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It feels so good to watch another pro sports team, besides your very own, get “Homerun Throwback’d…, doesn’t it?
We, the robust, leather-throated, kicked-so-many-times-in-the-gut Buffalo sports have had to endure enough dejection, humiliation, and anxiety in two decades than most organizations have to encounter in one hundred years.
Wide Right.
No Goal.
Homerun Throwback.
Been there. Done that. Bought the t-shirts. Ingested anti-depressants afterwards.
#ButtGoal is a fate that is tailor-made and reserved exclusively for Sabres and Bills fans.
Not this time. The Coyotes now are forced to have to fly across three time zone, back to the desert, and will be forced to try to cleanse their collective palate of the acidic flavor of bile that will remain on their taste buds for the entire three day Christmas holiday. You and I know that nasty taste, don’t we? No amount of Prilosec OTC, nor mouthwash, or counseling can alleviate the pain and suffering associated with such a searing loss.
That which doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.
Pantsa Claus came to town on the even of Christmas Eve.
You saw him with your own two eyes.
Next time someone tells you that there is no such thing as Pantsa Claus, tell him to watch the last play of the Sabres-Coyotes dog fight from December 23.
Merry Christmas.
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Here's Mike Smith's postgame presser from the loser's locker room:
Check this out on Chirbit
Thanks, WalshTodd
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My press row neighbor Joe Yerdon of NHL.com and prohockeytalk.com, was in the Yotes locker room after the controversial 2-1 loss in Buffalo.
Mike Smith broke away from the standard cliches and spoke his mind about the officiating with relation to the gong show that led to Buffalo's OT GWG:
Smith on effort: "It's an honest game and if you don't play how you're supposed to play... you get it jammed right up your butt."
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdonPHT) December 24, 2013Mike Smith on OT goal: "I guess if they don't see the puck, they're supposed to blow the whistle. That's not what happened."
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdonPHT) December 24, 2013Suffice to say, Smitty won't be sending Christmas cards to the refs and linesmen who he feels wronged him in Buffalo.
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A wilder finish to a game you'll never see.
PHOTO: Mike Smith backs into the net with the puck in his pants for #Sabres GWG. #puckinthepants #buttgoal (@BWipp) pic.twitter.com/ucskGv0tJh
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 24, 2013Poor Mike Smith. In the OT period, game tied 1-1, Sabres D Mark Pysyk pinched down the wall in pursuit of a loose puck to the left of Mike Smith's crease. The Coyotes goalie poke checked the puck away from Pysyk and in so doing, made the puck pop straight up into the air. In a bizarre twist of fate, Smith turned to skate back to his crease when the airborne puck landed inside his goalie pants. Inside his pants, I said! Unbeknownst to Smith and Martin Hanzal and his D Rusty Klesla, the puck was in the seat of tehelie's pants. he returned to his net and his butt crossed the goal line. After the oddball play was reviewed, the referee wasted little time giving Buffalo the good goal. It was an OT GWG for Pysyk, who was recalled from AHL Rochester on Sunday.
Give the primary assist to Smitty's butt cheeks!
Merry Christmas, Buffalo!
More Miller on the winning goal: "A little Christmas gift for us, we'll take it." #sabres #puckinthepants
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 24, 2013More Miller on the winning goal: "A little Christmas gift for us, we'll take it." #sabres #puckinthepants
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 24, 2013In the second period, The Sabres were stiffed by the refs early in the game when 6'6" Martin Hanzal tipped this puck past Miller. From my eye, it looks like Hanzal's stick was above the crossbar when he made contact with puck. After a long review, Toronto called it a good goal. "Inconclusive" me arse!
Bunk!
With six minutes remaining in regulation the Girgensons-Ennis-Moulson line drove the Yotes crazy in the end. Puck possession. Ennis scored the game tying goal.
Video Courtesy Sabres.com
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All hail, King Zemgus.
Thanks, sabres.com
So, the Buffalo Sabres were infected with a nasty flu bug in Boston on Saturday. Ted Nolan cancelled practice on Sunday. On Monday, 5 guys missed practice. Consequently, the Sabres could only ice 16 skaters vs. Phoenix, 9 forwards and 6 D.
Ted Nolan was forced to skate 15 players thanks to Drew Stafford's five minute major and game misconduct for burying a selfish elbow to the squash of Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Midway through the second period, Ekman-Larsson shoved Stafford into the glass. The none to pleased Stafford went to retrieve a puck from the corner when he threw and ugly elbow that caught Ekman-Larsson in the face. The Yotes D hit the deck and Stafford hit the showers. earlier than anticipated.
Stafford was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. Ekman-Larsson returned to the bench after he was observed by the Yotes team trainer.
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Team USA's men's hockey management team is holding its collective breath right now as news of Zach Parise's lower body injury begins to circulate. Parise has 15 goals and 27 points this season. He's been Minnesota's best offensive player. He's said to have been walking with a limp for the past couple of weeks. Is it a foot? An ankle?
Zach Parise will miss tonight's #mnwild game due to lower body injury
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 23, 2013
Parise will be a scratch in Philly.
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The Sabres caught a nasty flu bug in Boston on Saturday night. Ted Nolan cancelled Sunday's practice due to the rampant flu infection in the room
Line for Monday night's game vs. Phoenix will be mangled as for our forwards are out with the flu bug. Kevin Porter was placed on IR on Monday afternoon. Cody McCormick is on IR for next 4-6 weeks.
The Sabres are playing only 9 forwards vs. Phoenix.
The reason:
No extra bodies in Pegulaville today.
The Rochester Amerks departed for the Spengler Cup in Switzerland today. They begin the tourney on Boxing day.
No Omark,Foligno, Leino and Sulzer for the warm-ups per @BillHoppeNHL
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) December 23, 2013
Johan Larsson was recalled from Rochester as was D Mark Pysyk.
Necessity being the mother of invention, Big John Scott playing D.
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Not great news for the Florida Panthers. Their top D man, 21 year old Erik Gudbranson (3rd overall 2010 entry draft) had successful surgery today. He will be out of the lineup indefinitely.
Florida Panthers Executive VP/General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that D Erik Gudbranson underwent successful surgery on his orbital bone today in Boca Raton, after being injured on Friday, Dec. 20 at Winnipeg.
Gudbranson plays 19-20 minutes TOI per game and loves to hammer the opponent's top players with heavy body checks. He will be sorely missed from the Panthers lineup while he recovers from surgery.
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