Continuing the stream of consciousness style for this review.

Pregame-

Phew. Was getting the Devils' feed for a minute there (Drive!). Glad to see the Sabres' feed pick up.

No. No. Damn it, it is the Devils' feed.

Wait, they said they're picking up audio from RJ and Harry Neale!

1st Period-

Great chance on the first shift. Nice forecheck by Hecht and great passing. Myers with a nice hit in the defensive zone.

Good second shift as well. Great forecheck by Mac. Pommers back to the point. The General puts another one home on the second chance! He is playing consistent so far this season.

Emerick just pronounced Roy's name as “Wah”.

Ellis and Kaleta combine for a strong chance from behind the net. That's three straight good shifts to start. And Myers jumps up on the play early. Grier just missed the saucer pass to the front from Hecht. They're looking real good so far.

Staff hard to the net, but not much there. Just saw Rivet was the one with the point shot on Mac's goal.

Ew, Mottau just walked off the wall to the slot uncontested.

2 on 1! Oh, Vanek feeds Staff and a scramble in front.

Gaustad just got buried.

Nice forecheck. Goal! Kennedy! How did that go in?! Oh, Marty, Timmy just caught you napping. So glad to see Kennedy pot that first one. He's had it coming for a while now.

Another good shift by Connolly's line. Guys are playing the dump and chase to a T. Their speed and tenacity on the forecheck is giving New Jersey fits.

Miller finally has to come up with a tough stop on the deflection. That baby was going between a pad and his blocker. Miller's kryptonite in years past.

Side boobs during the break.

Another nice chance out front.

2 on 1 the other way. Not sure if Miller got a piece of it or if Langenbrunner missed.

3 on 2 now, and the D force an easy save from the outside.

Hecht drives from the outside uncontested. White lays the late hit on Kennedy after the offsides. That's a head shot, too. That ought to at least be a penalty, if not a suspension. No call. Unbelievable.

Montador all alone on the forecheck finally gets the puck through the crease with two Sabres in the area.

Devils seem to be getting more pressure in this latter part of the first period.

Oh, and it's not RJ and Harry like Doc Emrick said it'd be. Fuck. I miss RJ.

Mac has been ferocious on the forecheck.

Kaleta with the steal and walks out into 3 defenders for a good chance.

Miller is gobbling up all rebounds like a fat Alabama couple at a Sizzler. The guys in front of him are clearing out all the garbage.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?

2nd Period-

Hecht with the nice defensive stickwork after a couple Buffalo giveaways in the defensive zone.

19-41-55 look very good 5 on 5. Another shot got through with 2 players going hard to the net. They look dangerous most shifts, unlike the top line, who don't seem to generate any chances.

Devils PP. Did Goose take that on the O zone? A good call, he got the arm. And Grier with the clear. That rhymes when you say it out loud, but typed it doesn't look like it. Myers with the nice poke and it's down the ice again for a trademark Pominville blast.

Dang, nice puck movement there and Jersey gets a PP goal. Roy, that's your guy. Miller read it, but just didn't get out high enough, I guess. Nice shot by Green.

Miller with the sweet kick save on the turnaround in the slot.

Goose, Kaleta and Ellis with a strong forecheck. That was a very long shift of sustained possession.

Close call on a partial block. Miller forced to stay strong. Devil tries to walk out in front and is closed off nicely.

Paetsch draws the penalty chasing down the puck in the D zone. Not a smart play by the Jersey forward.

I wish I were the Dos Equis guy. It would be neat to be the most interesting man in the world. Or I suppose I would consider myself very lucky if the feeble efforts of my lifetime would someday be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they would be acknowledged as the greatest works of genius ever created by Man.

Not really happy to see Pominville on the point again. Early PP work is pretty poor. Puck keeps going to NJ players with time to make the play. They're having real trouble getting it set up. Boy, those are some real backhanded compliments for Vanek. “The thing I like about Vanek is you don't really notice he's out there every shift.” Yeah, also, I love your mother because she's so unattractive.

Myers with a slick move at the point. Seriously, he's a rookie?

Goose ties up Parise at the doorstep.

Good NJ shift, and the Sabres are just standing around watching. Get some happy feet.

Miller with a great read on the backdoor play on what looked to be a rush that was not dangerous.

Myers with another strong play at the point, this time taking the puck up the wall to avoid the pressure from the forward.

Strong play by Pominville to escape across the blueline and draw the penalty. Time to get back some momentum.

Emrick just made the slug/Trump hair comparison.

Pomminville with a broken stick and it's 2 on 1 (and a half) the other way. Pommers breaks it up with a skate. Nice play, but get him off the point!

Another listless PP.

