Just about everybody was on the ice this morning at HSBC Arena as the Buffalo Sabres get ready to face the Boston Bruins tonight in a showdown game.

Just how important is this game? “Every game is important” said Coach Lindy Ruff to the media following the practice. But this one looms large. Given up for dead just three weeks ago, the team could forge a tie for 8th place tonight with a regulation win, and that puts the boys right back in the playoff mix.

Tim Connolly skated today, and Coach Ruff reported that they had a long meeting with Connolly just yesterday, and are monitoring his progress very closely. From the looks of things, Connolly might be ready to go in time for Sunday’s game against Florida. Maxim Afinogenov, however, is a whole other story, and it looks like his recovery has actually regressed.

The other guy on the sudden “sick list” is Dmitri Kalinin, who did not practice this morning and is apparently under the weather. Ruff stated that Kalinin should be OK for tonight, but if not then Nathan Paetsch will be pressed into service on the blue line.

One of the guys adding a huge physical presence on the ice is Patrick Kaleta, and if the Sabres suddenly become totally healthy, he might be sent back to Rochester, and from where I’m watching, that would be a bad thing. His style of play is rubbing off on the entire team.

Ryan Miller will be looking for his 100th career NHL victory tonight… he got 99 in Wednesday’s shootout win over the Devils. And speaking of that shootout, Henrik Tallinder made history with his awesome goal, when he became the first blueliner to ever attempt a shot in a shootout, and obviously, the first one to ever score a goal.

There are only a few scattered singles remaining, so look for another sellout tonight for a 7:30 start.

“Tom Golisano… Where Are You?”

For this week’s Puck Stop, we call out the owner of the Buffalo Sabres in an open letter.

Check it out!

The losing streak is over. And how. Final score… Buffalo 10, Atlanta 1. 

Maybe it was some freaky karma… Lindy Ruff opting out of the morning skate and letting his assistants do the work. Or perhaps it was a pregame event lineup change, with State Trooper Dan Brown bringing down the house singing the national anthems, looking and sounding much like Ottawa’s famed Lyndon Slewidge.But throw out silly superstitions and it was Buffalo’s determined play right from the get go…it was 3-0 Buffalo after 6 minutes, and 4-0 after 10, with “Mr. September” Derek Roy netting two goals. Atlanta goaltender Johan Hedberg was then pulled in favor of Kari Lehtonen, although Hedberg would return in the third period. 

Buffalo would add to their lead in the second., with Jochen Hecht getting his 15^th goal of the season. Derek Roy then made it 6-1 with his third of the night, a tip in while airborne in the crease, although he was not credited with this goal until after the game. Roy had not yet learned of his hat trick feat when we spoke afterwards. “Yeah I was trying for that third goal late, just saying to myself if it happens it happens” said Roy. Thomas Vanek, who had one of his best games in a long long time, then added a power play goal late in the period to make it 7-1. The other highlight of the period was a fight between Sabres defenseman Nolan Pratt and the Thrasher’s Chris Thornburn. Thornburn had intervened in the initial war of words between Pratt and Garnet Exelby, and Pratt managed to land the majority of punches on Thornburn. 

In the third period, the Sabres killed off a 5 on 3 disadvantage for almost two full minutes, before Buffalo made it 8-1 on Stafford’s second of the night. The hats then flew a few minutes later when Stafford scored again to make it 9-1 with just over 8 minutes to play.By then the throaty crowd dispensed with the “1..2..3…” goal countdown and went the short route… “We want 10! We want 10!” Buffalo was awarded a full 4 minute 5 on 3 advantage after Eric Boulton was tossed for taking out two Buffalo players on six cheap shot punches. Buffalo played around with the puck and even had Vanek on the point for a portion of the power play, but got nothing out of it. A subsequent penalty was called on Atlanta giving yet another 5 on 3, and this time Ales Kotalik’s one timer made it 10-1 and that would be all the scoring for the night. 

