On the plaza before the game…

Welcome back The Earl of Bud!!!

It was over….all over. Just 16 seconds remained and then the Sabres would head to New York to face their elimination on Sunday.

At least that’s what about 95% or so of me was thinking before that fateful faceoff.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Drury on the ice and thought “you know….maybe.”

And then it happened, Drury nailed the tying goal with seven seconds left and in that instant the agony of defeat became the thrill of…ummm….well….extra time. The shock and devastation of the Rangers late third period goal changed to outright euphoria. Much as I love Rick Jennaret, Van Miller’s “Fandemonium” call would have been at least as appropriate for that moment.

And “Fandemonium” would strike in the overtime as well when Maxim Afinogenov, he who was relegated to the bench in game four tipped in the game winner to send HSBC Arena into a frenzy and the Sabres into control of this series with a 3-2 series lead. This could easily be called the most electric moment in this postseason, and the crowd replied by practically blowing the roof open.

A loss by the Sabres would have been devastating not just from the standpoint of falling behind in the series but also from the fact that this was their best effort of the round, if not the entire postseason. Buffalo peppered Henrik Lundqvist with forty shots in this one and from the second period on owned this one but couldn’t solve the Swedish netminder. And when the Rangers went up with under four minutes left….well one could feel the game, and maybe the season slipping away.

“I knew that there wasn’t much time left…..didn’t know seven seconds” said Drury when asked about the game tying goal for Buffalo.

A beaming Max told the press, “This was the best goal of my career.” Lindy Ruff added, “He got the biggest hug from me on the runway…. Max was himself tonight. He was the old Max and that is what we needed.

Paul Gaustad got his licks and hits in early and was happy to be playing tonight, although he seemed to tire in the late stages, which wouldn’t be unusual. Would they have been toast if they had lost tonight? Said Gaustad, “Had we lost we felt we could pick right up and take it to them in game 6. But now we have the chance to put this one away”

Random stuff from tonight…..

Jerseys spotted in the crowd: Drury’s BU, Stafford’s ND, and Max’s Team Russia in the house tonight. The winner is the Lydman Team Finland jersey though.

Game 5! Featuring special guest star…..The Earl of Bud! What a great moment as the Earl made an all too rare appearance in tonight’s game and brought the house down with his epic rendition of “Tequila”…..could have sworn the dude was dead or something.

Crowd estimate in the Party In The Plaza..about 4500 on a perfect spring night in Buffalo.

As reported to me by Andrew, spotted leaving his seats and exiting the arena with 16.7 seconds left: NYS Senator Bill Stachowski (D-Cheektowaga) and his companion. Hey Billy, hope you at least had the radio on in your car! And “ha-ha” to any of you morons who left the building during the timeout!

So Sunday it is Buffalo’s turn to ride into Manhattan on Cloud Nine…puck drops on the MSG slush at 2PM.

The big attention this morning was on Paul Gaustad, who was the first guy on the ice for what turned out to be an optional skate for the Sabres. Thirteen players, including all the reservists and both goaltenders, participated. Interestingly, a second “morning skate” was on tap for 1PM, as Amerks coach Randy Cunneyworth was bringing his 11 Amerks callups onto the HSBC Arena ice surface to do their paces.

Gaustad was not officially informed that he would be in the lineup tonight, but all indications said that it would be him in the lineup and Drew Stafford out. “This is one of the most exciting games I’ve ever played in” said Gaustad. “I am looking forward to it.”

Does the fact that this is the first time in over a year that the ENTIRE Sabres lineup is intact give the team a psychological boost? Gaustad replied,”I hope it’s a boost. I think it’s pretty huge for us.”

Lindy Ruff was told that Gaustad is excited to be coming back, and he replied. “He’d better be. It’s a great time to be excited.”
Ruff admitted he was disappointed in the effort in Game 4 and is looking for his team to play their game and generate more scoring chances.

One side story..great watching the media throng looking for somebody…anybody…in the Sabres locker room for a sound bite. I counted 39 reporters and camerapeople all milling about, and scant few players to talk to. Kind of hlarious actually!

Pete has the AV pressbox seat tonight… I will be in our seats in sec 114, and Pete’s brother John and John’s bud will be driving up from Rochester and joining us as well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed… Better Days!

For years and years season ticket holders got their playoff tickets in the mail, and they were the typical, computer spit out dreck which looked like this…

So wasn’t I surprised to open my Priority Mail envelope from One Seymour Knox III Plaza yesterday, the package which contained our Round 3 and Round 4 playoff tickets, only to find these beautiful works of art…

If I had known what was inside, I would have tried to recreate that moment from the movie Fever Pitch. The scene where Jimmy Fallon with great pomp and ceremony opens up the Fedex package from the Red Sox containing his precious season tickets is hilarious! And something every die hard fan can identify with.

