Okay, When's the GOOD Hockey Start?

I'm watching the Chicago-Vancouver game as I write this and I gotta tell ya, I don't care one whit for either of these teams. I don't really hate either of them but I don't really like either of them either. It's the Battle of Who Could Care Less. I was determined to come into this series with an open mind and heart because there are a couple of players I like on both sides and no one I really dislike - not even ol' Soupy although I do enjoy watching his defensive miscues replayed - but this game is not helping matters. I actually flipped over to the basketball game because it sounded more entertaining. And I do not really care for basketball. Before tonight I had already picked Vancouver in 7 and I'll stick with that.

More about the other match-ups later. I'm exhausted and want to get to bed. Before I call it a night, I just wanna say, how the everlovin' heck is Teppo Numminen not a Masterton finalist? He had OPEN HEART SURGERY! His rib cage was cracked open! His HEART! THE MOST MAJOR OF MAJOR ORGANS! He was playing in the freakin' NHL a year later! That's remarkable. He's also been around forever and is well-respected by pretty much everyone. He's the perfect storm of all the reasons people win this thing and yet nada. I don't get it. I figured Richard Zednik had a pretty good chance of winning but for Teppo to not even be a finalist is outrageous. I am outraged.

ETA: Well, it seems that game got at least somewhat entertaining after I turned off the TV. Darn. Still, hard to get a handle. I was neither happy or nervous when I heard that Chicago made it interesting. Bring on the Detroit and Boston!

Dog Eat Dog

I will be getting around to the second round of the playoffs, probably after work tomorrow (Thursday). (Here's the short version: I'm pulling for Boston, Detroit and Chicago. And I'll take Crosby, Malkin and the Penguins over Ovechkin and the Caps every day of the week.) For now, enjoy some pictures of my pup, Marlowe, who is now six months old. Apologies to those of you who don't care. Some people have been asking. Click to enlarge any of the pictures.

Probably a month or so ago.

She loves playing in the bathtub for some reason.

Check out those paws. (Yes, that's underwear. A favorite of hers.)

If we had a liquor cabinet, I'd say she'd gotten into it.

One of my favorite Marlowe pictures.

Being a dog is hard work, yo.

Annoyances

I'm annoyed by the NFL Draft. We were out and about buying furniture yesterday during much of the draft so I had the pleasure (and by pleasure, I actually mean the opposite of pleasure) of listening to the proceedings on WGR. I'd be willing to bet a large amount of money that most of the people who were calling in to complain about the Bills not selecting Brian Orakpo or Everette Brown haven't seen either of those kids play a single, solitary second of football outside of highlights during draft previews. So shut it, WNY.

Other things that bother me:

- Jeremy White. I don't listen to WGR very much but is he capable of having a conversation with people? Or does he just shrilly talk over them all the time?

- Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury's intermission shtick. Who decided these guys were entertaining? I'm particularly annoyed by the bit where they pretend to be the coaches. NBC is making Versus look good.

- Danica Patrick. Whether the hockey is on Versus or NBC, she's there. That Versus commercial makes me want to punch her in the face. Yeah, yeah, you're real tough. Shut up.

- Not enough of Calgary-Chicago and Jersey-Carolina, two of the best series in the first round, being broadcast so that I can see them. Next year, Center Ice.

- The phrase "Goalie X pitched a shut-out." I get what it means, of course, but I don't know, it grates on me. Maybe I'm against the mixing of sports. I think it's because while a pitcher is being active and putting the ball in play, a goalie is reacting which is kind of the opposite of pitching. I might be thinking about this one too hard.

- First round sweeps. Booooooooooooo!

- People who hold up the line at Wilson Farms while buying a million different lottery tickets and games especially in the morning. Seriously, you can't do that at a time when everyone isn't stopping on their way to work? Enjoy that $2 you win, schmuck

- People who hold up the line forever while digging around in their purse or wallet or any number of pockets looking for the exact change. If you don't want the coins, dump 'em in the donation thing and move on.