The locker room felt like a mix of jubilation and relief, with big smiles all around the room. “We really needed this one to set the tone” said Nathan Paetsch. “I think we can head into Toronto now with a good feeling and kind of have the monkey off our back.” Paetsch admitted that he is looking very forward to the first game of the year at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow. “Hockey Night in Canada was a mainstay of my growing up years. The game is on across Canada tomorrow isn’t it?” (Yes it is Nathan.) 

Lindy Ruff was very matter of fact about the entire team’s effort during this excruciating streak which ended tonight. “I wish some of those bounces were a week ago… a few days ago” said Ruff. “we got some breaks tonight… Derek (Roy) gave us a big boost… It was an ugly streak but it was not an ugly effort during that streak.” When asked about why he started the Mair-Ryan-Kaleta line, Ruff replied “I wanted some energy right off the bat. I wanted to get the building into it.” One bit of bad news… Michael Ryan took a hit to the face in the last minute and was immediately taken to the dressing room. He took some stitches and has vision problems and will be examined by an ophthalmologist tomorrow. He may end up missing some time. 

So the Sabres head to Toronto tonight and will take on the Leaves in the first of four matchups at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. This will be the start of a seven game road trip across the continent, and we won’t see the boys back home until February 6. But if you’re really desperate to see some action on the ice, Disney’s “High School Musical” comes to the H for seven performances!  

One very notable person was missing from the ice this morning when the Sabres did their morning skate at HSBC Arena - Coach Lindy Ruff.

“Yeah maybe he was in the back room breaking down film or something” remarked defenseman Nathan Paetsch.

Ruff’s absence may be checking video, or maybe he’s just trying to shake up the karma. Nonetheless hopefully the Sabres will be doing more than just looking at film when they try to stem the bleeding tonight at HSBC Arena, as the Atlanta Thrashers come to town. The Thrashers got a point last night in a shootout loss at home, and flew into Buffalo late last night. They come in with red hot forwards Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, both of who are tearing it up in the scoring column. Last time these two teams met in Atlanta, it was pretty much all Thrashers in a 5-2 win over Buffalo.

One of the players who will be good to go tonight is forward Derek Roy. Asked if he will see regular ice time including power play shifts, Ruff replied “We will see. We will see how it goes. We’ll start it off limited and see where he’s at.” As for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, he is definitely out for tonight.

Referring to the last game against Atlanta, Ruff commented “We made some pretty big mistakes that allowed them some pretty easy situations. We’ve been able to take away the easy situations since that game and have played a lot better. If you hand them opportunities you are asking for bad things to happen.”

Ruff also stated that there is no more emphasis on this game than the other opponents the team has faced. “We’ve placed emphasis on every game we’ve approached” said Ruff. “For us, we have to win a game.” Nathan Paetsch also stressed the importance of lifting the team with a good outing tonight. “We’re going to be away from here for about three weeks, so leaving on a high note would be huge. Hopefully we will respond.”

Regarding Brendan Shanahan’s hit on Clarke MacArthur in the closing seconds of the Rangers game the other night, Ruff said
“Colin (Campbell) called right after the game, for which I’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They saw the hit. They wanted to know how Clarke is doing.” Beyond that call Ruff has heard nothing further in terms of any sanctions being meted out to Shanahan or the Rangers.

Faceoff tonight is 7:30PM. As of a week ago there were quite a few tickets remaining for this game and the team was pushing heavily on the video board for ticket sales, both on the arena board at last weekend’s Bandits and Sabres games, and on the MSG telecasts. I just checked tickets.com and as of 1PM there are only scattered singles available, so it looks like 18,690 will be the attendance. I’ve got the AV chair tonight and will have a post game recap.

The view from our hotel room window

The Ultimate Sports Road Trip is in the building!

That building being the Prudential Center, affectionately known as “The Rock” here in Newark.

We had a terrific 220 mile drive from Horseheads down to Newark, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s… a springlike day for the middle of January! We’re staying at the Sheraton Newark Airport, around 3 miles away from downtown, and as you can see from the photo, the Prudential Center is readily visible in the center of their downtown core.

