Sabres Penguins preview

Well its the 4th matchup this year, so its the last time you'll see these teams play unless its in the playoffs. I'm sure the Sabres like this because they can ramp up ticket prices. But the struggling Pens come in against a playing better Sabres team. They did this last year, only to come out of the Holidays, playing like crap and ruining their season. So I'll take current play with a grain of salt. Sometimes you just have to look at the big picture and still think its just a .500 hockey team nothing more nothing less.

Well since we've last met. The Penguins have gone 2-3 while the Sabres are 3-2. So not too much difference. Though people are calling the Pens struggling. Well losing 7-3 to the Leafs will do that. But this is the last game before Christmas. So I would expect a hard charging Pens team, and a Sabres team that um, uhhh, will show up on the ice. Whether they want to win or not, is up to them.

We know all the big guns for the Pens, Malkin, Crosby, Staal, Satan and Sykora. But they are still banged up on the blue line and Fleury is back but got yanked in the last one. So he's probably a little upset at himself. And the last thing the Sabres need is a determined netminder. But I'm sure Ryan Miller is back in net tonight after two straight solid starts. And Pat Kaleta does not have a concussion after his sucker punch from Dennis "I'm a dirty player" Gauthier. Hey has he gotten suspended yet? No? Shocking. The officials have seemed a little iffy against the Sabres of late. (yes thats a homer statement)

But anyway, it should be a good game. Its on "National" tv. Though its in the best two hockey markets, so Versus can trump their ratings. They probably would love 10 Sabre Penguin Games a year.

See you later

Sabres Pens preview (where I take on the Pens Blog)

I know I haven't done one of these for a week or so, but they get tiring and the Sabres aren't inspiring enough to preview these days. But I thought I get off the current trend and look into this game. A Versus game, which is nice I guess, but its not like "OOOOO National TV" its oh crap Versus announcers, wheres the Radio?

Anyhow.

I'd like to say a few things about the Pensblog. You know, the well know blog of Pens fans. Which was started 2006. You know when people in Pittsburgh discovered they had a hockey team. I saw the blog last year. I read it pretty often, as I do many blogs. But it was funny in its own way. But now its a bit, I don't know, horrible. They have several jokes. Calling players gay, Pensblog Charlie is a character that needs to go. Hey look we made a funny character, lets run him through the ground. Mine it for all its worth, then more and then make it annoying. You gotta know when to stop.

Calling players a joke. Ok they are a joke I get it. But its over the top fandom. Its the Jokeguins over everyone else. Oh, did you see what I did there. How funny!

I'm not entirely sure who writes the blog. But I feel its college kids. Have to be. Only college kids have time to write that much and create the worse photoshops ever. Half of them are gay related. Which means that sooner then later, the writing will fall off. Because they will have real lifes and have to get jobs. I bet they'll try to be real writers, but discover that they aren't very good writers and no one in their right mind would hire them. And will be working at the Eat N Park. Or you know being gay escorts. (See a gay joke, how clever. )

Onto the game.

Well the Sabres snapped a minor skid with a win in Tampa, which doesn't mean much, but every win helps at this point and who knows what could get them going. Pittsburgh has been pretty average of late, with a loss to Buffalo November 28th. They are 3-3 in their last 6 games. And since MAF got hurt, they are4-5. With John Curry and Danny Saborin switching up.

The Penguins are a two man show. Crosby and Malkin. Malkin with 43 points and Crosby with 40. The next in line is Satan with 20 points. Their defense isn't adept at scoring with Letang with 11 points, all assists and Alex Goligoski, finding the net 4 times. It appears to me, their defense is held back to protect the net. (Even though the goalies seem fine) But Gonchar, Whitney and Boucher are out injured. So to be fair they are banged up at the blue line. But their 2nd line forwards. Don't seem to give much. And now Tyler Kennedy is out. Their 4th leading scorer.

Of course this comes from a Sabre fan, where no lines are dependable scoring lines right now. So I'd love to have Stafford with 20 points. But anyway. Control the big 2 is the theme of the night. But at Pittsburgh, probably a tough order. Because they don't have the scoring touch right now to get into a shootout with Pens.

