Adventures in Portland

So, as we sit in the comfy queen bed in my aunt's second master bedroom, looking into the dreary, wet nature preserve that is her backyard, we are going to tell you every ridiculous story we have from the Pirates game last night.

(1) I freaked out because Mike Funk took to the ice for the first time this season.

(2) We swear some of the players (coughcough Mark Mancari) recognized us.  Not a stretch because we did go to, like, five Amerks games last year, and we did go to a bunch of preseason practices, and of course sat right behind the bench for all of them.  So he was probably thinking, "Oh, God, not those girls again."  Whatever, though.

(3) Colton Fretter literally had to dive into the Pirates bench to avoid being assessed a too many men penalty.  He landed face down on the floor, but I think the heart attack he gave Tim Kennedy, who was sitting right there, was worse than any bumps he may have sustained.  Kim laughed about this all night.  No lie.

(4) Speaking of Tim Kennedy, we decided to come up with a new nickname for him.  Since using "The Little One" could be interchangeable between he and Nathan Gerbe, I somehow, for some reason, came up with "Shirley Temple."  So, from now on, in SC, TK will be Shirley Temple.  And since e did score the game winner in the shoot out, props to dear Shirley.

(5) At first, I was going to title this post "The Gerbe Derby got rained out," because, as you probably know, he was held pointless, thus ending his streak.  Sad.  But watching that little maniac one the ice is insane!  He's so darn fast and smart, it's incredible.  When they say he'll be in Buffalo in no time, they're not far off the mark at all.  He did almost die at one time when two Falcons players sandwiched him, and he fell to the ice, and one of them almost stepped on him.  Yikes...  But we did get some interesting pictures of him...

Apparently Mancari has Mair's job in Porland.

He's protecting the Gerbe Derby.

But look how ridiculous they look next to each other...  =]

Can you see Gerbe?  Because I can't...

Actually, look just above the trainer's head and you'll see Nate's.

(6) Mark Mancari scored a nifty little power play goal, deking around the net and putting a Nathan Gerbe pass above the goalie's shoulder.

(7) I love going to games in Portland so much more than games in Rochester for the following reasons:  they pack the house (as opposed to a peppering of fans); despite being 556 miles away from Buffalo, there was a smattering of Sabres apparel in the crowd, including a Drew Stafford jersey (which I thought was a little ironic, because it was the only jersey worn that I saw); their fans know that a goal for the home team means they stand up and scream and act like idiots (in Rochester, they just sat and clapped, and failed to inform us of this, and when we stood up and cheered we got weird looks); THE TEAM ACTUALLY WINS GAMES; the players seem almost jovial at times at the bench, other than downright depressing in Rochester; the crowd cheers when they show the Sabres' score on the Jumbotron and we're winning.  There are more, I just can't think of them.

(8) Speaking of actually winning games, which Rochester didn't really know much about, when we would go there, the Amerks never won.  So, at some point, before the commencement of overtime last night, I said something along the lines of "we better win because I don't want to have driven this far to see them lose."  At that point, I realized what I had just said, so I needed some wood to knock on.  Well, seeing as the floor is concrete, and the seats are plastic, the closet thing to wood I could find would have been Kim's head.  So I knocked on that.  (Oh, it's detrimental to the story to know that we were sitting a couple rows behind Springfield's bench.)  Well, apparently #4 for the Falcons, Taylor Chorney (whom we affectionately renamed Corny), saw, and laughed.  I love amusing the hockey players.  It makes it all worth while to know that they think we're funny.

(9) Along those lines, more laughing by the Falcons at us ensued when the person in charge of the music decided to play Sweet Caroline.  Anyone who's anyone knows you have to sing along to this song, and, apparently it's funny, because this time #18, Colin McDonald, had a laugh.  But he was laughing because Kim decided to reach out, and put her hand on my shoulder as Neil Diamond instructed her to, and somehow that was funny.  I don't know...

(10) And, yet again, they had another laugh, when that song they always play at sporting events came on.  You know the one I'm talking about ("Twilight Zone," by Underground Spell, if you really don't know).  But anyways, we "woo"-ed when you're supposed to, and apparently #25 Derek Bekar and their equipment guy thought this was cute because they laughed too.  Apparently we're just cute, funny girls.  But you'd think they'd take the hint from the Pirates shirts we were wearing.

(11) There was an older guy sitting right behind us, and his friend, or someone he talks too often enough, was sitting in the row in front of us across the aisle, and they were talking about the Sabres at one point.  The old guy said, "I don't know them well enough to talk about them yet, really."  And if they had kept talking about the Sabres, I would've turned around and said, "I'm from Buffalo.  What do you want to know?" just because I could have.

(12) There was a scrum in front of the Springfield bench during the second period, I believe, and someone went after Funk.  BAD IDEA.  Wanna know why?  Because you'll have 215 pounds of this on your ass.  And you did.  Idiot.  And, while skating away, Mark flipped you off.  Yeah, that's right.  He doesn't have to use words.  He's just too damn intimidating.

(13) Jimmy Bonneau also got in a scuff in the Pirates' corner at one point, and we kind of told Jimmy what to do.  Although, I'm not quite sure "use your words, and your inside voice, remember your manners, and say hello to his mother" were quite what he wanted to hear.

There were more ridiculous stories and happenings, but I think that's enough for now.  There's a few more pictures from last night, and there will be plenty more from the Sabres/Bruins game!!!!!!!

So, we're off to shop some more, and maybe (probably) go by the Ritz to see if Paul, Derek, Ryan, or Craig are hanging around.  But don't worry, I'll link up all the pictures Monday morning.  I don't have the time, the patience, or the battery life to do that now.  Sorry!!

But Go Sabres!!