Gaustad in '09, The Amazingness of Air Hockey, and More Than a Feeling

I am currently very disheartened. I just got finished vote for the fourth time for the NHL All-Star game and only Ryan Miller is on the leader's list for the Sabres and he's fifth for the goal tenders! Teppo, Roy, and Vanek aren't even on the leader's list! My plan is to keep voting through out the day and all the way through until the polls close, but I can't do it alone. Sabres fans need to vote often. Since, I have never been one to keep quiet about who I am voting for (everyone obviously new who I was voting for in the Presidential election), so I'm going to state who I'm voting for inthe NHL All-Star ballot. Obviously the four Sabres chosen, Miller, Teppo, Vanek, and Roy, but for the rest of the Eastern Conference I did write-ins. I wrote in Paul Gaustad as the other forward and Nathan Paetsch as the other defenseman. Why you may ask? Because being a die-hard Sabres fan, I can't vote for other teams other than the Sabres unless absolutely necessary (like the western conference teams, Sabres players weren't an option) and I feel the Sabres players are the only ones who qualify to NHL All-Stars. Now choosing which Sabres players to write-in, that was the hard part. I was going to go with Pominville as my forward write-in, but then Goose came to mind. Defiantly both worthy candidates for being NHL All-Stars, both hard working, kind, good looking, tremendous hockey players, great leaders, respectful, it made it very hard for me to choose which one to write in. The reason I opted for Goose is because well he's a year older than J.J.Pom and so that gives Pommers an extra year to make All-Stars, plus Pommers got to go to the World Championships and Goose had to miss because of surgery. Also, Pommer's has gotten to be Captain of the team and is alternate Captain and well Goose hasn't been rewarded really in anyway for all the hard work he puts in. He's always sort of over looked. He also tries to save Western New York, by getting today's youth up and moving (with the help of his mom), saving the environment, and making kids smile at Camp Good Days (I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting). I think Goose deserves a reward of some sort and why not a chance to go and play for the NHL Eastern Conference All Star Team? So, faithful readers, I ask you to not only vote for the Sabres that were nominated, but write in Paul Gaustad as your third forward choice. I'm sure he can earn a spot with write-ins. Come On Buffalo, he's done so much for our community let's say thank you with an NHL All*Star Spot. Gaustad in '09!

My second write in vote went to Nathan Paetsch. I really like Nathan Paetsch. I've heard good things ie he's very nice, funny, and hardworking, all admirable traits. I only wish he would get some more ice time. I feel like he really goes out there and tries, but they only play him if we are out of other defensemen. I guess that would make him the 7th defenseman, butI feel like he's done his time and deserves some recognition and more ice time, yet I don't judge Lindy's decisions because he is the Sabres head honcho and he has a master plan to bring the Stanley Cup back to Buffalo in '09, so I don't question, I just trust in Ruff! Yet, I am a Paetsch fan and I think he deserves a chance at the All*Stars, so if you could write him in that would be fabulous!

As for the Western Conference, I could care less who anyone votes for, no Sabres to vote for in the West except for players who have left and well, they no longer wear the Blue and Gold, so they are old news. I did all write-ins for the West, because I didn't like the player who were nominated. I could've voted for Soupy, but eh? He had his chance at the All*Stars twice and since he would be going as a BlackHawk and not a Sabre, no vote. My Forwards were Brad May (voted for him because he was a former Sabre and for the mere fact that it was his name that created RJ's famous "May Day! May Day!" call), Todd Marchant (originally from Buffalo), and Andrew Ladd (I'm really not sure why I voted for Ladd, he's like one of those movies that you wouldn't expect to like, but you do, but you normally wouldn't, and you can't explain why you liked it you just do and that's why Andrew Ladd was my third write-in vote for the West). My two D-men for the West were Bret Hedican (because his wife Kristi Yamaguchi was my hero when I was in 1st grade and I wanted to be Kristi and win a gold medal for the USA in figure skating one day, well, I have yet to this day ever go ice skating, so I think I may just have to let that dream die, but I will always admire Kristi has one of my heros esp. since she won DWTS last season, so Bret you can thank your wife for my NHL All Star Vote) and John-Michael Lilies (because he's a friend of R.Mil's and well let's face it, Miller has great taste in everything he does, so I'm assuming his taste in friends is just as high class. Also, he's not too shabby looking). My vote for goal tender for the west Josh Harding (I went for a back-up and I'm not gonna lie he's kinda cute).

Did anyone notice the profile pictures of the guys who got nominated for the NHL All*Stars. They look like a mug shot. except for Roy, Teppo, Miller, and Vanek. The Sabres are smiling and look like they enjoy being NHL players and playing for Buffalo. Maybe the other players are upset they don't play for such a wonderful organization and city, so they won't even smile. I mean Buffalo is the city of good neighbors! Why wouldn't you have a smile on your face when you're here.

Last night's game against the Blues was intense! Kudos to Peters for throwing down the gloves twice in 12 minutes. I'm not sure who hit him, but MAN! That was quite a hit and Peters is a big guy, if you can knock him down, you know there was a lot of force behind that hit. At the end of the game, Peters looked like he had been through the war. He earned Winston the game pigeon fair and square. And according to Pommer's he kick arse at air hockey, so Winston should spend the next two days in his locker. Aahhhh.... memories of air hockey, playing Chi Chi at Chuck E. Cheese's for my 22nd b-day and her getting her butt beat by a 6 year old who decided he needed to help me win and threw the stick like thing at Chi Chi's head so she would have to duck and he could score a goal... aaaaahhhh memories or all the times I played air hockey in Fallon's basement and she would get very violent and cheat or the time she decided she needed to slap my boobs in the middle of an air hockey game, aaaaaaahhhhhh memories.... so, Peters if you are amazing at this sport you deserve Winston, even if you don't rack up points in the NHL, your fighting is much appreciated, just like your air hockey skills.

Tim Connolly.... what can I say, I don't want to rag on him for the mere fact that he seems to be injured 99% of the time, because hey, it's not his fault and believe you me being injured and having to sit on the sidelines and watch is the WORST! But it appears that he is injured again. I saw him get that hit last night when I was hanging out with Harley at our local Pub. I was going to assume it was a head injury because he took a nice hit to the noggin. He seemed to be okay after the hit, he just skated away, I looked at Harley and said "That's #19! Connolly! He took a hit to the head!" She goes, "I know! The worst one to receive a hit from the head!" My response, "He seems to be okay, he's skating, but they can't do that to him, that's too scary!" Last night I left the pub thinking Tim has skated away from disaster, but according to sabres.com, he has not and did not practice today due to a chest injury..... *sigh* poor Timmy!

On a good note the Bills are hosting MNF for the second year in a row against the Cleveland Browns, this Monday @ 8pm! I have to teach until 7:30, then I am racing home to watch. I have a good feeling about this game, I think Tredwards and the rest of the team are going to step it up and win! I had a good feeling last night about the Sabres and I think my good feeling will carry all the way through to Monday night. Because I still believe this is Buffalo's year for both sports!