JUST BECAUSE

So I really have nothing to talk about in relation to the current Sabres, so what I am going to do is provide you with some good articles and videos, related to guys I love and love to hate.

But, if you don't have a ton of time to actually sit around and be completely unproductive all day, like I have the luxury of doing this morning, if you have to pick and choose what you watch, I suggest Blackhawks TV for your viewing pleasure. It's pretty much the best thing going these days.

Okay, are you ready? You sure?

Alright.


We'll start with Michael Ryan. The Schenedtady Gazette had a nice article about his surprise of getting an AHL All-Star nod. (Yes, this is for you, MJ, but I'm not so sure you'll appreciate it once you've reached the fourth paragraph... Unless that's you?)

This next one is a commentary from this morning's TBN, by Jerry Sullivan. Now, more often than not, I disagree with Sully, but I'll give him credit where it's due, and it's definitely due today. John Brownschidle, son of NHL-er Jack, is a senior at Buffalo's Canisius High School. What's so special about him? He's a cancer survivor.

I know it's not Christmastime anymore, but the Rochester Americans in this trainwreck is just fantastic. There's a blooper reel on the site, as well, which is always good.

Patrick Sharp: Sharp shooter? Or Sharp dressed man?

No way. Even Jonathan Toews knows that listening to him be mic'ed up is brutal.

No, actual Jon, listening to you and your teammates sing a song about the Blackhawks is brutal.

(Can you tell that I really enjoy Blackhawks TV??)

I adore Patrick Sharp and Adam Burish. Their cheeky shenanigans are fabulous. Ordering the boys breakfast? Soaking hotel rooms? Stealing bags? I just love guys who shamelessly act like they're twelve. What's worse is the team is encouraging it. No, really, I do love some good pranks.

The Carolina Hurricanes were told to make a dinosaur noise. Um... What?

Up close and personal with Steve Bernier? Okay, where do I sign up? Parts 1 and 2.

Oh, one more Blackhawks video. This one was on Sports Soup last night: Kris Versteeg filling in for Ludacris on Fergie's "Glamourous." Kris? Please keep your day job. Please.

And while we're at it? Sean Avery? Ummm, plays with dolls? Somehow, I'm not surprised. Please, Sean, if you know what's good for everyone, you won't come back to hockey, and you'll just go work at a doll store. (This video is edited a bit in some spots, as I'm sure you'll notice, but it's funny, nonetheless.)

IT'S JAY DAY!! Well, at least tomorrow is... Maybe.

I got all excited this morning when I realized that we play St. Louis tomorrow, because that means one of my favorite Prodigal Sabres returns to Buffalooooo!!!

Jay McKee is my first REALLY big Sabres love.  Before him,  there were Hasek (I was 5; don't judge me) and Brian Holzinger, but that was before all the hormones kicked in, so I think those were truly just hockey loves.  I mean, I did think Brian was absolutely adorable, which he is, but I didn't know anything about him, so it was purely because he was a Sabre.  But Jay?  Oh, I love Jay.  I once saw he and Marty Biron with their now wives at an *NSync concert.  You know, the one at the Ralph.  Anyways, my friend Colleen approached them only after Nicole and Anne Marie left, probably flocking to the bathroom, but she got a picture of them.  AND JAY WAS WEARING A VISOR THAT SAID PORN STAR.  I actually wouldn't doubt it.  I'm still madly in love with Robert Jay Alan McKee.  <3

So you can imagine my excitement when I looked at the schedule.  Now, normally I'd know what team we're up against next, but since these long breaks between games KILL ME, I try not to focus on the next game too, too much, because then I can't distract myself from my Sabres deprivation..  BUT, when I saw it was the Blues, I looked at my mom, and in some pathetic little voice, go, "awwww we play Jay!"

But then I found this.

UMMMMMMM WHAT?

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT YOU CAN HAVE ST. LOUIS PLAY IN BUFFALO AND RELEGATE JAY TO NATHAN PAETSCH STATUS!!!!  Has Murray completely lost his mind?  I think so.  Because if I have to sit through another Jay-less St. Louis game, I'll cry.  No, really, I will.

Now I'm all depressed.  Talk about high to low in 60 seconds.

BUT THERE IS SILVER LINING, because that article also brought out that Paul Kariya might now play??  That's fine by me since he's "hot like a firecracker," as Rick might say.

But also the Men's Journal is out now, and once I get off of my butt I might go to the store and pick it up.  And when I say I might, I will.  Most definitely.

I don't care if I'm not supposed to like Chris Drury anymore, he's so gosh-darned handsome.  So I don't care.  I'm going to buy it, and I'm going to enjoy it.  Besides, how could I not enjoy Henrik Lundqvist and (DUH!) Markus Naslund??!??  Enough said.

AND THERE IS NO INTERESTING HOCKEY NEWS.

Except for the fact that Mike Ryan got demoted to Albany.  NOT FAIR.  Of course he'd be in North Carolina while I was in Boston, and of course he wouldn't be in Albany when I drove through there, either.  NOT FAIR AT ALL.  But seriously, they couldn't have used a better picture of him?  I mean, his eyebrows look fantastic, but his hair is a little bit foofy...  Whatever, though.  HE HAS A JOB, and that's all that matters, and now MJ is very, very, very close to him, so yay.