- Writers, professional and amateur, who use resign and re-sign interchangeably. I know the hyphen is going out of style and I'm fine with that, but in this case, not only are you changing the meaning of the word, you're using a word that's kind of the opposite of what you're trying to say. Stop doing that.

- Drivers who don't wave when I let them pull out or over in front of me. Courtesy wave, people. Not that hard.

- People who use fake real names on message boards and in chats. Yeah, maybe once in a while that guy posting as Tom Golisano gets a real zinger in. Usually not so much.

- "Coming up on this episode of The Amazing Race..." Why, pray tell, Amazing Race, would I want to know what's going to happen during the episode that I'm about to watch? And while we're here, why aren't you in HD? You are crying out to be shown in HD.

- Twitter. No, I do not want to follow you on Twitter. That goes for all of you.

Totally unrelated, the Pirates beat the Padres today, putting them in sole possession of the NL wild card. I'm petitioning the league to start the playoffs tomorrow as soon as I finish here. Not only are the Pirates playing .500 ball, they're playing .600 ball. (Note to Lee: Little Joe LaRoche has a ten game hitting streak so you know, he's doing okay. The final judgement on the Jason Bay trade will be whether or not Bryan Morris pans out, I think.)

We Interrupt This Hockey Postseason...

No, not for football. The NFL draft is stupid, yo. But how about a little baseball? Let's take a quick look at the current National League wild card standings:

Click to enlarge.

That's right. If the playoffs started today, the Pittsburgh Pirates would be in. (Yes, I'm ignoring San Diego.) Glory days are here again!

(Just let me enjoy while I can, please.)

Elaboration

I really wanted to find some way to address Bucky Gleason's latest column that was more organized than taking it on Fire Joe Morgan style. But the column was kind of all over the place so my responses to it are also kind of all over the place. This was the easiest way. Enjoy, because I'm serious about what I said at the end. I don't plan on going anywhere near the Buffalo News for quite a while.

When I was a kid, it was about the action more than the experience. Let's be honest, the Aud wasn't exactly a palace. You walked sideways down the steps of the oranges because it felt as if one misstep would send you down the stairs, over the railing and into the blues. The place was a dump. But it was our dump.

I think this is pretty clearly directed to fans who have said that the reason they keep going to games is because it's fun, because it's a night out, because they enjoy the experience. When Bucky was a kid, it wasn't about that, it was about the game, the ACTION. Except that everything he talks about in this paragraph - the oranges being so steep they gave you vertigo, loving a dump of a building because it was the dump where his team played - has everything to do with the experience of going to a game and nothing to do with what was going on on the ice.

Twenty years ago, when the economy was weak but stronger than today, when the population had decreased but was higher than today, Buffalo fans were tougher and more judicious with their money.

Their voice was stronger. Their backbone was thicker. Their collars were bluer, and they demanded the same from their teams. They wouldn't have tolerated, let alone contributed to, what they're getting these days from their teams. Back in the day, when it was more affordable and absent fears of relocation, it was more charming.

Back when I was emailing Mike Harrington about the interview he did here, one of the things I kept stressing to him was that my problem with the Buffalo News is sometimes not the message but the way in which the message is delivered. I don't know how anyone is supposed to read the two paragraphs above and take anything else Bucky says seriously. He just insulted everyone! He pointed out that the economy today is weaker and the population is smaller but those of us who are still here, probably by choice, we're not as tough or as hard working (blue collar) as the people who were here twenty years ago because we continue to go to sporting events. In addition to being insulting, I don't think it even makes sense. And again, let me stress, Bucky just told his entire audience that fans twenty years ago were way, way better than fans now.

Funny, but usually when I hear fans talk about their undying loyalty, I think they're actually being held hostage. In the good ol' days, when owners complained about money, fans barked back about the product. These days, fans pump more money into weak franchises and thank ownership for staying.

Two things:

One, the reality is that franchises do move willy nilly in today's pro sports market. How do you blame fans for worrying about that? That is in no way, shape or form something you can blame fans for. I don't think wanting your team to stay is a sin and I don't think enjoying it while it's here is a sin either. Yes, it was more charming when it was cheap and teams were eternally tied to cities but it's not like that anymore and that's sure not my fault.