We’re not going to break down last night’s game and repeat some of the same analyses offered up by Bfloblog and the other linked capable bloggers, who have offered some excellent points and observations.

Pete and I watched the game separately at our homes, hooked in to each other via AIM, and following the game we were on deadline to have our column into Artvoice for this Thursday’s edition, so there was work to be done.

I was watching the game on TSN (yes I get that channel at my home in Cheektowaga); Pete was watching on VS via Time Warner Cable.

When Briere seemingly scored the game tying goal with 17 seconds to go, the commentators on TSN were calling it a goal while the review was going on. “It’s a goal. There is no way that could not have crossed the line it’s simple geometry” said their color commentator. I’m typing furiously to Peter — “Hey Bro… we’re going to ohhhhhh-ver-time!”.

“Not so fast” Peter replied. Over at VS, they were calling the replay “inconclusive”. I’m not sure if VS showed that real grainy close up, but over at TSN they had that enhanced shot up, and the commentator was circling the puck on the telestrator and drawing the angle of the camera, stating that if the camera had been directly over the goal, the small swath of white between the puck and the goal line would be clearly visible.

So here at my house in Cheektowaga it was premature jubilation; over at Peter’s in North Buffalo - quiet resignation. A minute later the referee made it official with the “no goal” gesture. This series would come back to Buffalo tied at two.

The Electric Building on Roosevelt Square, crowned in Sabres blue and gold at night. One Team - One Goal… this entire city is living life vicariously right now through the fortunes of our hockey team.

Peter posted on this topic yesterday but I’ve got my own thoughts and here they are…

The Sabres have formed quite a bond with the “Irish Tenor”, and the story of his return to Buffalo was front page headlines in the Buffalo News.

I’m not buying into it…and it has nothing to do with Tynan.

I grew up hating the Irving Berlin spiritual “God Bless America”. My memories as a teenager was watching that Dead Fat Woman in Philadelphia step out onto the ice at the Spectrum and croak out that song. And that was it. Game over. Flyers win. The Flyers always won.

A generation later, this song holds a much more bitter meaning for me. The Bushies and the Cheneys and the Halliburtons just love to truck out this song whenever the temperature gets too hot wtih criticism of their Iraq misadventure… forget about the half trillion dollars (and counting) for their fucking war, forget about the 3300 (and counting) dead soldiers. Let us sing to the heavens… let our spirits soar… and together we feel so good and all is well with the world! UGH!

As for last night, I could write you the same sorry story… Tynan sings the song, the Jumbotron displays photos of soldiers, dressed in their desert khakis and holding their rifles, sitting on their tanks and displaying their missiles and other instruments of death.

As I look around the seating bowl and see happy children eating their popcorn and cotton candy, my thoughts turned to other children who might not be smiling. I ask, how many Iraqi children had their homes and villages flattened from those very same tanks we’re viewing in those pictures? How many Iraqi children are orphaned from that same missile battery we saw on the screen last night?

The results of the Tynan show was predictable – a collective orgasm from the crowd. Nothing like images of soldiers and armies and war to get a sports audience going.

What did I do? I did what I always do in sports venues when they play the Dead Fat Woman’s song. I took a seat. Hey, I’ll stand for the Star Spangled Banner and sing loud and proud anytime. But I will not pay homage to that piece of propaganda bullshit.

If you don’t like my take on all this, then go ahead and let me have it. I’ve sat my ass down through many a 7th inning stretch and gotten an earful from people around me. I held my ground then. I’m not about to back down now.

Giddy-up guys!

For two periods, the Buffalo Sabres played like they were doped up, managing just nine shots on goal and thanks to some very solid play in net by Ryan Miller, they were kept in the game, staring at only a 2-1 deficit after two periods.

Giddy-up guys!

When the third period started, everything changed. Buffalo got an early goal, a Chris Drury tip in on a perfect pass from Toni Lydman. A few minutes later Thomas Vanek jammed in the game winner, after setting up a perfect pass to Campbell on the point and then crashing the net to bury it.

From there the Sabres put on the burners…wave after wave of attacks which had the crowd up on its feet time and time again.

But the real drama was in the last two minutes, as Buffalo was called with a penalty with 1:48 to go. The Rangers pulled their goaltender, giving them a two skater advantage, and from there it was heart in your throat time and gut check time. “I really wasn’t all that panicked” said Ryan Miller after the game. “I didn’t get to see the call on Briere but I certainly did see Avery punching Briere in the face after the whistle and that wasn’t called.”