Miller coming up big in the waning seconds of the period with 3 defensive zone faceoffs.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?

3rd Period-

You know, I love Sabres hockey, but it's just not as exciting with someone else's call of the game. Emrick might be good at what he does and might be well respected, but he just seems so bland after years of RJ.

Mac with a great telegraph steals the puck. Connolly with a slick dragging of the puck, and it turns into... nothing.

Grier with a great chance going hard to the net. Kennedy with the feed and a good scoring chance.

Top line with a good shift in the offensive zone, but no real great chances. Vanek took a couple of turnaround shots that never got a shot on goal.

Kaleta with the sliding block.

Linesman waited waaaaay too long to call off that icing. The defenseman was barely coasting to chase that dribbling puck.

Miller was out of position for the wraparound try that came through the crease. Covered up the puck out of the scrum in front. Sabres are back on their heels a little bit. Hope they don't think they can play prevent defense to hang on to this 1 goal lead.

Great forecheck by the fourth line, and Goose! Great work and pass by Ellis to feed the Big Bird on the doorstep. That's a huuuuuuuge-uh goal. That's the second really nice assist I've seen Ellis feed this year. And it's good to see Buffalo again rolling 4 lines that can score. Seriously, take away the power play, and I think our 2nd and 4th lines have been our most effective offensively. Kaleta's got a couple. Goose has a couple. Ellis has one.

What have Vanek, Roy and Stafford done 5 on 5? Not much, in my mind. Staff's got a few, and Vanek's got a couple, but I think at least 2 of those goals are PP goals.

Wow. Brodeur just got blitzed by Pominville. I see on the replay Marty flopped a bit, but still a good call. And NJ with a chance at the other end on the delayed penalty.

There's Hecht's speed on the PK that I remember,taking it out wide to get a step. Miller with a couple big saves thus far on the PK. Another delayed call and Miller comes up big as the original penalty expires.

Grier with the block to get out of the zone. Mike earns his pay on the PK alone. Pominville with good pressure up high and another clear is the (eventual) result. All right, Too Many Men to cancel out the PK.

Once again, can't get control in the zone on the PP. Oh, how I miss the units coached by Scott Arniel. Miller forced to come up huge short handed!

Another PP coming up. Remember the old days where we joked about the Sabres asking to decline the PP? Sometimes this season I still feel that way.

Goal! Pominville at the top of the circle with a blast. Better there than the point. And his stick didn't snap. Go figure.

A little Buffa-love from the NJ color announcer.

A 3 goal lead with 2 minutes to go, and it looks like both teams are sort of going through the motions, just trying to play this one out. This would be prime Satan time.

Come on, guys, kill this last 1:11 on the PK and maintain your great defensive streak. Miller holds strong on the scrum at the doorstep. Good grief, another penalty. Come on, guys, stonewall 'em, for pride! And a clear! Keep it up, boys. All right, forcing the offside. Great work. Another offside. Great tenacity.

How about this: Buffalo is allowing fewer than 2 goals a game. Miller's stats are stellar. The team is winning. They're not lapsing toward the end of games. They're not stumbling out of the gate. Ice time and scoring is spread along all 4 lines. Guys filling in for injuries are performing well. The only questions I really have are in regard to Lalime, the special teams, and Sekera.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?

As usual Ham, on the money. I can't believe our stats for the beginning of the season. Hoping they keep this pace up (or remotely close to it) for an extended period of time You have the same questions as I do. We really have faltered on the PP but are pretty tight on the PK. Shakera needs to be sent to Portland...

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Great review, thanks. I was watching the game but I was at a friend's house carving pumpkins, so I wasn't watching as intently as I usually do.

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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

I agree Ham, great review and spot on. I also agree with your statement on the Vanek, Roy, Stafford line. For a scoring line 1 I haven't seen consistent pressure from that line game in and game out. Somethings not right there. But all in all, this teams depth on the roster has been one hell of a pleasant surprise, I still want Hecht gone, even though he's playing great hockey right now. Its a memory thing of his past performances, but hey, He's shown up this season...........So far

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

Well ham, I do love your game reviews, no matter what form they come in.

But...I do have to cast my vote for the old style, a bit more organized, not stream of consciousness-y.
Just tossin my two cents in in case you're seeking feedback.

Spot on again Ham.

The things I might add -

I think Vanek could have buried that puck in the first, rather than trying to get it to Stafford - looked like Martin was cheating pretty hard towards Stafford.

I liked the way Grier, Montador and all came to the defense of Kennedy when he got roughed up - haven't seen enough of that since Rayzor left.

Has anything ever been mentioned on these boards about Poms breaking sticks?

Great game all in all

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"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young