Driving in is another story however… while the streets of downtown at 4:30PM are all hustle and bustle, the downtown retail here looks downright scary… plenty of wig stores, dollar shops, electronics outlets, all decaying. Plenty of vacant eyesores and fenced parking lots. It really is not a pretty sight down here, although in the midst of all this are buildings looking like they are ready to undergo residential rehab into upscale units. The arena is an architectural jewel, especially the front side facade facing Mulberry Street, with a massive high tech video board that we could actually see from our hotel room.

We nixed the $20 and $25 lots surrounding the arena and caught a space on the street three blocks down Mulberry. On the walk up here, we saw a nice little tavern called “Arena Bar” that looks decent enough for some postgame libations.

As for the Sabres, they are now the walking wounded, and Patrick Kaleta has been called up from Rochester as reinforcement. Right about now we don’t like the Sabres’ chances to break this brutal losing streak but we shall see.

We plan to actually sit in the seats for a couple periods and get a feel for this building as a spectator. We will try to do a postgame recap if possible, but otherwise we will wait until we return to Buffalo tomorrow to post more pics and work on the venue profile. Enjoy the game. Out from The Rock!

-Andrew

The Sabres event crew showed videos and photo montages from the Winter Classic; a full house was on hand primed for a big night for the Sabres.

Unfortunately the end result was another Sabres loss, their fifth in a row, and the team is quickly dropping in the standings, with a tough tough three game road trip now staring them in the face.

The team played a lackluster and uninspiring first period, with Ottawa scoring on their first shot on goaltender Ryan Miller. Andrew Peters and Brian McGrattan dropped the gloves early and had at it, with Peters getting the worst of it. The Sabres managed to kill off a penalty in the first, but Ottawa made it 2-0 on their second man advantage early in the second period.

Ottawa made it 3-0 midway through the second period on a goal by Jason Spezza, and that was enough to chase Ryan Miller out of the net in favor of Jocelyn Thibault. Ales Kotalik answered with Buffalo’s first tally just seconds later, and the second period ended 3-1 in favor the Senators.

The building finally came to life in the second half of third period, as Jochen Hecht scored his team leading 14th goal of the season on the power play. Two minutes later Michael Ryan banked in a goal from an impossible angle to tie the score at three. Buffalo started pouring it on with their best effort fo the night, peppering goalie Ray Emery with shots and scoring opportunities.
“We actually got started up in the seconded period”, said defenseman Jaroslav Spacek after the game.

Michael Ryan described the tying goal which came in from a very bad angle. “Staff did a great job just creating the offensive pressure. He got it over to me and I just threw it up at the net. It wasn’t the prettiest goal but I was sure glad to see it go in. Actually I thought Gaus (Paul Gaustad) got it.” Ryan also admitted that the coming road trip might be the tonic the team needs right now. “Yeah with all the distractions with last Tuesday’s game it has to have had an effect. Different scenery may just do us a world of good, get away for a while.”

Back to the game…Ottawa would go ahead with less than five minutes to go on a one timer by Danny Heatley from the top of the face off circle to take a 4-3 lead. Daniel Alfredsson made it 5-3 a couple minutes later, and that sent fans scurrying for the exits.

That would be it for the scoring, and the boo birds let the Sabres hear it when the final horn sounded.

After the game Lindy Ruff talked about the little things that cost the team the game - passing instead of taking shots, Ryan Miller’s poor play on two of the goals (”He wishes he could have them back”), messing up in little areas. “We’re gonna be in a dogfight. We need to be better in all areas” said Ruff. “I don’t think they got a shot in 14, 15 minutes before they took that one
that gave them the 4-3 lead.”

Daniel Paille took a big hit from Anton Volchenkov in the first period and did not return. I ran into Paille as he was heading out. He was in street clothes and didn’t look any worse for the wear. “He took a big hit and he’s sore right now” said Ruff. My guess is he won’t be sidelined for too long.