Two, many fans who talk about undying loyalty actually really do just have undying loyalty. And there's nothing wrong with that. Fans are allowed to cheer for whomever and whatever they want and to somehow turn that around and make it a bad thing is ridiculous. John Vogl and Mike Harrington go to places like Atlanta and Florida and they blog about how sparse the crowd is and suggest that those cities shouldn't have hockey teams, completely ignoring that those markets have teams that are either far worse than the Sabres (Atlanta, Tampa Bay) or about the same (Florida). On one hand TBN is berating those markets for not supporting terrible teams. On the other hand they're berating Buffalo for supporting an average team.

The passion for the Bills and Sabres is no weaker, but the landscape has changed. Buffalo fans have lowered their standards and settled for mediocrity.

Oh, jeez, again with this? I'm not going to address the Bills - I hate football and anything I say would be uninformed - but the Sabres have been average for two consecutive years. Two. Before that they were in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. Exactly how long are we supposed to give a team before we bail out? A year?

On top of that, Bucky himself has said repeatedly throughout the season that he thinks the team has the potential to be really good in the next couple of years as some of the Portland kids move up. He's shown real excitement about some of the prospects. As recently as last week's chat he said he didn't think the Sabres were that far away from being a much better team. He said the same in the chat before that. So he thinks the team will be fine in a couple of years with some tweaking but fans are soft and undemanding for continuing to watch them? It's okay for him to be at least somewhat optimistic about the team's future but we should be storming out of HSBC by the thousands?

The Bills will likely sell out every game this season. The Sabres' renewals for season tickets were around 80 percent, remarkable given what has happened to the former Stanley Cup contender. Both teams keep failing, and fans keep falling for them.

Falling for them? Yes, that's what fans do. We fall in love with a team sometimes even when they don't deserve it. Seriously, I've never ever heard a sportswriter complain so much about readers loving sports and going to games. What the hell?

But attendance also remains strong because enabling fans feed the beast. There was no real urgency to keep Jason Peters last week. Why would the Bills spend $10 million a year on a left tackle when they've proven they don't need him to fill the stadium? Why make any real changes to the Sabres when it's obvious that fans will keep coming?

And here's the thing about this column. This paragraph here, it contains a valid point. I think Jason Peters is a terrible example of a team being cheap because there's so much other stuff involved in his situation but you could certainly make the argument that Sabres ownership just wants to make a profit and as long as they're doing that, nothing else matters. I don't really agree that I'm accountable for the team's performance but it is my money lining Tom Golisano's pockets. Too bad I was way too offended to even think about whether this was a good point by the time I got to it. Again, it is possible to make a point without insulting the audience. In fact, if Bucky was actually paying attention to fans instead of just looking down his nose at them, he'd realize there is a ton of unrest among fans about the product on the ice this season. Almost everyone's complaining about the team being too soft and too heartless. Almost everyone's complaining that they're too happy to coast on talent and not willing to work hard. Almost everyone's complaining that they no longer represent the proud, hard working city they represent. Almost no one is defending ownership. Almost everyone agrees that, in one way or the other, the Sabres have been badly mismanaged.

I'm not here to tell anyone how they should spend their money.

Seriously? Because this entire column was a lecture about how if I, a fan, am spending my money on anything related to the Buffalo Sabres, I'm throwing my money away. And it's just one more lecture on top of all the lectures we've been getting from the entire hockey beat (plus some others) all season about how we should be behaving. I do not understand this at all. I do not understand why you would be so rude to the people who are reading your work, your customers. I wonder what beat writers in places like Nashville and Dallas, where hockey coverage is being cut back more and more, would do with an audience that supports the hockey team so passionately. I doubt they'd be insulting them on a regular basis.

I don't remember a time quite like this, when fans simultaneously were as disgusted with both teams as they are now. But their dissatisfaction, their misery, doesn't show up at the gate.

Has my hometown grown soft?

