Game 9
Buffalo Sabres (3-4-1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (4-3-0)
Saturday, October 26, 1:00 pm
The Crossroads, Buffalo, New York

The last time I wrote, Buffalo had just come off a dismal performance against Columbus, and was desperately looking to post a victory against Chicago after a road trip that still left the fans dazed and confused. Here again, the panic button had not been pushed as of yet, but our fingers were perilously dangling over the ominous red buzzer that we all know too well. We had seemed to eradicate the scoring issues from the nightmare in Prague that terrified us more than Freddy Ralph Krueger, but the defensive collapses and porous effort in our own end seemed to be the script of a new horror movie altogether. Whatever impetus, you have to transcend the fear and rise from your hiding place. Sometimes it just takes a stupid play, or a brilliant one, that seizes the moment of a game and shifts momentum for upcoming contests. Our Sabres just had not been able to put it all together, and we all were feeling the presence of something evil lurking under the surface of the ice. Well, hockey is a strange game, and teams can get on track just as quickly as things can fall apart. Escaping the bogeyman against the Hawks with a workman like effort brought our boys home with a sigh of relief. They decided to come out from under the bed and got a win that they had to have. Do I think that we have found our way out of the woods? No, I do not, but beating the Dallas Stars three days later sure helped to put things into perspective and gives us hope that we might be able to escape the demon of plunging to the bottom of the standings before December 1st. It is time to dig deep and not dig our grave. If it takes garlic to ward off the vampire of despair, then put it in your jock strap and skates. Whatever it takes, we hope that our team at this point is ready to chase the ghosts of seasons past. Enjoy these highlights from Tuesday night and have no fright. Owen Power was out of sight.



I sense some maturity growing in this kid. Bring some more physicality and he could turn out to be exactly what we hoped for. This interview was very encouraging to me.



So, it is not all puppy dogs and rainbows. I have to reel in the praise. We still need to be more-stingy at the end of the third period and our power play is still gruesome. Our second line is non-existent. Cozens and Quinn might as well be zombies. They barely have contributed to the score sheet and haven’t had any chemistry. To put it simply, they don’t look like themselves and it is scary concerning. Did Razor bite their necks while they were sleeping in the Czech Republic? Do they miss their mummy? I know it might be witchful thinking but whatever it is one of them better snap out of it quick. Creep it real boys and find that out of body experience that brings us to our feet. Get possessed. I am afraid if you don’t turn it around you will hurt us in the long run for sure. Don’t let our recent success be an apparition.

All kidding aside, the Red Wings come into Buffalo riding a three game win streak and are starting to play well, so Saturday’s afternoon tilt should be challenging. Getting to the five hundred mark would be a moral victory, and an excellent opportunity give us confidence going into our second meeting against Florida on Monday. The building should be full, and it is imperative to seize the chance to impress the fans. Too many times in the past there have been ideal situations like this and we have failed. If we truly are a different organization, and want to have any credibility, these are the times that it must be proven.

Congratulations to Tage, Tuch, and JJ for getting it together and producing after a slow start. This is what you expect to get from your top players, and they have seemed to find their way at even strength. If we can just figure out the man advantage we could be on our way to relevance. Also, nice to see McLeod getting results. It is a great surprise and we all obviously hope it continues. It’s hard not to love this guy, he is fun to watch.

Thanks, and go Sabres. Hopefully we see a victory and a lot of ghouls for the home team against Detroit.

Shout out to the Foreign Exchange leader, his family, friends, and crew, for descending on the arena for my families' cause. You truly are good people. May the laughter be as great as the bonding experience, and hopefully your energy brings us two points.

Brad Lohr
Aka: Lumberhacks

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