The Sabres hit the road for three games (including Tuesday at New Jersey, and the USRT will be in the building!), before returning home next Saturday to face those same Devils.

The big news coming out of HSBC Arena this morning is that Maxim Afinogenov will not play. He is sidelined with a lower body injury to his groin and could miss a number of games, although officially he is listed as “day to day”. Meanwhile, Drew Stafford, who has missed the last three games due to a concussion is good to go and will be in the lineup tonight.

The team had an optional skate today, and five regulars sat out. Lindy Ruff addressed the team’s recent scoring slump “It was time to maybe shake ‘em up a little bit” said Ruff in talking about the planned line changes. Ruff was also asked how important Jaroslav’s Spacek’s role is going to be in getting players to step up, especially now that he’s been named captain. “Well first of all by the way he’s played” said Ruff. “I want him to lead by example. He has a strong voice in the room and is not afraid to voice his opinion when things are not going well.”

Ruff admits that they’ve looked ahead to this month’s schedule, where there are only three home games and long stretches on the road. “We’ve looked at this schedule and there are no easy games.” Ruff emphasized the importance of winning games and snaring points especially with the standings being as tight as they are. “One win puts you in good shape, and one loss and you’re back down there.”

I talked to Jaroslav Spacek, asking him if the games leading to the Winter Classic were lost due to the distraction leading to the big game. “No I don’t think so” Spacek replied. “We had a couple good chances on the road but we could have played better and in the end we just didn’t score. In New Jersey we played a solid game for 40 minutes and then in the overtime couldn’t score with the advantage.” Today’s practice emphasized doing little things and getting the puck to the net. “We know it’s a big big game tonight” said Spacek.

Spacek said that the Winter Classic was televised back home and he got reports from friends and relatives that everyone watching in the Czech Republic enjoyed it. “It was 7 o’clock back home and everyone was still drinking from New Year’s, but it was great fun” Spacek said wistfully.

Puck drops tonight at 7:30 and I will be covering. I will have a postgame wrap up later on tonight.

It was the anthem of Buffalo pride in the 1980’s during the Bills’ Chuck Knox era. The “Talkin’ Proud” jingle.

This past Tuesday around 12:31 PM, viewers watching coast to coast across Canada on CBC saw a 90 second montage which portrayed the best of Buffalo and the best of Sabres hockey over the franchise’s history.

By CBC we mean the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, not the Crosby Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as NBC.

At the same time, those who were in their seats at RWS at the exact same time got to enjoy the piece on the stadium’s Mitsubishi video board. Check out this awesome video and clap along. And for those of you old enough to remember, how many times do you have to watch the piece before you can identify three Sabres icons from the 70s - Ted Darling, Punch Imlach, and yes… Sundae Bafo!

Memo to the Sabres game night crew - can you make THIS video and THIS jingle a staple of the pregame intros from here on out?

It was not a game for the ages - the bad ice, the chippy play, the elements all conspired to slow down two teams that were supposed to present a “classic” for the biggest crowd in NHL history, and a sizable viewing audience watching in two countries.

For the Sabres, this was the 4th loss in a row, all coming since Christmas, and only two points to show for their efforts, and as of today they are on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs are concerned in what is a very tightly bunched Eastern Conference.

Yet after the game, everyone was happy; there was a sense of joy in the locker room, a buzz in the air as fans left the stadium, relief in the eyes of NHL officials and team executives that this had actually been pulled off. Everyone who had the privilege of being part of this event - the NHL, the players, the management, the media, the fans, the entertainers, the employees, all knew they had just shared a piece of history, a very special day.

Of course we know by now how the game turned out - Pittsburgh scored at the 21 second mark, Buffalo took over play in the second period but could only manage one goal, the Sabres blew a golden opportunity to win in overtime when they had a full two minute power play, and in the shootout that followed, the NHL/NBC dream script worked to a T when Sidney Crosby netted the game winner in the final shot.