A win tonight would be great for the Sabres, it would get their season back on track with Tampa and Toronto coming in this week. Don't want HSBC all Blue and White on Friday. After Sunday that would be seriously depressing.

So lets go and beat those Jokes. Oooops. I mean Penguins.

Stanley Cup Preview

Here we go the finals. What as Hockey fans we all look forward to. We all hope at the end of the year that our team is in this spot in late May and for Detroit and Pittsburgh, they luck out by having their teams left standing after months of hockey. And for me this looks to be a great matchup. And with the Girlfriend in Ireland for the first 5 games. I'll have plenty of time to watch these games and be all in it. Plus all the season finales are done, except Lost. Before we get to the preview, we'll look back to see what I said about the previous series.

Pittsburgh 7, actual Pittsburgh in 5

Wings in 6, Hey dead on!

I was 2-0 in the conference finals to push me to 9-5 in the playoffs, with one to go. So looks like I'll be ending the playoffs with a winning record. But 10-5 is what I want. So lets look into these two teams and pick who will win.




Lets start with who I'm rooting for. The Penguins. I like the Penguins, they have a local boy on the roster, they are young and talented and just are fun to watch. But I'm not going to pick them to win. I'm going with Detroit. They are filled with experienced, great players and Osgood is playing as good as Fleury. Which means that the presidents trophy winning team will win the cup. And I think for Sabre fans is a sharp pain of what was lost last year.

Looking at who the Pens beat, their toughest matchup was in the 2nd round. The flyers weren't that good. Didn't show up and weren't the best preview for the up coming matchup with the Wings. While the Wings, had to play the scrappy Predators, demolished the Avs and beat a very good Stars team. That matchup is what makes me pick the Wings. The Stars are very tough and the wings won that series outright, no lucky bounces, just great play.

Its this that will lead the Wings over the Pens. Their defense is better and everything else is pretty much equal talent wise in my eyes. But with Ralfalski, Lidstrom and Chelios back there, I feel Osgood won't be tested that much.

Final Prediction Wings in 6

What? Mirtle picked the same thing? I'm gonna look like a copier. And his playoff record is the same as mine?

Winter Classic Preview

DROP.THE.PUCK

That is all I have to say, the Sabres have scored 1 goal in the past two games. And I'm pretty sure they were all looking forward to tomorrow afternoon. They were like, eh, were 5th in the conference, we were just hot no big deal. The energy they will feel will be amazing I bet. 70k+ cheering for them and the Lets Go Buff-a-lo chant, will be quite loud I bet. I just hope they can score so we can hear a goal horn.

Well there is a game I guess involved in all this and its a rematch from Saturday, where Ty Conklin shut out the Sabres? What, how? I missed the game, and from the recap I'm glad I did.

"We just seemed to lack any jump throughout the team," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I don't know if it was the amount of games or playing back-to-back, but it was almost a collective push. ... It was an effort tonight that lacked a lot of energy."

That to me sounds like a team, not caring and just wanting to get through a game they feel as meaningless. Its something I think we feared that the team would kinda go through the motions til New Years. And just want to come out flying on National TV. I think we'll get some effort come Tuesday. 2 days off. Big game. Loud crowd. We'll see the Sabres we saw during the Flyers games.

Well we'll see the same two teams this time and I'm guessing Miller and Conklin in nets, with Conklin winning his last 4 games and he has experience in these types of games. So outdoor NHL games means Ty Conklin in net. But Ryan Miller played in one in college. So not so fast Ty on the advantage.

The game itself is hard to really predict what will happen. Will the wind play a factor, will there be snow to deal with. Who knows. Who handles the cold better, will speed be negated and it will just be a slow game. Or will wind aid speed and guys go faster then normal. Hard to predict. But it should be fun and good to watch on tv. At the stadium, it might be interesting, with people going, wow hockey rinks are small. I think I'll know where I'll be but who knows, it could change. But I know I'll watch it since there is nothing else on. And stuff is closed on New Years Day.

I hope the Sabres win and in fact blow out the Penguins, which I doubt will happen, the NHL doesn't want a blowout, they would love a 6-5 shootout. And so would I.

Enjoy everyone.