I find a lot of TBN's Sabres coverage to be insulting and repetitive and yet I keep reading it, getting upset by it, and blogging about it. So yeah, I guess I am soft. Fortunately Bucky Gleason is here to remind me how stupid that is so I guess I just won't read TBN anymore.

Place Holder

So. I came home from work today, opened my email and found six messages, five of which included some variation of, "You HAVE to read Bucky Gleason's column today and then please blog about it!" The sixth was from Mark and said, "Don't read Bucky's column today." I should have gone with him but I didn't and I've been sitting here for quite a while now, trying to pull together my thoughts. I'm having a very difficult time doing so.

Here's the bottom line: I think this is one of the most insulting things I've ever read. It really and truly makes me want to never, ever pick up the Buffalo News sports section again.

If I can, I'll elaborate later.

Odds and Ends

So. No one got fired. Interesting. I thought I was pretty firmly on the side of keeping Lindy Ruff AND Darcy Regier but I found myself a little disappointed when I first read the news that they were both staying on. This team needs some changes somewhere for sure. I'm hoping that this means there are going to be some serious changes to the roster. There has to be, right? Lindy clearly isn't getting through to everyone and I don't why anyone would expect that to change just because it's a new season. I've debated this with a few people but I think almost every contract is tradeable if the Sabres are willing to really put guys out there on the block. Clear the dead weight. And get rid of Derek Roy while you're at it. I've become completely convinced that Lindy and Derek cannot function together and the Sabres chose to stick with Lindy so again, something has to change with the roster and I don't think changing out the side pieces is going to cut it.

"Hey, Darcy, can we trade Roy-Z?"

Some random thoughts:

-- Judging by my email and a couple of comments, the change in banner has not gone unnoticed. I do forever love Jay McKee - more on him in a second - but yes, I am kind of thinking ahead to what I'm going to do if and when Hank gets traded. And sadly I think "when" is the more likely option. I wanted to play around with different shaped photos and using multiples photos in one banner and since I'm not ready to commit to another Sabre yet - for crying out loud, Hank is still here! - a playoff oriented banner seemed the way to go. When the Blues are done - and it's not looking like that'll be too much longer - Hank will be back and there he'll remain until he's wearing another jersey.

-- There are some former Sabres who I'd have very mixed feelings about as Stanley Cup champions, some I'd be okay with and some I'd really hate to see win. But Jay McKee is the one I'd absolutely love, love, love to see hoist the Cup. I can guarantee you I'd be a big, blubbering mess. But I watched the first Blues game (I admit, I slept through last night's game two) and Jay looked really old and really slow. It was a little bit heart-breaking. Watching that game made me realize how long I've been watching hockey now, at least in a casual sense. I clearly remember the first time I saw Jay. He was 19. It made an impression because I was also 19. And now he's pretty much done. I know that's not so much his age (31) so much as it is his style of play and his injury history but it makes a girl feel old, you know?

-- I admit there was part of me that felt like if the Sabres just squeaked into the playoffs something miraculous could happen. I think that's the best thing about the NHL playoffs. Anything can happen. But after watching the first couple groups of games I'm absolutely sure that the Sabres would've been dead meat. Maybe Ryan Miller could have stolen a close game or two but if not, we would've been swept. Even the teams that limped into the playoffs have taken things up a notch and everyone is playing in a gear that I, quite frankly, don't think this year's Sabres are capable of playing in. We didn't see it from them all season, I don't know why it would start now. I don't know where you even begin in addressing that in the off-season.

-- If you haven't read John Vogl's article about Chris Butler, please do so immediately. Like a few other bloggers out there, I slowly fell a little in love with Chris this season. Not only did he play really well which was a total surprise to me, he comes across in interviews as very thoughtful and smart. I felt for the poor guy when he couldn't really celebrate his first goal due to the circumstances but I love him for not celebrating his second goal which came in the last game of the season even though it was a game the Sabres were winning. Adam Mair came barreling into him and Butler refused to crack a smile or look the least bit satisfied with himself. He knew winning that game didn't mean jack. I thought his postgame interview that day was one of the best, showing real maturity and understanding of the situation. All that AND he stands up when a woman is leaving the room? A-mazing. On behalf of a fanbase that needed all the bright spots it could get this season, thank you a million times over, Chris. I'd like to see Mike Weber up in Buffalo for a season before I commit to a new favorite player but Chris is definitely in the running.