While Sabres players were disappointed in the outcome, almost to a man everyone was echoing the same thing - they were in awe of the panorama of this event, it was meaningful to be a part of this spectacle, and they would love to do it again. Said Derek Roy “I don’t know if I’d want to play like this all the time, but having an event like this from time to time is good for the sport and good for the league. It was an awesome day.” Toni Lydman added “What more can one say about these fans in Buffalo? Just coming to the stadium and seeing people cooking outdoors and all the flags and decorations…”

Perhaps no one enjoyed this event and this moment more than Coach Lindy Ruff, who spoke from the heart when he talked about his growing up in his small home town in Alberta and learning how to skate outdoors. And in his postgame comments, he liberally used words like “great day”, “awesome”, “perfect”. When asked about the varsity jacket that he wore for the event, Ruff replied “I thought the jackets fit the game, you know, fit the uniforms, fit the game. It was fun. You know, it’s always good to put the blue and gold on when you wore it for as long as I wore it. I put that jacket on with pride today.” He said it with such sincerity and such emotion, and at that moment I thought about Ruff the player - his scrappy fights, that four goal night he had against Quebec I forgot when, his leadership on the ice. For me this comment was my “choked up” moment at the game, not helicopters flying over or snapshots of tanks or Tynan slobbering all over his microphone.

I would love to see another Winter Classic, but not every year, and I would love to see it back in Buffalo again when it does occur, although my guess is that other cities will be vying to host such a game. But today we should be very proud as a community that we were able to show the best of what Buffalo is about to the entire United States and Canada.

OK back to business… the Sabres next host the Ottawa Senators this Friday at the H. With the distractions out of the way, this team really needs to hunker down and get a big win. After mid month they will be on a brutal three week road trip. We need points!!!

11:45AM - Greetings and Happy New Year from Row A in the pressbox at Ralph Wilson Stadium! It is 34 degrees here in Orchard Park, overcast with winds out of the SW at 13MPH, and a few flakes of snow flying in the air. In other words…. PERFECT!

I arrived at the stadium a little after 9:30AM, and immediately headed to the north side of the property to find Kevin Pritchard and his Bfloblog posse. They were already tailgating in full force, and it was nice to meet some of the Bfloblog regulars who until today only knew from being online. Pete, his dad, and Gary Herman and Mike “The King” Casciano arrived a bit later and I bid good bye to the group to get myself situated up here. Oh one more thing… ran into, of all people, Seamus Gallivan, who was such a gracious host for us during our visit to Round Rock, Texas back in September. Seamus was home visiting his family for the holidays, and tells us he got a promotion and will be moving to Corpus Christi to take over their game day presentation.

Now I am inside the stadium, and I am pinching myself - I got a seat in Row A in the pressbox, right on the blue line. I can’t believe my good fortune! Fans are already streaming into the stadium, they are showing interviews and pregame highlights on the big video board. It looks like all systems go for a faceoff after 1 PM.

12:43PM - The two teams are now on the ice, having walked on in ceremonial procession, done to the music of the Celtic Ride Bagpipes. The crowd here is all hepped up and gave the teams a standing ovation as they entered the playing surface. A light misty snow is falling. This is awesome! 

12:55PM - The warmups are finished and the zambonis are doing their thing in preparation for a 1:20PM puck drop. Game day host Kevin Sylvester  is pumping up the crowd, not that they need any help, and everyone here is on their feet. It is absolutely electric. DVR alert - Glad I set up both the CBC and NBC telecasts and pregames. They showed a CBC produced piece on the big board which was a super highlight reel of Sabres moments, including some Aud footage.. can’t wait to watch later. 

1:24PM - The fans are up on their feet, they unfurled American and Canadian flags at each end zone, and after Oh Canada, out came Ronan Tynan to perform The Dead Fat Woman’s Song, accompanied by plenty of pictures of war war war. The crowd, of course, loves it. I’m in too good of a mood to bitch. And before we could even get settled in our seats, Colby Armstrong scores to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Sheesh!

