fire bucky gleason, shameless 180 edition

So, with the Sabres' hot start, you can imagine the bandwagon is starting to pick folks up. It might as well start following a few NFTA routes. Which is fine, I really have no problem with fair weather fans. Plus, as more people get excited, the more fun it is around these parts. This is why Buffalo fans long for 2006 and 2007: the excitement level was through the roof. Especially when the team started, like, 43-0.

You're probably asking, then, why are you guys so grouchy? Again, my psychic abilities aside, it's because local gasbags spent all offseason harping on how thoroughly pathetic this team was. If you might recall, Bucky insinuated not very long ago that the Sabres did not have playoff talent, while the Canadiens and Senators do.

And, as you might recall, other folks got fed up and started a blog to try and clear up the mess about how close the Sabres really were and how stupid it would've been to resign guys like, to pick one at random, Chris Drury.

So, now we're certainly going to call shenanigans when certain sportswriters demonstrate their "short" memories. And by "short," here I mean "non-existant."

michael.w guest appears again, I insert my rapist's wit as appropriate.

The Bufalo Sabres would be quick to say that it's a tad too early for anyone to start preparing Delaware Avenue for its first Stanley Cup parade. No matter how impressive they have looked over the first eight games, they haven't lost sight of the fact that another 74 remain between now and April.

Translation: I will be quick on the trigger to lambaste this team for sucking because I disagreed with each and every offseason move the Sabres made. Moreover, every player that signed with a team not named Sabres is a sure fire Hall of Famer that the Sabres either neglected to go after, or refused to sign with the Sabres because the Sabres front office sucks.

[Ed's Note: How's Spacek working out in Montreal? Five points in 13 games, and none on the power play? Oh.]

Coach Lindy Ruff has continued to emphasize the positive. He reiterated after another crisp practice Monday how his players are buying into the system.

Thank you for the quotes from players to verify this.

Their workouts have been more upbeat and productive.

Thanks for the evidence to back this up.

For reasons not entirely clear, their 6-1-1 record this year seems stronger than the 6-0-2 start last season, when they sprinted from the gate and stumbled down the stretch.

No doubt, it is surprising that he got this far before he mentioned the stumble down the stretch. Incidentally, the Sabres were 7 -3 in their final 10 games last year, including winning their final three. How is that a "stumble," but more importantly, that took me approximately 7 seconds to find.

[Ed's Note: We need to clear up this stumble "down the stretch." The Sabres were 4-2-1 in April. They were 6-5-1 in March, dealing with an injury to their starting goaltender. So, in the last two months of the season (not exactly a small sample size) they were 10-7-2. Not great, but not a "stumble." The Sabres stumbled in November (5-7-1) and February (5-6-2), when they were dealing with an injury to their leading goal scorer. I feel better now.]

The big difference?

It could be that a few moves that appeared to be tweaks going into the season are actually having a major impact.

Nice work glossing over this subject. All offseason, these moves that "appeared to be tweaks" were the worst moves any team, in all of sports, ever. Now they have are having "a major impact." Why the change?

[Ed's Note: Because the Sabres are playing well and he can't deny it.]

Mike Grier, Steve Montador, Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy individually are a role player, a journeyman sixth defenseman and two prospects. Together, they addressed areas of desperate need and helped create a better vibe.

Translation: Mike Grier, Steve Montador, Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy individually are a man I have ridiculous mancrush on, a journeyman sixth defensman, and two men I have scary to the point of potentially requiring restraining order mancrushes on. Together, they allow me to use two pukey sports cliches in one sentence.

"It's hard to explain," Ruff said. "That group of guys, they deserve a lot of credit. You've got stronger voices, stronger personalities in Grier and Montador. It's always fun to have a couple of young guys. They've been kidded a lot. They've been brought in and been accepted. Winning makes things fun. Let's not kid ourselves."

Grier, of course, is no stranger to Buffalo. He played a key leadership role in his first stint with the Sabres, which ended in their first of two consecutive trips to the conference finals. He left to sign a three-year deal with San Jose and was re-hired to provide a much-needed attitude adjustment.

Grier, of course, is also no stranger to having a paragraph full of sports cliches showered upon him by local sports columnists.

The 13-year veteran immediately assumed his place among the dressing-room hierarchy and already has scored two critical goals, netting the only one in Nashville and adding the tying tally late in the second period in a win over Tampa.

Ah-ha! Not sufficient that we merely learn that he scored two critical goals. After all, what do goals have to do with winning hockey games? We need to ensure that "dressing-room hierarchy" (why is there a hyphen?) be added to ensure we continue the cliche parade. Can we keep it going?

"He's just awesome," said Kennedy, the South Buffalo native and former Michigan State star. "He's a great guy on the ice, a great guy off the ice, he keeps the locker room laughing, he's a great teammate. ... His approach to the game is the same every day. He comes in and works hard in every drill, every shift we're out there together. He's just a great guy to watch."

