world (which is something we can't say about his teammates).

I'm just hoping that if Miller meets the Senators in the playoffs, the outcome isn't the same. If it is, well, Pedro Martinez and Ryan Miller are going to have something in common with their division rivals. "Just tip my hat and call the Senators/Yankees my daddy."

Overall

You really can't bag too much on the Sabres effort tonight. There was definitely a hop in their step. You can tell they wanted to end the streak and clinch a playoff birth. If it wasn't for a couple of bad bounces and some stupid penalties, they could have won and ended the streak. However, there are no scraps in my scrap book.

I'm sick and tired of writing posts about the Sabres losing against Ottawa. Sorry, but youtubing the 7-6 victory over the Senators in the 2006 playoffs...isn't helping my state of mind. I can already hear the homers, "Dude, the playoffs are a different ball game and we have defense and solid goaltending." Awesome, I get that...but what about f$%ken Ottawa?! What is it? seven regular season victories in five years? Sorry, but you can take your blue-collar work ethic and your lunch pall...and stick up it up your ass!

Read my lips: I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY OTTAWA IN THE PLAYOFFS! I don't care what anyone out there says. If you feel better because they gave an honest effort tonight, well, ah salute.

However, we have seen these types of efforts before, and the end result is always the same against Ottawa. Tonight, the Sabres tried a different tactic with getting physical and it just didn't work. The Sabres have made Elliott look as if he's a Hall of Fame Goalie. The Senators have a REAL version of an NHL first line.

You want to know what this rival has become? In a nut shell, compare Vanek's shot off the crossbar to Alfredsson's game winning goal in the last meeting. Great players aren't always great, they are just great when they have to be.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing that with the majority of Sabres on this roster.

3rd Sabres jersey?

Look, I hate having debates on uniforms. Even as awful looking as the slug jerseys are, I thought the idea of having on-line petitions to get rid of those uniforms was a little over the top for my taste. I just think that there are bigger fish to fry in sports than fashion apparel.

However, I do think, in a twisted logical sense, that the Sabres decided to use the Banana slug logo just so they could remake their uniforms four years later and make an even greater jersey sales impact. I mean, the slug uniforms had what? Five Sabre players in the top 10 for NHL jersey sales (2006/2007).

Now on a fashion sense, I have to give the thumbs up for the possible new third jersey. Hopefully, this will make all you so-called fashion experts happy... as I'm sure it will make Quinn and Golisano even more happier in sales. What do you think?

Sabres vs Canadians: Six Stars

First Star: Ryan Miller

How many odd-man rushes have the Sabres given up this year? Seriously, I've seen Miller stone wall 2 on 0's and 3 on 0's. Hell, you'd think you're watching " The Riding of the Bull" with Miller playing the role of the male cattle. If it wasn't for Miller tonight, the Sabres would have been down by five goals. They are going to need games like this from Miller in order to make some serious noise in the playoffs. In my view, Ryan Miller is by far the most important player for any team in the Eastern Conference. Even if Ovechkin and Crosby went down with injuries, both of those teams have some serious role players that can carry the load. Sorry, but Derek Roy can't even carry the puck in his own zone. Miller is the only... and I mean only.... reason why the Sabres are in first place. BTW, Miller is 4-1 against the Canadians this year. All due respect to the Habs, but I'd love to see them in the first round.

Second Star: Lindy Ruff

Gutsy, gutsy call by Ruff to pull the goalie with over three minutes left. It seemed like a wake up call for the Sabres to finally get their dam heads in the game. They had incredible pressure against Carey Price in the last three minutes; scoring two goals. The passion that they showed was as if they were playing for a playoff birth. Up until that point, the Sabres were god awful with the man advantage. I know there are times that fans and media members coddle the ways of Ruff too much for my taste. However, for tonight, he knew exactly how to push the Sabres buttons(well, for the last three minutes at least).

Third Star: Danny Gare's tie

WTF was that!? Is he trying to be like Robie and have sponsors like Yancey's Fancy and Kaleida Health take notice of him? I can only assume that it was a "My Cousin Vinny" situation, where the Tie store had the flu and the only place open was Nerds...err...Kids "R" Us.

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First falling star: First 57 minutes of the hockey game

Dear Sabres, I know you beat down some crappy teams as of late and your confidence is sky high (I'd say mine is at the height of my apartment building). Maybe you can relax against the Florida teams, but you can't coast against playoff teams. The power play was terrible tonight and I don't care how many shots you had on goal. Those weren't quality chances in comparison to what the Habs had. Also, way too many odd man rushes.

Second falling star: Derek Roy

Bro, WTF is going on with you? Way too many giveaways for my taste. But what else is new?

Third falling star: Don't bring up 2005-2007

Look, it was a fun victory tonight and the game was kind of a microcosm of what those Sabre teams did after the lockout. But lets not start acting as if it's Happy Days and it's a Goo Goo Dolls album party. Look, I get that most Sabres fans (myself included) would love to act as if we are witnessing those teams again. But we aren't. They are good...but not scary good. To be honest, I can't remember the last time the Sabres overcame a two-goal deficit. This team is a one man machine and even by coasting, they still have a chance to win because of Miller

Up Next:

The Sabres have a HUGE game against the Senators. I don't care what anyone says. This is a big game. Everyone in that locker room knows that the Senators have owned them since 2006. If the Sabres lose against the Sens, I don't want to hear apologists say that the team is in first place and we should all be happy. I'm happy, but there's a good chance that you're going to see the Sens in the playoffs. I want a confidence builder. I need a sign. The Sens are hot, especially Brian Elliot, who has two straight shutouts. Well, the Sabres are kind of hot too. I guess we can say it's time to beat the Sens at their best.

Get mad, Sabres! Get angry! Get even! Shut me up, I dare you?! I don't think you can beat the Senators in a playoff series. Please, prove me wrong.