The Sabres in Microcosm

If Chris Drury personified everything right about the post-lockout Sabres, who personifies everything wrong about them this season?
-- Bucky Gleason

This question was buried in the middle of one of Bucky's columns last week and I thought it was a really interesting one. Bucky made some good suggestions with Jochen Hecht and Maxim Afinogenov. (Although I do completely disagree with his nomination of Tim Connolly who had 47 points in 48 games, never shied away from contact, and was consistently one of the few Sabres to defend his teammates on the ice. Yeah, he seems like kind of prick, he has not a lick of leadership in him, he's overpaid and he probably hates talking to media. Whatever. Not everyone is leadership material and half the NHL is overpaid. Doesn't make him a bad hockey player. I'm already weary of Bucky's never-ending Tim Connolly watch. Believe it or not, Bucky, I really don't need you to point out every four game stretch where Connolly has no points. No, really. But I digress...) What I really thought was the most interesting thing though was that when I read that question, one person came to mind immediately, no thought at all.

"Who me?"

When Derek Roy first came up permanently, I loved him. Loved him. I understood people complaining about the diving and the whining and the temper tantrums but underneath all that he was a talented, scrappy little spark plug. Even when he wasn't necessarily playing smart, he was playing hard and a guy with that much talent who plays hard will most likely be just fine. When he signed his extension I knew right away that it would be a bargain (you can check the archives if you don't believe me). Great move by the Sabres.

That all went off the rails this season. The diving and whining have lessened considerably but other things popped up. I can't even count how many times I watched Derek Roy coast into the zone when he should have been backchecking. We could add up the fingers and toes of everyone who reads this blog and we still wouldn't have enough digits to count the number of passes Derek made this season that were stupid, too cute or some combination of both or how many times he tried to carry the puck through five opposing players. He rarely, if ever, accepts responsibility for his play and he never seems overly concerned about how the team is performing. I don't know if it's his size or his style of play but Derek's success relies almost entirely on how hard he's working. He can motor up and down the ice all night. He can battle for pucks even against guys much larger than him. He can play with passion and fire. But it seems like he spent an awful lot of the season not doing those things and when he doesn't, it's so obvious. His game drops off completely. He goes from a player who can energize an entire team to a guy who's barely noticeable. I don't understand it at all. I don't understand why a player who could be so much better is seemingly satisfied with just being pretty good. I don't know much about coach-killing - if anyone's ever tried to kill Lindy Ruff in the past, they've failed - and I hate to speculate on the relationship between Derek and Lindy (actually, I totally think he hates Lindy but I won't get into why right now because that's a much larger digression) but there were times when Derek looked an awful lot like a player who really wanted to get his coach fired. He's absolutely capable of playing the way Lindy tried to get them to play all season. So why refuse to do it?

I don't know but I do think most of what I said above could apply to the Sabres as a group this season. Maybe they're not built to win a Cup right now but they are capable of being better than they showed. They seemed content most nights to coast on talent even after it should have been clear that talent without work wasn't going to get them very far. With the exception of a few, they didn't give an honest effort on most nights and they chafed when someone tried to hold them accountable for poor play. They seemed to disregard what their very good coach was telling them even though when they did play his way, they were usually more successful. It's maddening.

So there you go, Buckster. Derek Roy = Buffalo Sabres. And not in a good way.

