Month: January 2023

Here along the Lake yesterday afternoon Sabres fans were treated to another emotional home game as the Canadian and the United States of America national anthems were sung by Buffalo native and “The Voice” semi-finalist, Cami Clune who also bravely endures dysautonomia syndrome.

Mr. Miller was back wearing his black and red white bison head sweater as well as his young son Bodi, Mr. Miller was interviewed before the Anaheim game and talked about the creation of the “Ryan Miller Legacy Fund” and how its work is for cancer pediatrics patients and their families.

Mr. Miller explained how his son was nervous being around the team during overtime last game and asked him what if they lost? Mr. Miller explained what if they win and they pulled it off and as Mr. Cozens was coming off the ice saw his son and gave him the game-winning stick and puck, but it was not something he was asked to do.

Mr. Miller said he was pulled away with things that were happening and Mr. Cozens and Bodi were off to the side by themselves when Mr. Cozens gave his son the stick, his new favorite player by far laughed Mr. Miller.

Two active goaltenders took the ceremonial faceoff from Mr. Miller and his son as the Sabres took the ice donning the productive black & red white bison sweaters, now scoring 6 goals in each of the 5 out of 6 games sporting the black and red sweaters.

The game itself does not begin emotionally as Mr. Dahlin the Sabres PIM leader added to his collection nearly eight minutes in by shooting the puck over the glass Buffalo penalty killers are called upon early and they respond with a kill.

Halfway through the period the Workhorse from Whitehorse, Mr. Cozens scores the game’s first goal as an encore to his OT winner goal Thursday night by skating around a diving Ducks player and snapping a wicked wrister above the goaltender’s right shoulder for the 1-0 Sabres lead.

The fourth-best power play in the NHL scores again to up the lead to 2-0 as the top offensive line gets the goal as Mr. Skinner nets his 19^th assisted by Mr. Tuch and Mr. Thompson and the Sabres end the first period in the lead and on the power play.

In the second period, Anaheim scores twice in 3 1/2 minutes, Mr. Krebs scores and Buffalo regains the lead only to see it slip it away by a fortunate “toss” at the net by Anaheim that re-ties the game at three with Anaheim taking 19 SOG for the period.

To start the third period Mr. Lyubushkin smacks the puck away from a Ducks player at our blueline so strongly that skating hard Mr. Lyubushkin did not touch the puck again until it was at Anaheim’s blueline and when reaching the faceoff dot passed to Mr. Olofsson who scored.

Mr. Olofsson took half a dozen minutes to score his 20th and 21st of the season and give Buffalo the two-goal lead with approximately 12 minutes left in the game then Mr. Krebs six minutes later scored his second of the game for the 6-3 final.

The Sabres have a four-game road trip in six days beginning Monday in Texas to take on our Cup Finalist nemesis the Stars.

A packed arena last night downtown Buffalo honored former goaltender Ryan Miller with raucous approval as his number was raised to the rafters.

Mr. Ray during the pregame interview with Sabres long-time equipment manager and South Buffalo native Mr. Robert “Rip” Simonick talked about Mr. Miller and his adherence to the use of “Legal” goaltending equipment a real stickler they both noted.

Mr. Biron who had backed-up Mr. Miller told us how although Mr. Miller would strictly use only legal goaltending equipment he also used loopholes, for example, if the rules did not forbid a piece of equipment or modification or even wearing it differently Mr. Miller was all for it.

This explanation of Mr. Miller’s equipment usage prompted Mr. Biron to use the quote, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying”.

Noticeably in attendance were the Sabres owner and the NHL Commissioner in an open suite/box enjoying the game and as Mr. Bettman was interviewed in between periods he mentioned how Mr. Miller assists the NHL Hockey Operations Department pertaining to goaltender equipment.

The game begins with Mr. Krebs winning the opening faceoff, and the Sabres outshoot the Islanders 18 to 5 even with a delayed penalty and power play Buffalo comes out of the first period down 0-1.

In the second period, Mr. Tuch scored to tie the game at one along with Mr. Dahlin the Sabres leader in PIMs receiving another penalty to add to his collection and with 90 seconds remaining in the period the Islanders scored to take the 1-2 lead.

Nearly halfway through the third period, Mr. Olofsson scores his 19th to tie the game at two and as regulation ends the Sabres have massively outshot the Islanders with Mr. Cozens’s herculean efforts and breakaway score just 12 seconds into overtime the Sabres win dramatically.

It is going to be like shooting ducks in a barrel as Buffalo hosts Anaheim at 12:30 this coming Saturday afternoon here along the Lake.

Buffalo continues its road dominance by beating Nashville 5-3 with a short-handed tally by Captain Okposo and the first score of the game was Mr. Skinner’s who put on a clinic on how to deke a goaltender out of position and slide the puck in the net.

The first period ended tied at one with Buffalo having two power plays and getting shots through just not through the goaltender and outshot the Predators by a three-to-one ratio.

Two minutes into the second period Nashville is pressuring and buzzing all around Mr. Luukkonen when Mr. Quinn gets a hold of the puck and backhands it to the blueline where Mr. Cozens and Mr. Peterka are behind four Predators for a two on one odd man rush.

At the blue line, Mr. Cozens corrals the puck to Mr. Peterka who gives it back to Mr. Cozens who proceeds straight down Main Street mostly uninterrupted and snaps a greasy hotshot that beats Mr. Soros top left corner for the 2-1 Buffalo lead.

Minutes later Nashville “pushes” the goaltender and puck into the net and the review determines the call on the ice stands “no goal”. The Predators are penalized for goaltender interference and with this power play the Sabres take a two-goal lead with Mr. Olofsson’s iron-clanging 17^th of the season.

There were less than five minutes remaining in the second period when Nashville scored two quick ones in 40 seconds to tie the game at three then proceeded to earn another penalty which carried over into the third period.

Nearly seven minutes into the third period with Mr. Jost penalized, Nashville outshooting Buffalo, and on the power play, it is Captain Okposo skating to the net receiving a pass from Mr. Lyubushkin, and deflecting the puck through his legs scoring short-handed for the 4-3 lead.

With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Mr. Quinn makes a great pass from our zone to once again spring a two on one odd man rush with Mr. Peterka and Mr. Cozens but Nashville is able to get back and disrupt the play.

Nashville recovers the puck but their blind pass from the corner is scooped up by Mr. Quinn who skates from one side of the faceoff circle to the other before dropping to his knee releasing the shot for the score and recovering Buffalo’s two-goal lead and a Sabres 5-3 win.

The Sabres take on the Panthers at home tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock before heading out to Chicago for Tuesday night’s Reverse Retro sweater game versus the Blackhawks.

From the East Coast to the Western shores the NHL scheduled three games last night and the fans were out in force.

A Proud Winnipegger halfway through a 4-1 enjoyable road victory amidst disappointed Penguins fans in Pittsburgh.

In Anaheim, the fired-up fans brought a John Lennon doppelganger to pray for victory.

The Ducks had cheerleaders throughout the arena.

All for naught as Matthew Broderick took time off from his busy schedule filming the re-make of “War Games” to cheer on New Jersey downstate from a set location in Hollywood.

Yes, Miss Warwick Edmonton fans like Daniel Craig do know the way to San Jose.

And they are fired up about being there.

Tonight the Sabres visit the Predators at eight o’clock and will be wearing their Reverse Retro sweaters.