Thanks to Tim Kennedy, and multiple cliches in the quotes, we have an emphatic YES!!!!!!! So where do we go from here, more cliches, or some Bucky man-crush writing?

[Ed's Note: Why do we have to hear about how Tim Kennedy is from South Buffalo EVERY FUCKING TIME you write about him? The fact that he's from South Buffalo is a nice human interest column during a slow period. Right now, all you need to do is talk about how he's playing for the Sabres.]

Kennedy has played well for his hometown

[Ed's Note: GODDAMMIT!!!!]

team with Grier and Jochen Hecht on his flank on the third line. Kennedy is still looking for his first NHL goal, which will come if he maintains the consistency he has shown the past three weeks. He has three assists and has created at least a dozen scoring chances in eight games.

YES!! No cliches, but we were able to get a nice reference to the fact that Tim Kennedy, apparently is from around here. Not that we have ever heard that before. Also, Chris Drury won the Little League World Series, and Citizen's Bank Park is "hitter friendly." I figured I would add those two little know, little discussed sports factoids.

His coach and teammates are more impressed with his gritty style and play in the defensive zone. He unexpectedly jumped into a play and shook the puck loose for Grier against Tampa and sacrificed his body for Grier in Nashville. He's been effective in the corners and shown no sign that he's intimidated.

Wow! How many cliches can we find in this paragraph? "Gritty style" "Sacrificed his body" "effective in the corners" "no sign that he's intimidated" Three sentences, four cliches. Nice.

"Timmy has been great," Grier said. "He sees the ice very well, he plays both ends of the rink well and he battles and competes as well as anyone on our team. I don't think that's what people realize. But he sticks his nose in there, has a good edge to him, doesn't take anything from anyone and doesn't back down."

[Ed's Note: Once again, I'm going to have to edit this. In light of Bucky's insistence on telling us about where these guys are from this should read:
"Grier, the Detroit native and former Boston University star, said."]

OK, did Bucky give these guys a cliche handbook to read from, or did he just make up quotes full of his (Bucky's) cliches and attribute them to the players.

Myers has been at the center of the lovefest for good reason. The 6-foot-8 newbie has played like he's been in the league for eight years rather than eight games while adding size and stability to the blue line. Myers is third among D-men in ice time, has two goals and five points, leads the Sabres with a plus-8 rating and scored the winner in a shootout against Tampa.

Otherwise, he's been horrible.

[Ed's Note: Buckyperbole. I know the "he's been horrible" is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but did you see Myers get schooled by Maxim Afinogenov?? Once more: Max made Myers look foolish. That was a pretty horrible play.]

Ruff adhered to the company line Monday, giving the appearance the Sabres are dithering about Myers' future, but he's not going anywhere. Hiccups are expected this season but the 19-year-old will be among the candidates for rookie of the year if he maintains his current pace.

Translation: Tyler Myers is at the center of my own love fest, and if any of you don't want to join me, you're stupid. Also, I had, just had to throw in the "company line" shot because come on, I wasn't going to write an entire column about the Sabres and be all positive.

"The two younger guys are playing outstanding," center Tim Connolly said. "They're doing a lot of little things that maybe you don't notice. Tyler Myers has scored some big goals and made some big plays, but he's also making good plays coming out of the zone. Timmy Kennedy has been doing a great job playing both ends of the arena."

[Ed's Note: "center Tim Connolly, the Syracuse native and former Erie Otters star, said."]

Again, a player spewing cliches for Bucky. At least this article contains "quotes" from three separate players.

Montador was hired mainly to add toughness, but he also brought experience and intelligence. He spent his first seven seasons with Calgary, Florida, Anaheim and Boston before signing with the Sabres. He has gained respect from his teammates for his worth ethic and ability to adapt to new partners.

Montador played on the third pairing with Andrej Sekera and Toni Lydman before both were sidelined with injuries. He played in Tampa with Nathan Paetsch. He has one assist, but the statistics don't show how many times he's covered up for his partners' mistakes.

Montador was hired mainly so that I could write cliche after cliche after cliche about him.

Four new faces, a huge difference.

And by huge difference, I mean no difference. I get to write articles full of cliches and spew my love about guys from South Buffalo. And if you don't know, if player comes from South Buffalo, he is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

"It makes for a different flavor," Montador said. "I'm not saying anything in the past wasn't working, but Mike Grier is one of the best guys in hockey. The two young kids who came in have great attitudes. I like to see myself fitting right in here. Mix that with guys that were already here, and you have some good stuff going on."

[Ed's Note: "Montador, the Vancouver native and former North Bay Centennials star, said."]

OK, I got nothing for this.