A Prayer to the Hockey Gods

No one's been fired yet, huh? Okay, well I guess we'll talk about the playoffs. A few weeks ago I was kind of feeling like I just didn't have it in me to watch the playoffs this year but then the Sabres-induced depression cleared and I realized that was crazy. I love hockey. I love the playoffs. I love the following my whims and jumping on and off bandwagons as I see fit. I love getting attached to players I don't usually watch much. I love the first couple of rounds when there's hockey on all night. I love staying up all night watching that game you think is never, ever going to end and then draaaagging myself to work the next morning. I'm not going to be one of those people who tries to tell you that it might even be more fun to not have my team in the playoffs because I don't really care who wins and loses now because seriously, that's bogus. I'd much rather be having a heart attack about the Sabres than cheering for teams I don't really care about. But this is fun too.

I was going to give you a break-down of who I think will and won't win but you know what? Not even I find that very interesting. I will freely admit that I don't watch a lot of regular season hockey outside of the Sabres so my opinion, particularly in the Western Conference, would be almost entirely based on other people's opinions. Instead I'm going to tell you who I'm cheering for. Even that can change suddenly, again, especially in the WC. I often find my whims and affections coming and going at the drop of a puck in the postseason. I suppose that is the one luxury of not having your team in. Here's the list as it shakes out now.

TEAM I'M ROOTING FOR THE MOST (FOR NOW)

St. Louis Blues - Jay McKee. Bit of an underdog. Lots of excited young players in their first postseason. Also, Jay McKee. There are a number of former Sabres out there. The thought of most of them hoisting the Stanley Cup makes me a little nauseous. Not Jay. I love Jay. Go Jay, go!

OTHER TEAMS I'D BE HAPPY WITH AS STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

Boston Bruins - At the beginning of the year I would've told you this would never, ever happen. I've gone on record many times as hating playing and watching the Bruins. My Bruins related tags are "Boston Bruins," "Boston Bruins are really really boring," and "I hate the Boston Bruins." But somewhere over the course of the season they really grew on me. They have some super talented players but mostly they play really well together and work hard, two things I, as a Sabres fan, didn't see too much of this year. I'd prefer that Phil Kessel not score any really important goals or win the Conn Smythe but other than him, I find them pretty likable.

Montreal Canadiens - I love those crazy, slightly disturbed Canadian fans and their stupid Ole Ole bit. I'm not holding my breath waiting for them to win the Cup but I'd be okay with it if they did. They have a number of players I really like and I generally find them fun to watch. When they're not sucking it up big time.

Detroit Red Wings - Yeah, yeah. They've won like, a billion times already. I love watching them play.

Columbus Blue Jackets - This is subject to change because it does seem like I end up hating the Blue Jackets every time I actually find myself watching them play. For now they can stay up here though because who doesn't love a good Cinderella story? Also, Rick Nash eats with a stuffed Oscar the Grouch. Awesome.

Calgary Flames - Jarome Iginla plus another crazy Canadian fan base.

TEAMS I'D BE OKAY WITH AS STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS (MAYBE. I THINK.)

New Jersey Devils - I don't hate the Devils with the passion that many hockey fans do. I actually find them a little enjoyable. I've yet to really warm up to them either though. I do like a number of Devils players however so I'd be okay with them winning, I think.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Not super enthusiastic about them. There's still something about them that really, really bothers me. But family sentiment wins out, making them an acceptable choice.

San Jose Sharks - I don't find them nearly as much fun to cheer for now that they're everyone's favorite but I could still definitely get behind them under the right circumstances. I find them to be a pretty likable group.

Vancouver Canucks - I find the Sedin twins a little creepy for some reason but for now, I'm really pretty neutral on the Canucks. For some reason I feel like I'll end up going strongly one way or the other with them, I'm just not sure which way it'll be yet.

Chicago Blackhawks - I feel like various entities - the NHL and TBN, just to name a couple - have been attempting to make me love the Blackhawks so I'm not super high on them. I've taken an obstinate, "I refuse!" stance thus far. But there's nothing really reprehensible about them either - even Brian Campbell seems okay from afar - so I can't really put them on the "Dear God NO!" list yet.

Philadelphia Flyers - You know what? I kinda like them. So sue me. I'm not rooting for them or anything primarily because of the Daniel Briere factor (no matter what his actual contribution, people in Buffalo will be acting like Briere single-handedly carried his very talented teammates to victory) but I wouldn't be completely devastated to see them win.