Buffalo did a bang up job clearing the puck during that last minute, and the officials missed a seeming offsides call with 10 seconds that had Lindy Ruff steaming afterwards. Even the Rangers attackers held up expecting a whistle but none was called. Ruff was awarded a gross misconduct penalty at the end of the game for his bottle throwing rant.

So what happened in the locker room between the second and third periods? Brian Campbell replies “We just needed to get the puck in front of the net more and create scoring chances. We all talked about it and that quick goal early on so totally lifted the entire bench.”

On my pedestal - what more can you say aboout Dainius Zubrus? Again he threw his body around, forechecked with total abandon, played puck control in the attack zone and delivered punishing hit after hit. If the Sabres advance and end up playing Ottawa, the Sens will have a handful to deal with and a force they didn’t see in Buffalo when the teams last played.

In my doghouse.. Max Mr. Giveaway Afinogenov and the fact that you didn’t see him on the third speaks volumes. Oh.. and yoo hoo, Jochen!!! Feel free to show up some night.

Lastly, props to Ryan Miller for not only his stellar play tonight, but not getting sucked in to a war of words with the Rangers. When told that Jagr had remarked “They probably think it’s over,” Miller calmly replied that the Rangers deserve every bit of respect and that this is only one game.

So on to the Big Apple it is for a Sunday afternoon game on NBC. Score early..take the crowd out of it.. show why you’re such a great road team. Can’t wait!!!

Do not let this man sing prior to game time tonight!!!!!

Listen, nothing personal against the guy, he’s a great story about overcoming obstacles in life. But part of the lore of the playoffs is superstition and traditions.
Playoff beards-in.
Stepping on every crack in the sidewalk - in.
Tossing an octopus on the ice prior to game time - in.
Keeping every routine thing the same…where you watch the game….what you wear….in.
Having the same person sing the anthems prior to every game - in!

Oh by the way, Ronan is 0-1 in the postseason singing “GBA”…if the Sabs lose tonight, let’s hope it’s the last time they bring him in to sing during the playoffs. Too much is at stake.

I finally have a day off from my real job that coincides with a morning skate, so off I went!!!

I notice that the media contingent is beginning to swell with more of a national presence from up north and the Ranger media as well. Despite basically carrying the same market there appears to be a larger contingent of Ranger media than Islander media.

All the Sabres who took the day off yesterday(Stafford, Lydman, Campbell, and Connolly) were up and skating today. In his comments Coach Ruff stated that”all will be able to play tonight” and that “if we play to our strengths, it’s our best hockey”.

Coach also was asked about advice on being shorthanded(concerning Roszival) and answered” to concentrate on who you have and not who you don’t.”

The word is similar coming from the Ranger dressing room concerning Michal Roszival, he was skating during the Ranger warmups this morning and while Coach Renney wouldn’t tip his hand he did say Roszival “look good and felt good” and didn’t rule out dressing seven defensemen for tonight…..

Sean Avery was a bit low keyed answering questions saying that the team has to concentrate on doing the little things needed to win a game. But Avery being who he is found time to pop off at a local reporter(initials AB) for asking what he perceived to be “a stupid question”.

Gee Sean, maybe you ought to “hold the throttle back” as the reporter said. You did find the box twice and had a -3 on the night.

Other things of note….

The playoff beards in the Sabre locker room are starting to take shape, about all the players are in on it though I noticed that Tim Connolly is maintaining the sahved head look and the matching shaved face to go with it. Assistant PR guys Chris Bandura and Rob Crean seem to be in on the act as well.

Newsday columnist Mark Hermann has been taking some good natured ribbing about his presence as guest columnist in the News for the past two-three weeks. One person joked about him being hired full time on the Buffalo News staff….after a certain blogger asked him about whether he covers the Devils too, he joked that he already had a house up here….seems like a good guy. And a far better columnist than that Ned Barnett in Raleigh….

Does there need be any more proof of the existence of Sabre fever…

Last night at HSBC Arena the “Party In The Plaza” went dry.

And the crowd was noticably smaller.

Well, the beer is back! News release just hit my email box from Kevin Snow at the Sabres…

SABRES TO MAKE BEER AVAILABLE AT “Party in the Plaza” PRE-GAME PARTIES

The parties will take place rain or shine with free admission, as a game ticket will not be required for entrance to the party.

Was it me, or did it seem that the postseason REALLY got underway tonight?

The Sabres used a three goal burst late in the second period to propel them to a 5-2 win over the Rangers. Thomas Vanek picked up a pair of goals. Pominville and Kotalik each added one a piece and Drew Stafford added an empty netter to finish off the Sabres scoring.

The Rangers came out and held their own in the first ten to fifteen minutes of play using a physical style of play to keep Buffalo in check. After that the Sabres seemed to turn on the jets as rush after rush of attacks came down the ice for Buffalo. Only some stellar play by Henrik Lundqvist kept the game scoreless in the first.

