April 12th 2011

It really is unbelievable what we achieved this year. Going from bottom of the league into the playoffs – that’s something not a lot of people thought we could do. After Derek went down with his injury we got together as a team and proved to all the nay-sayers that we can be and are better than what the standings were showing. Everybody stepped their game up, beginning from the goalie all the way up to the forwards. We can also be proud of our rookies who had a steep learning curve and were chipping in at quite a high rate. Last but not least: Our new owner, Terry Pegula, really gave us the belief to achieve great things.

The spirit in our dressing room is just great right now. We know we can do some damage this season. We believe in the Stanley Cup. For me that was always the goal, the only goal. I really want to get that cup.

The playoff-series against the Flyers will be tough but also a lot of fun. Of course, we have to try and get a road win right from the bat. That’s not going to be easy as their building is always very loud and there’s kind of a heated atmosphere. We know that they will come at us hard to get the momentum, but I’m not really worried. They put their money on Chris Pronger, but I’ve been having great battles with a guy like Zdeno Chara for years now right in front of the crease. And he’s even bigger than Pronger. Yes, there is respect for the Flyers, but nobody in our room is afraid and nobody has to be. We’ve been a top 3-team since the beginning of the year.

We might have a slight advantage in having to battle for the playoff-spot for months now. Nearly every game was like a game seven for us. Last year it was different. Then, we were cruising into the post-season having locked up the playoff-spot weeks before. It’s tough to play against a team then that’s been fighting for its life and comes into the postseason firing on all cylinders.

The slight injury I suffered against the Flyers in the last game doesn’t really bother me anymore. It wasn’t so bad and it’ll be no problem when the series starts on Thursday. That’s just to put an end to any possible speculation.

Personally, I’m quite ok with my regular season. I guess I became a more complete player compared to the last years and I seem to be peaking right at the perfect time. Getting the honors for First Star of the Week from the NHL is nice, but doesn’t really count once the puck drops on Thursday. The “A” on my breast is nice. It goes to show that you matured as a player and got heard. I can now help our younger players with my experience. I’m not one to become loud in the dressing room, but when things need to be addressed, I’ll do that.

Our game plan against the Flyers isn’t much of a secret, because I guess we won’t have to change our style of play from the last weeks. It worked out quite fine for us and I think it’ll work fine in the playoffs. Our chances are there. The most important thing was to get into the postseason. Now, all bets are off and everything is possible – as much of a cliché that might be. The best example are the Flyers who showed last year how far you can go – even as a no. 8 seed.

One last thing regarding our start in Europe next season: That’s really great and I’m really looking forward to that. A lot of friends and family will come to Germany and I guess a lot of our Austrian fans will also make the trip to Berlin. It’s not that far away from Austria.

QFT so I don't have to listen to the argument that their uptick in performance was purely coincidental again.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I'm really glad Vanek keeps up on his blog. Love peering into his brain.

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mechaphil

oops

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

I love Vanek's blog, he always has something interesting to say.


Yep...

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Not that it matters.

Remember, message board trolls know more about what's going on than the players do. Geez!

There's some grey area with that whole new ownership thing, that I think is a little misleading. It's a fact that the team banded together and started to turn their season around months before the ownership change, but they had started to coast a little and then, He, happened and things got awesome again. Even more awesome. And even awesomer yet to come. Totally.

But anyways when somebody says that the "new owner had nothing to do with the turn around" they aren't entirely wrong, but to deny that Mr. Pegula has had a positive effect on the team is laughable.

BTW I love that he maintains a blue collar image, as evident by his z-tag sneakers and jacket for the season awards ceremony. Start carving the Pegula statue now, and then make another.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

When the players and coach says Pegula has had a positive effect, then he's had a positive effect.

Anyone who says anything else is full of shit.

Yep. How many people can say they like their boss?

I'm sure most days are pretty good when you're a pro athlete. The only bad day if you're a Sabre seems to be if you're out of the lineup.

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If your having goal problems, I feel bad for ya son....we got 99 problems but Vanek ain't one!

How much yinz wanna bet that Pronger says something to Vanek about this on the ice and then in the media too. Yeah, his ego is insanely needy.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

How much you wanna bet Vanek draws a couple penalties off Pronger's shenanigans?

Now that Vanek's getting the street cred he's deserved for a good while now...the calls will start coming.

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If your having goal problems, I feel bad for ya son....we got 99 problems but Vanek ain't one!

Nice. Post an honest dissenting opinion about who deserves the lion's share of the credit for the turnaround, defend that opinion, and get labeled a troll by a mod. And God forbid anyone (*gasp*) not take entirely literally what TV or Lindy says on a blog or to the media during a feel-good time.

My primary point was only that I witnessed a team digging really deep and turning itself around with hard, hard work from good coaches, veterans, and rookies coming into their own, building their own confidence, with a secondary and minor boost from new ownership along the way, and that a new owner barely 6 weeks into his reign isn't having a huge impact in turning a bunch of pretenders into contenders. On the contrary, I think Terry has done exactly what you'd want a new owner to do - endear himself to the fans and community, stay in the background, learn the team, surround himself with good people, and not rock the boat in the middle of the season, especially in the midst of a good run. He'd probably be the first one to say that what's happening now isn't about him at all.

If that opinion makes me a troll who's FOS, well, there's not much else to say.

Apologies Squanto if your sarcasm wasn't directed at me...

Paranoid much?

I wasn't addressing you specifically, just the penchant for people on the internets to think they have more of a clue about what's going on down there than the people actually involed do.

Ha he said A on his breast.

Jk it was a good blog post and I'm looking forward to his effort to push us farther.

I'm betting that had to do with the translation, I'm pretty sure he writes his entries in German first and then it gets translated into English.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

right you are, and it's already fixed

That's you that handles his website?

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mechaphil

yes

srsly?

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bsltly

wouldn't have come out with this normally, but that mistake was so plain embarrasing I couldn't resist
let's just leave it at that...