Be still my beating heart! Is internet service up here at HSBC Arena at long last available? Or is someone teasing me? I fire up the laptop and there is my home page, not that dreaded message from the thieves at I-Evolve.net demanding $29.95 for a night’s use. Well, I’ll take what I can get and at least for one night can file my report right here from my seat.

It’s Opening Night and the streets outside the building had all the feel of a playoff game - temperatures ridiculously hot for early October, Perry Street closed off for the Party In The Plaza, and fans all geeked up for another year of Sabres hockey.

I was all fired up myself for what I hoped would be a stirring and emotional pregame show. Yeah I wanted to see the highlight reel - the big games, the big goals, the emotional playoff moments, even those big playoff goals in the closing seconds against the Rangers and the Sens. What we got instead was the 21st century version of Talkin’ Proud. Pretty Buffalo streetscapes, skyscrapers and Buffalonians smiling and going about their business, all done to a cute song titled “I Love This Town.”

The “banner raising” was anything but… they merely unfurled the two banners - one for the Northeast Division title and the second for the President’s Trophy, right from their permanent spots in the rafters. Then they brought out the actual President’s Trophy and placed it on a table at center ice. The players treated it like it was a stack of thawed Topps burgers.

So much for the goose bumps.

The scoreboard and electronics review is a bit better - they fired up the lower ribbon underneath the video board to display penalty time and shots on goal, and there is an out of town scoreboard scrolling scores on the end zone ribbon boards (again guys, font is a tad small). Yeah they were updating the ALDS playoff games in addition to the NHL scores.

The game, however, was a disappointment for the Sabres. The guys started out pretty well, sending wave after wave of attackers and making smart plays at first. But the Islanders scored two late power play goals in the first period on a two man advantage, and after one it was knotted at 3.

Defense? What defense! Checking? What checking! Captain of the month Jochen Hecht looked like he was afraid to touch the puck, defenders Toni Lydman and Dmitri Kalinin also seemed lost out there, often out of position, refusing to take out bodies in front of the net. If this is the new defensive minded and physical Sabres, there is work to be done. The constant turnovers (Coach Lindy Ruff stopped counting at 30) was abysmal.

Former Sen Mike Comrie was a house of fire, scoring four points, including the game winner in the second period.

The Sabres go to the Island tomorrow night to complete the home and home. Time to set this ship right. And fast.

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