It was more of the same until Vanek finally broke through with just under six minutes left in the second, and soon after it was like the dam had burst as Kotalik would add his and Vanek would strike again all within a four minute span.

The Sabres pretty much had the game iced thanks not to a fourth goal but from killing off a five on three power play that ended with about eleven minutes to go. Taro lit the cigar at that point…..

Sean Avery yapped about how he was going to hurt Sabre players….Game 1 stats: eighteen minutes on the ice, four minutes in the box, minus three rating for the night. Thanks for the assistance Sean!

In the postgame the Rangers lamented the fact that they gave the Sabres many power play opportunities. Brendan Shanahan said that ” I liked the way we started for the first ten minutes….then we gave them the momentum…we put them on the power play time after time and we kinda let their offensive players get into the game..”

Toni Lydman seemed upbeat after a night of chasing around Jagr but noted the difficulties in that task:”Jagr is tough to defend against. We try our hardest to stop him but he has size and strength. We need to work on that more but we have so much confidence with Ryan backing us up it makes our job easier.”

Hey Drew you just nabbed the empty netter, how’d it feel? “I was down on the ice and I could see the refs arm up and a penalty being called. Next thing you know the crowd is roaring. I never saw the puck actually go in the net.”

(And I’m sure they practice the dragged-down-on-the-ice-while-shooting-puck-into-the-net-play EVERY DAY in practice.)

Other thoughts, useless or not…..

The Sabres five goal outburst is one shy of the entire series output of the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round….Jaromir…I don’t think we’re in Atlanta anymore…

Unique fan jersey of the night: A Tretiak USSR jersey spotted in the 300’s.

The walk down Washington Street to the arena featured a new dot matrix board in front of Dunn Tire Park, I then looked to my right and saw a countdown to the Cup mural at the top floor of the City Grill building.

Also wondering if it was the weather or the lack of alcoholic beverages that kept the size of the crowd down in the plaza tonight.

The new marquee is up and running in front of the ballpark

Check out the countdown in the windows at this office building on Main and Swan. (Click on photo to enlarge and get a better look)

The top of One M&T Plaza, illuminated in Sabres colors. How cool is that?

After countless email exchanges, cross reporting and media networking, I finally got the chance to say “hi” to Mark and Kevin at Bfloblog. They were in full tailgate form in a parking lot down Perry Street. A quick beer, some hockey talk, and a promise for a more substantial get-together down the road.

Mark and Kevin, soaking up the nice Buffalo day and the pregame festivities outside HSBC Arena

Gotta throw this one in - thousands of fans enjoying the “Party on the Plaza” outside the arena. Many fans without tickets stuck around to watch the game on the special videoboard set up outside on the plaza.

Whew!

Series over.

The Sabres played a nearly perfect game for two periods, using their speed and aggression to attack the offensive zone and make play after play. Only the lack of finishing scoring chances kept this one from becoming a total laugher, and after two it was 3-0 Sabres.

That’s when things got hairy - the Isles’ Mirolav Satan finally got a goal in this series early in the third, but Buffalo answered right after by a pretty goal by Max Afinogenov. Light the cigar right? New York cut the lead again to two at the tten minute mark, then three minutes later scored again to make it 4-3.

“Yeah things felt a little desperate on the bench at that point” admitted Toni Lydman. After the game, Daniel Briere told the press, “The important thing is we found ways to win these games.”

Ryan Miller stopped nine shots in the final seven minutes, but none bigger than with 10 seconds to go, robbing Miro Satan on the doorstep with a blind save.

The feeling in the locker room afterwards was not one of jubilation, or that of relief; basically a sense of accomplishment that they got this round behind them, and every player and Coach Lindy Ruff admitted that the few days rest will do some good. After the game PR Director Mike Gilbert announced that Wednesday is the earliest possible date for the next game.

In my doghouse - Toni Lydman, who was a -2 for the night and on a couple occasions failed to clear the puck from the zone. And I like Jochen Hecht, but we’re at the point that maybe sitting him for a game might send this guy a message,

Penalty and game misconduct to… the game day entertainment crew. Whipping up the stupid wave with 9 minutes to go, then playing Sweet Caroline (bah! bah! bah!) with a tenuous one goal lead…. UGH! This stuff is OK when the game is salted away, but otherwise totally inappropriate. So shut the goddam hell up, or play some organ music, and let the fans do the rest.

Props to… the Sabres players, who again gathered as one after the handshakes were over, to salute the fans with their sticks. The crowd ate it up, of course… Plenty of love going back and forth, a nice, nice feeling.

So onward we go, with either NYR or TBL our next opponent… and still… “the chance that maybe we’ll find… better days.”