Alright.  I'm going to go buy some new CD's, and I'm going to go buy Men's Journal, and enjoy the beauty of NHL players for a little while, in order to forget that the Sabres aren't playing tonight, at least for a little while.

POOR PAUL, and Some Write Believes in the Sabres!!! Sort of...

The Sabres just texted me and told me that Paully, after fighting for Danny's honor, had to have surjury on his thumb and will now be out for about a month.  You know, Paul, I love you, but sometimes, you just need to take out your anger on the country's energy consumption and lack of recycling skills by scoring, not beating this shit out of people, because then you hurt yourself.

Oh, and more cuts have been made.  Read about it all here.

So I've spent the last hour scouring my favorite hockey sites for some decent information to write about, seeing as I probably won't be entering anything until either tomorrow night around 11:45 when I get home from work, or Thursday morning.

I stumbled upon the column of Mr. Adam Porteau over at The Hockey News, where SOMEONE FINALLY THINKS THE SABRES WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!!!  Granted, he puts us at 8th in the East, BUT STILL.

Always-Look-On-The-Bright-Side Adam Says:  The Sabres finished four points out of the 2008 playoffs, thanks in part to a lukewarm showing by goalie Ryan Miller, as well as off-years from Maxim Afinogenov and Tim Connolly, both of whom are playing in the final year of their contracts.  All it should take is a better performance from one or more of those three, plus tighter play from their blueliners, and Buffalo should be back on the playoff scene.

Well, I'm not so sure about his comments about Miller (Adam, I'd like to see you play 72 NHL games, 60 minutes EACH game, and do half as good), but about Max and Tim?  Could not agree more.  Connolly just needs to get his ass off of the bar floor.  More on that later.

Always-Assume-The-Worst Adam Says:  About that defense--not quite the second coming of the 1978-79 Montreal Canadiens, are they?  Also troubling, considering some of the Sabres' more recent salary-related departures, is the prospect of losing another top talent to the annual summer bidding wars.  For that reason, Afinogenov or Connolly could be dealt midway through the year, adding another potentially sorry chapter to a book Buffalonians have grown weary with.

Nothing new here.  I've been saying all this for three years now.  In our two recent deep playoff pushes, our defense has come up lacking purely due to injuries (i.e. Jay McKee in 2006).  But whatever.  Let's just hope Teppo doesn't drop dead on the ice, and Rivet doesn't shoot the puck over the glass to give whoever the go-ahead goal.

And Mr. Sam McCaig of THN predicts this 2008 Sabres' MVP:

Two seasons ago, Maxim Afinogenov burst out of the gates and had people making Pavel Bure comparisons.  Last year... not so much, after he scored just 10 goals in 56 games.  He's no Bure, but Afinogenov is much better than last season's debacle.

Well, Adam, I think you and Sam need to have a little chat, eh?

Now, on the subject of the gross human being, Tim Connolly.  Lovely reader GG informed me this morning of Timmy's bar-hopping-with-a-"sore-back" adventures.  She said he was seen Sunday at the Snooty Fox on Delaware Avenue, slamming shots until 4 am, and at one point, being sprawled out on the bar floor.  Now Tim, if one has a sore back, I've heard it could be helped by sleeping on a dining room table, or on a board, or, in fact, on the floor.  NEVER DID I HEAR THIS RECOMMENDED TO BE ON A BARROOM FLOOR.  Honestly, I don't think Tim has any respect for himself.  I mean, otherwise, how could be do that, and wear shiny shirts out in public if he's not an Elvis impersonator?

Right now I feel like I have to share with all of you one of Tim's flaws in my eyes.  He for some reason, reminds me of an actor that I really cannot stand.  Now, I love Will Farrel's movies, but for some reason, every single character he portrays reminds me of TC.  I don't get it, but I honestly feel like Tim is a party-hard, couldn't give a damn about anything else, frat boy, who has no interest in getting a job, no interest in taking care of himself, and no interest in developing a true relationship.  If someone can say they feel that I am wrong, please, by all means, tell me.  I love to argue, so bring it on.  And even then, he'll still be the typical life-long bachelor.  The guy says the person he admires and would like to meet most is Hugh Hefner.  I mean, can anyone see Timmy getting married?  I can't, that is, not unless it's to one of Hugh's girls.

This topic is just depressing me.  On to much nicer guys, MJ's been informed, so I feel it's okay to pass the news on to you; Mr. Wonderful Mike Ryan is doing quite well, it seems, in Nashville's camp.

And there was a nice article about Sparky-Clarkey in the TBN today.  He's so cute.  Like I said, if he doesn't clear waivers, I'll pretty much die.

Alright, I'm off to school for an anatomy exam which I did not study for.  I'll be okay, though.  In high school, I took Honors Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and the Anatomy and Physiology elective.  I'm good.  And then it's off to work.  So enjoy your day, as I obviously won't, and oh wait!  To top it off, it's raining.  And there isn't even a Sabres game tonight.  Damn.  At least House is on.  I'll post something tomorrow, maybe...