Hope all of you idiots who spent good money to watch the first fifty five minutes of play at the arena tonight got your money’s worth.

Yes I’m talking to you, the ones who left after Vaclav Prospal lit the lamp to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead with under seven minutes to go in regulation.

I’m guessing that right about now you’re feeling a bit silly. For if tonight’s game doesn’t prove the old adage that “It’s never over ’til it’s over” and that one should NEVER leave a game until the final buzzer sounds, then I guess beating traffic is simply more important to you than the pile of currency spent wasted on not witnessing the most important part of the game live. So be it.

And while I’m at it, let me bust on all of those fans out there that have been hammering on Thomas Vanek. Overpaid? Probably. His fault? not one bit. Lit the lamp ten times in the last seven games? Yep. Team’s leading goal scorer? You betcha.

Tonight the Sabres rallied to defeat the Lightning by virtue of Thomas Vanek’s natural hat trick with all goals coming in the game’s final 4:46(2:21 of 3rd and 2:25 of OT). But prior to that, the game was looking somewhat similar to Sunday’s match against the Penguins. Plenty of shots on goal and opportunities by the wayside resulting in a Sabres loss. So when Brad Richards gave the ‘Ning a 2-0 lead early in the third all signs appeared to be pointing to another tough loss. The Sabres were in the midst of a scoring slump that had seen them score just three goals in its last eleven periods and didn’t seem like things would change soon.

“It felt like we weren’t gonna score again” quipped Lindy Ruff afterward.

Derek Roy would notch his 22nd of the season two minutes later to cut the deficit in half, but even that didn’t expel the general feeling that this just wasn’t going to be the Sabres’ night. So for many out there, the goal by Prospal seemed to be the icing on the cake. No way these guys could rally from a two goal lead in such a short span of time, right??

In stepped Vanek, with help from Tim Connolly as he assisted on both the tying and winning goals by Vanek, with the tying goal being a sweet pass through the offensive zone catching Johan Holmqivst out of position. Said Vanek of Connolly: “He’s unbelievable…his expertise, his passing game and he showed it again tonight.”

Vanek would score the game winner on a power play in the with 2:35 left in the OT.The win keeps Buffalo in a three way tie for the final two spots (they’re at the bottom of the tiebreak thanks to less victories than Boston and Philadelphia) and head to Toronto for their next game tomorrow night against the Leaves.

Useless notes…..A hat trick in 4:46! Quick, but not a team record. That belongs to Don Luce who did the feat in 3:49 against Washington on December 22, 1974. Two hat tricks in eight days by the same person! Again, done quicker. Most recently two seasons ago when Derek Roy had a pair within six days (3/3 Toronto, 3/9 Tampa Bay).

One more useless note: This is the third season in a row that Buffalo has victimized Tampa Bay with a hat trick.

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