1:35PM - Here’s an interesting observation - NO ONE in the lower bowl is sitting. NO ONE. The folks in row one are all standing to try and get at least a bit of a view from their crappy seats, and as a result everyone else has to stand right up to row 45. I’ll say it again - the upper deck seats, especially close to center, are a screaming bargain at $39.

1:45PM - 9:54 to go in the first period and we’re in our first delay, as the zambonis are out on the ice to do a touch up. The snow has just about stopped falling. Official game time temperature 33.1 degrees.

2:05PM - They showed Rick Jeanneret on the video board during the media timeout and that got a charge out of the crowd. Meantime, Buffalo’s short power play went nowhere, with hopping pucks and broken sticks. The period ends with the Penguins up 1-0.

2:30PM - Second period underway and the place just went nuts as Brian Campbell lights the lamp for the Sabres! Time of goal 1:25 in the second and the score is tied. Sabres playing with much more conviction early on.

2:42PM - We’re halfway through the period and Pittsburgh has yet to record their first shot on goal. Buffalo meanwhile pouring it on but score still tied at one. Media timeout and zambonis are doing a touchup. No snow falling but looks like a hint of drizzle in the air.

3:00PM - Two periods are in the books and the score is tied at one. The Sabres played almost a flawless second period, outshooting the Penguins 14-2, but we’re not able to get the go ahead goal. Some heavy snow showers were coming down in the later part of the period, but the skies have since cleared. Official attendance today: 71,217.

3:30PM - The third period is cruising along and neither team looks like it wants to make a mistake. Still tied at one. Now I’ve already got a thought in case this event ever makes a return visit to The Ralph. In the scoreboard end zone corners they set up video boards on the field so the folks sitting in the first few rows can get a better perspective of the action. They need to set these thingies up all around the field, so the front row fans can take their seat and allow the 100 level patrons to not have to stand for all the action.

3:36PM - We’re at the 10 minute mark and the horn has sounded, just as the NHL said they would do. The teams will now change sides for the final ten minutes of regulation. 1-1.

4:00PM - We’ve had two stoppages to do ice repair, so this game has now slowed to a crawl. 5:36 left on the clock. Nobody has left the stadium. It is one big party here and everyone wants to savor the moment.4:10PM - We’re getting lots of video board shots of guys with their shirts off. I’m sort of tempted to take MY shirt off (*kidding*). Meantime, Thomas Vanek had two great chances to get the go ahead goal in the last minute, including a wrap around that failed to connect. But this game is now headed for OH-VER-TIME! And Buffalo will start off with the man advantage as a penalty has been called at the 20:00 mark.

4:15PM - I gotta give HUGE props to Kevin Sylvester who is doing a yeoman job as game day host on the video board.

4:23PM - Buffalo got five shots on goal during the power play but Conklin came up huge. We’re halfway through and the teams are changing sides for the final 2:30 of overtime.

4:27PM - Well I guess this is just fitting that this game will go to a shootout. What an amazing game this has been! I’m hoping the audiences watching on NBC in the States, and CBC and RDS in Canada are enjoying this as much as we are. I will have one final post with the outcome of the shootout. LET’S GO BUF-FA-LO!!!

SHOOTOUT
Kotalik (Buf) SCORES! 1-0 Buf
Christensen (Pit) MISSES! 1-0 Buf
Connolly (Buf) Misses 1-0 Buf
Letang (Pit) Scores 1-1
Afinogenov (Buf) Misses 1-1
Crosby (Pit) Scores…. 2-1 Pitt

Final Score in a shootout - Pittsburgh 2, Buffalo 1

Mike Harrington just called it - “AN NBC FIX!”

I’ll have a postgame report later tonight.

The snowflakes are flying on a crisp New Years Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium

Our sister site Bfloblog hosting a tailgate in the north parking lot

Pregame entertainment on the main stage outside the stadium

They’re lined up ten deep at the merchandise stands all around the stadium

What is your last-minute evaluation of the ice conditions?
Because of the snow last night, it took us about an hour to clean the surface up, dress it up really well. The surface temperature is right at 23-1/2, 24 degrees and we are moving forward. 

