Surprisingly a weekly matchup of the two division leaders in the eighth week of the season happens between the East’s Downton Flyers League leader in (PF) points for overall battles with the West’s Doughty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Team Doughty) leading their Division by a 700% winning percentage.
In the highly competitive East Division Team Fitzgerald in a four-way tie for the division’s second place and/or the fourth playoff seeding battles an underrated second-place team that leads this FHL in (G) goals, (A) assists, and (SOG) shots on goal, from the West, team Buffalo Winter.
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Each FHL team manager is competing in an inter-divisional matchup this week and all four teams tied for second place in the East Division are challenged by the League’s three furthermost teams in the overall standings from the West which could solidify the third and fourth playoff seeding.
Mr. Quinn endeavoring to earn a point in his fifth consecutive game
Currently, there are six teams in direct competition for the League’s four playoff slots with all five of the East Division teams having a legitimate claim to the playoffs in comparison to one from the West’s division leader.
This is exactly what the Sabres needed to end a winless stretch in what was the second-highest offensive output of the season for Buffalo, striking quickly and often along with a solid physical effort and pushback made for one entertaining game.
Mr Dahlin begins the festivities
Highly praised Tyson Jost arrives in Buffalo and during the first shift of his first game becomes involved in a tone-setting fight that Sabres commentator Mr Ray remarked was good to see and that it makes a huge impression on his teammates.
Newest Sabres player Mr Tyson Jost
Head Coach Granato highlighted that fear and hesitation were what was holding us back and the addition of Mr Jost with the return of Mr Girgensons and Mr Samuelsson was apparently the tonic required to dissipate that issue.
Mr Tuch scores his 10th of the season
Racking up 38 SOG and killing six penalties while scoring seven times, maintaining good sticks on the defense, dogging the puck, and sticking up for each other is the style of play we saw in the first ten games of the season.
Mr Cozens 67% on faceoffs
Tonight the Sabres host the St. Louis Blues in the first game of a three-game Thanksgiving Home Stand which includes the visiting Devils and their outstanding game and ends with the Lightning striking as Tampa Bay visits here along the Lake.
When the Buffalo Sabres began in 1970 my family had one black and white television set in our home and I did not have any say on what we watched, so I had to listen to most all Hockey games on my transistor radio.
To this day I still listen to most NHL team’s radio broadcasts and for the most part color analyst are entertaining, here along the Lake we have one of Buffalo’s admired, respected, and well-liked former players in Mr. Rob Ray who since 2012 has done color commentary for Buffalo.
125 regular season games 796 PIM
An Ontario native from Stirling Mr. Ray was a monster when he came to play for the Rochester Americans earning well over 400 PIM while on average scoring a point every second or third game his first season.
Drafted seven spots after Buffalo selected Mr. Mogilny in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft Mr. Ray was called up from the Amerks in 1989 and scored his first NHL goal on the first shift of his first game for the Sabres.
available on Amazon
Authored a book titled “Rayzor’s Edge” on the life of a small-town Canadian boy dreaming and working towards playing in the NHL and finally reaching his goal with descriptions of his life before and during the NHL, interesting and insightful for Sabres and Hockey fans alike.
Mr. Ray was a player that caused the NHL to institute a new rule and altered the way NHL players wear their sweaters or suffer earning a game misconduct prompting fans to refer to this as the “Rob Ray Rule” professionally referred to as “Rule 56. Fisticuffs” from the NHL rule book.
Mr. Ray explained how players would cut pieces of their equipment so that it would rip away in a fight, spray silicone on their arms or sew Velcro into their equipment so nothing would fall off during the preamble to fisticuffs causing the other belligerent to get penalized.
“He said he wanted to see some ID smart guy”
His reputation prompted ESPN to call upon Mr. Ray to do a television commercial about Sportscenter’s security, he was the security officer that pummeled a deliveryman with no identification and pauses to say “Hey Coach” as Mr. Melrose walks by, very funny and can be viewed on Youtube.
HC Melrose, Mr. Ray, and the victim
The first Buffalo Sabres to earn the 1999 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and had made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community Mr. Ray was and still is most deserving.
Mr. Ray’s acceptance speech in 1999 had a joke about how at these NHL awards shows he usually just helps Dominik carry all his trophies and makes sure he gets home alright.
Humble Humanitarian
Contributions to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Make A Wish program, and President of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association Mr. Ray’s compassion and generosity have touched so many lives positively and his humble remarks that the kid’s smiles and the thanks from the families are his trophies.
A well-rounded and talented individual Mr. Ray offers informative and at times hilarious insights while commentating on the games that have made listening to the Sabres almost as much fun as when we watched Mr. Ray play.
Buffalo Winter 