PLEASE GOD, DO NOT LET THESE TEAMS WIN THE STANLEY CUP

Anaheim Ducks - Does this need an explanation? They're of Satan.

Carolina Hurricanes - Them too.

Washington Capitals - I hate the Caps. I do. Don't ask me to explain how that works but I really, really hate them. I don't want them to win. I'm almost willing to cheer for the Rangers in the first round just because they're playing the Caps. (Not quite though. I'm pulling for spontaneous implosion.)

On a total side note, Mike Green as the Norris winner? Really? Once and for all, Mike Green is NOT the best defenseman in the NHL. The best offensive defenseman? Sure. Fine. Absolutely. But that's not what the Norris is. It says right there in the award description "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position." ALL-ROUND. That means defensive ability should be included as well. Granted we only played the Caps four times this season but Green was a pretty legitimate defensive disaster in two of those games. TO BE THE BEST DEFENSEMAN IN THE LEAGUE A GUY SHOULD BE GOOD ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE. I also think he should be one of his team's best penalty killers and he should play against the opposition's top line but that's my opinion. Award winning defensemen should be great on the defensive side of the puck. If I had a vote for the Norris it would go to Zdeno Chara. No contest. If Mike Green wins the Norris, it's a sure sign that the NHL needs an award specifically for defensive defensemen.

Where were we? Oh, right.

New York Rangers - Look, let's be honest. This is all about Chris Drury. Sean Avery is reprehensible. The Rangers are a gross and disgusting. But if Chris Drury wins a Cup this year, lots of people here are going to be irrational and insane and obnoxious and I will have no choice but to move out of Buffalo. This cannot happen.

Okay, here are my quick picks: Bruins in 5, Caps in 6, Canes in 6, Penguins in 7, Sharks in 6, Red Wings in 5, Blues in 7, Flames in 6.

Lindy, Darcy and a Wrap Up of Sorts

This is not a happy man.

"Someone please fire me."

I've gone on many, many times about how much I love and adore Lindy Ruff. But that guy up there? That's not my Lindy. He hasn't been himself for weeks and yesterday was pretty much the culmination. He looked and sounded exhausted and frustrated and beat down. I was half expecting him to announce his resignation right there at the podium.

I'm still not sure I'd go as far as saying I think Lindy should be fired. My primary problem with firing the coach and/or the GM is that I think it absolves the players. Let's face it, these guys are a bunch of douchebags. As individuals some of them might be okay (Goose, I'm looking at you, buddy) but collectively? Douchebags. They don't play hard for the 15 or 20 minutes they're called on to play every night. They shrug off any responsibility for the outcome of games with lame excuses. They repeat the same things they've been saying for two years about needing to play harder, sticking with the system, getting pucks in deep, plugging away. They're young but they're not babies. They're professional athletes. It's their job to play hard all the time. They should not need an older man to inspire them and spur them on. That's bullhonkey.

But I suppose it's the way of sports. There's something rotten at the core of the Sabres and unless ownership is ready to deal one of the primary pieces - Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville or Paul Gaustad - it might be time to say goodbye to Lindy Ruff. You can change the pieces around those five and hope the dynamic changes but I don't think it will. How many times has Jason Pominville said the same thing over and over after a defeat? How often has Derek Roy refused to play the way Lindy has repeatedly told them to play even though we've seen that when they play that way, they win?

Say what you will about Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn's hockey knowledge - and I'm pretty sure it has all been said at some point - but they're good businessmen. They have to realize the natives are getting restless. I think it's interesting that, unlike in past years, we haven't had any triumphant announcements about the booming season ticket renewals. It's early yet and I'm sure there probably are some people who will renew who just haven't gotten around to it yet - it's not like anyone needed those playoff tickets - but you'd think shrinking numbers would give people like Golisano and Quinn pause.

A new coach is the easy fix. It's the worst fix because it involves getting rid of the one person on the team I actually still like but it is the easiest fix.

