Finally Another Sabres Win

Perhaps my theory of tough love does have its merits (the bench looks a little cold, go warm it up). A win over Dallas last night was something the Sabres (and fans) needed. Most of the players looked solid and there were some beautiful moves. And I mean beautiful. I especially liked the double pass (the give and go) between Vanek and Roy for the second and winning goal of the game. It was beautiful! Bada bing, bada bam, bada boom. I think Derek Roy has found his sweet spot.

Another beautiful move was Vanek's redirect in the second period. No, it didn't count due to highsticking but it was beautiful, nonetheless. To be able to deflect a shot, in mid-air, going about 80-90 mph, with your back to the goal, and to have the puck go in...amazing. Now that's the Vanek we know. The Roy-Vanek-Stafford line has been working really well.

Even Andrew Peters got some action too, puck and fists. You gotta love Petey for his tenacity and ability to take punches. I don't care if he doesn't get the majority of the take downs, he's a scapper and I like scappers.

Dallas is a very physical, hard hitting team, like most of the west coast teams. The Sabres rely on speed and skill. So, it was really good to see the players finishing their checks and pushing back. Sometimes a little push (or push back) makes a huge difference in winning and losing. Stealing away the puck as much as they did didn't hurt either.

Jochen Hecht made a game saving move by poking the puck from Mike Ribeiro’s possession during the last heart stopping minute of the game. Right in front of Miller. You can see the relief on Miller's face when the buzzer went off. I even thought I heard God say "you're welcome" when I thanked him.

I've not written off the play-offs just yet. But if the team doesn't continue to play the remaining of the games like they did last night or the game against Atlanta, I'm going to bench my jersey for the season.

Have a wonderful weekend. Eat well, stay dry, and remember the all-star game is on Sunday, Versus at 3 pm PST. There's no football so why not watch some hockey?