So you are within two degrees of ideal?
Yes. The weather changed from this morning, and within the hour it changed again. So now we are really learning what our machinery can do to react — and how quickly it reacts. 

What about the forecast for additional snow and possible significant winds, How does that affect your preparation for tomorrow?
The winds aren’t really going to affect us because we have taken precautions on the boards and glass. There is cable up on the tall glass, so everything is going to be held in place very securely. As to the snow, we will come back in tomorrow morning and we will do what we did today, and just stay on top of it. The machines are ready to go. Every hour is what the game plan is right now. 

If there is snow, and it does accumulate, what is the procedure for removing it? Is it shoveling? Is it Zamboni-ing? How do you deal with that over the night?
Well over the night, it’s just going out there with the Zams and going back out there. With the wind, it (the snow) goes right along the wall. So it’s really easy to take one pass with the machine along the outside wall and we pick up ninety percent of it. 

What happens when snow hits the ice?
Well, if we are resurfacing at the time, it will freeze back on top of what we have already done. But once it (the ice) is frozen, it (the snow) will just blow straight across, just like it blows the snow across the highway. 

If it snows during the game tomorrow, how will you evaluate things?
We have eight people here on the ice crew. We will probably have four people on skates, and I will be on skates, and we will make sure everything is taken care of all around the rink. 

Is it conceivable that the crews will be dispatched to clear snow even when it’s not a TV stoppage?
I will be talking to the officials constantly and keeping in eye contact with them, and the on-ice officials will make the call to myself to see if it is something that we can come out and do quickly, like in thirty seconds. I know that if there is a little issue we will be able to take care of it.

4:00PM update - The Sabres had their afternoon practice and now it’s the Penguins turn to check out the digs here at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The team spent well over an hour on the ice today, and by the end of the practice it was like a pond hockey match, with the players just taking turns shooting the puck and having fun out there.Newly named captain Jaroslav Spacek had fun out on the ice. “It was great to be out there. The ice was fine. It is going to be great fun for the people here tomorrow and we are looking forward to it.” Spacek admitted that the wind could be the biggest problem tomorrow and provide the most uncertainty.

Forwards Nathan Paesch and Daniel Paille both agreed that while the team enjoyed the experience of an outdoor practice, tomorrow it is going to be all business out on the ice. Said Paetsch “Let’s keep in mind that there are a lot of team bunched in closely and there are two important points at stake.” Paille added, “We have to get back on the winning track.”Andrew Peters is always good for a great comment and he did not disappoint - “I don’t know if I’m going to fight out there, but it’s a heck of a way to warm up now eh?” Peters said. Like most players, Peters felt in awe walking out of the tunnel and seeing the entire set up for the first time. “I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like tomorrow with the stadium packed with hockey fans. It’s going to be an awesome sight.”

Coach Lindy Ruff had a sparkle in his eye and an excitement in his voice as he addressed the packed media throng following the skate. “It was really awesome it really was; It kind of brings you back to your roots. It really felt like you could stay out there a couple hours, one of those days where you could scrimmage all day long.”

Ruff stated that the bench area is more than warm and comfortable. “I did go on the bench and sat out there, and it actually felt too hot…. If the players are going to complain, they can stand behind the bench and I’ll sit down for a while. We’ll see how that works out.”

Ruff gave props to the engineers who created the ice surface. “I thought the ice was very good. I’ve got no complaints. You know with a little bit of snow that was flying, there got to be quite a bit of snow on it, but that’s just normal.”

Goaltender Ryan Miller also said “The ice was good. The weather cooperated. A little bit overcast is actually a lot better than a sunny sky for us out there.” Miller also stressed the importance of putting on a good show for the national audiences. “It makes a lot better memory, knowing that you did the best you could to win the game. You’re representing the National Hickey League in a lot of homes that normally don’t pay attention. So we want to be our best, not only for the sport, but for team reputation.”

One thing that came across from the entire room of players - these guys are geeked for this event and are very much getting caught up in the excitement of the event, yet still recognizing that there is a game to be played with two important points at stake.