Bucky Gleason said in the Buffalo News today that the rumors going around HSBC were that Lindy would be getting the axe while Darcy Regier stayed on so it's not like I'm going out on a limb talking about Lindy leaving. I do find it curious that despite the rumor being that Darcy was keeping his job, the replacements Bucky pitched were all GMs. As scary as it is to think about being on the same wavelength as Bucky, I'm wondering if he's thinking the same thing I am: No way Darcy Regier stays with the Sabres if they fire Lindy Ruff. I don't know how it'll all shake out but Darcy has always been very public about the fact that as long as he's the GM of the Buffalo Sabres, Lindy Ruff will be the coach. Will he stick with that? I dunno. At some point you think they'd have to go their separate ways - what, are they gonna work in tandem forever? - but maybe they want that parting to be on their terms.

I'm very, very curious to see what happens over the next few weeks and months in Sabredom. I suppose it's very likely that nothing will happen - it wouldn't be the first time - but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize there are problems with this team's make-up. I believe they would've made the playoffs had Ryan Miller not gotten hurt but despite what I said earlier in the season, there's not a chance they'd make a deep run unless Ryan put them on his back and carried them. The Stanley Cup is so difficult to win because the NHL playoffs are a grueling grind, physically, emotionally and mentally. These guys, as a group, are too fragile for that. Someone from within the organization has to see that. I think there will be changes. I don't know if they'll be good or bad or major or minor, but I think there will be changes.

As for what's going to happen here at Top Shelf for the next few weeks and months, well, I'm not entirely sure. I do have a couple more Sabres wrap-up posts started. I'll be watching and probably blogging about the playoffs, adopting and discarding teams on a whim. If there are any goings-on with the Sabres I will, of course, give you my take. I'm definitely planning on continuing the series of posts I started last summer about exploring places and activities in and around Buffalo. I'll be watching a fair amount of baseball. And they'll probably be odds and ends of other things to pass the summer - TV, books, movies, work, trips. I don't know. I do know I'm planning on passing the off-season here somehow so hopefully some of you will stick around and see what's going on. If you're moving on from your hockey blogs for the year, thank you so much for reading. Believe me, every comment and email is read and appreciated. I'm sorry we couldn't have shared a better season.

Oh, that reminds me! I've been meaning to tell you this story. Mark and I went to the Detroit game last week. We went out to dinner beforehand and while we were standing at the front of the restaurant, waiting to be seated, a gentleman walks over and says to me, "Are you Heather?" I say yes and start to panic a little because I do not know this guy. But as I'm scrambling through various scenarios he adds, "My name's Doug. I'm a loyal reader. Your blog is excellent." You guys, I'm a celebrity! Poor Mark had to put up with me making cracks about how famous I was for the rest of the night ("Where's my food? Don't they know who I am?!") long after it had ceased to be funny. If you ever see me out and about, please don't hesitate to say hello. I can't promise I'll make the best impression in person but I won't bite. Doug, again, you made my night. And the kids loved your joke. (Why is the calendar so tired? Because it just completed a 31 day March.) One of them walked around the rest of the day telling it to everyone else in the building.

In honor of the closing of the Sabres season, I offer you a battered and bruised but nonetheless heartfelt, Let's go Buff-a-lo!

Seriously...

The next Sabre who says, "We really wanted to win this game for our fans," is getting a dislocated nose courtesy of me. Thanks for waiting until THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON, douchebags.



(Happy Easter. More in-depth thoughts on Monday.)

Thursday Night Thoughts

So I had a great day today. It was the first day of vacation, I slept in, I spent hours reading, I played with the pup. I had a really good feeling about tonight's game as well. No idea why. When Jaroslav Spacek, Tim Connolly and Jason Pominville, my heart floated away because it was so beautiful.

And then they scored again. And again. And again. And just for good measure, they added a penalty shot. And with every goal, I got crankier and crankier and crankier. Seriously now. They're going to play like that in game 81 against the hottest team in the league but they're going to play like garbage in game 21 against freakin' Atlanta? Thanks for nothing, ya bunch of d-bags.

(More composed thoughts later.)