LIKE WHITE ON RICE...

I was at the game tonight and yes I can already hear the disgruntled complaining, well let me tell you this next week is going to be crazy. Tuesday is the Portland v. Albany game, Friday is the game against San Jose, Saturday is the Bandits game and Valentine's Day, although I don't have to worry about that, and then Sunday is Mamma Mia in the afternoon and then the Sabres game against Carolina in the evening. So basically I'm glad that I don't have any tests the week after because my life is going to be one long sports fest next week. Not that I'm complaining but still that's a lot of sports to digest even for me.

But let's talk about the here and now. Have you ever woken up in the morning and instantly been in a good mood because the Sabres won the night before? Well that's going to be me tomorrow morning and hopefully Sunday morning. I hadn't been to a Sabres game in almost a month before tonight and even though the west coast games were televised there's nothing like the atmosphere when seeing the game live and tonight was no exception. The place was chocked full of Habs fans with their accents that I find so devestatingly attractive in men anyways (my door only swings one way, to the male persuasion that is).

The oleh chant started early as in before the game even started early and was met with the booing of the Sabres fan and soon the competition started between Buffalo fans and Canadien fans. The sound system in the arena was screwed up so by the time the second period rolled around there was no music between stoppages in play, it was kind of creepy I have to tell you. I've never heard it so silent in there but never fear the Buffalo fans knew how to fill the silence with lots of let's go buffalo chants and plenty of cheering.

The game started off slow with the Canadiens dominating the first period at one point when Pominville took a shot that wasn't even close to the net the kid behind me yelled "Nice shot bitch." Now I'm not exactly sure what he was getting at here but it was still unexpected so extremly funny in any case. The first period ended with no score and the Habs up in shots on goal, depressing but true.

Anyone else think that Teppo had a big 'ol target on his back because he kept getting pasted against the board. I kept thinking that hitting Teppo was like kicking the cane out of the hand of a senior citizen, it's just not right, but I digress.

Jaro scored the Sabres' first goal, a one timer from the blue line, 26 seconds in the second in his first game back from a two game absence, I missed said goal because I was talking to my mother. Saku Koivu scored the Canadien's first goal of the game approximately 10 minutes into the second ending Miller's shutout streak. Even so, Miller remained unbeaten for 157 minutes and 13 seconds the longest streak of his career. Nathan Paetsch who was bumped to forward for the game because of the return of Spacek scored the Sabres' second goal less than two minutes after Koivu's goal putting the Sabres up by one. In his post game interview Ruff said that, because of his play in tonight's game, Paetsch might not return to defense which presents us with an interesting conundrum when everyone is healthy, who goes? But that's a discussion for another day. Second period ended with the Sabres up by a score of 2-1.

Third period was punctuated by Tim Connolly's beauty of a goal beating Carey Price 5 minutes in. But the Canadiens' Roman Hamrlik would come back to score with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game, at this point everyone's thinking it but no one is saying it, could the Sabres possibly blow a 2 goal lead? The answer is no they successfully kept the Canadien's at bay something that was sealed when the Canadiens took a tripping penalty with less than 2 minutes in the period ensuring that they would be short handed for the rest of the period, that was if they Sabres didn't score on the power play. In the end the Sabres won the game 3-2 tying them with Philadelphia with 61 points in the Eastern Conference and staying 3 points in front of the Panthers for 7th place.


Best Last Name of the Game: Bouillion. I kid you not every time I saw him all I could think was Chicken or Beef?
Best Player of the Game: Miller, because once again he turned a game, that we should have lost, into a win with some of his fantastic saves that we've come to expect from him.