1:35PM… With a mix of sun and clouds and the temperature around 33 degrees, the Buffalo Sabres have taken to the ice for their outdoor practice in preparation for tomorrow’s Winter Classic. Defenseman Brian Campbell led the team on the ice, all the players wearing their classic Sabres blue and gold jerseys. After several minutes giving the surface a feel, the players switched to their practice jerseys and commenced their paces.

Here’s an interesting factoid … the goaltenders for both teams have experience playing in large scale outdoor hockey games.Ryan Miller played for the Michigan State Spartans in the 2001 “Cold War” at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Miller started in goal that day, allowing three goals on 22 shots in 64:43 of playing time. He also earned an assist. Said Miller, “I think that cold does a lot more to you than you thin. Get one ofn those survival books, figure out what guys do to stay alive in the wild, I guess. You can get dehydrated very quickly in the wind and the cold, just the same way you can if it’s hot out. So you have to be aware of that, try and stay as warm as possible, get the core temperature up.”

Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin was the starting goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2003 Heritage Classic, allowing 4 goals on 23 shots in the 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Conklin added “Normally, I just wear long underwear underneath, but I had a full-body neoprene suit. It was an eighth inch, maybe three-sixteenth, thick like a diving suit. It did the trick. I wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought I was going to be.”

(Player quotes courtesy NHL Media)

Checking out the progress of work at Ralph Wilson Stadium this afternoon, there on the ice was Dan Craig, NHL Facilities Operations Manager and the guy in charge of this entire affair. But he wasn’t just on the ice - he laced up a pair of skates and was giving the surface he had built a whirl. “It felt good. We’re almost at the point we were in Edmonton four years ago at this time.”

The place is really taking shape. Walking into the stadium today, I was absolutely amazed at how they got this place tidied up, a far contrast from the dreck and mess in the concourses, ramps and seating bowl the other day. Crews are still dashing around the building getting ready for the big event. Down on the field, the ice has been painted, the glass is up, the zamboni is applying water and smoothing the ice. And now they’re actually trucking IN snow to give the field a neat cosmetic appearance.

Today’s 2PM daily briefing was a more crowded affair - media from national outlets and from other cities were in attendance, and joining Craig and Don Renzulli was NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, who was piped in to the briefing via teleconference from New York City.

Daly stated that this event can already be deemed a success, just for the buzz and enthusiasm that it has created across the USA and Canada. “Looking at the weather reports, I am confident that we will able to get this game in and on schedule” Daly reported.

I asked Daly who would be the ultimate arbiter of stopping the game in the event that the weather deteriorates in mid stream. “The final decision will be with the Commissioner (NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman), but this would be in consultation with the on ice officials, Dan (Craig) and the Players Association” Daly replied. Daly also stated that if the game encounters perfect weather conditions, the idea of a mid period stoppage to change sides might be scrapped, but that is not likely. He also stated that the 10 minute stoppage in the third will be a hard whistle at exactly the 10 minute mark, not the first break in play.

NHL Senior Veep Don Renzulli reported that today’s activity will entail bringing in snow and grooming the field to give a nice look. “They say we’re expecting 1-2 inches overnight and as far as I’m concerned that would be perfect.” The stage outside for the pregame concert is also under construction, and the events crew was loading music and graphics for the main video board and ribbon boards, and doing tests and dry runs.

Tomorrow the Sabres will practice at 1:30PM on the ice, followed by the Penguins later in the afternoon. So was any thought given to opening the practices to the public? “We considered it” Renzulli replied, but we estimated anywhere from 1000-20,000 fans might show up, and with everything else going on, felt that this might become too unwieldy.”

The stadium parking lots open roughly 40 hours from now, and while Commissioner Daly states that the league is considering doing such an event again, everyone involved can agree on one thing - in two days we will be taking part in an event that will be very special, very historic and something we will remember for the rest of our lives. Dan Craig is right - “We’re ready to play. Let’s go.” Let’s go indeed!