SABRES TAKE 3-2 LEAD ON RANGERS
Buffalo wins tonight at HSBC Arena, 2-1 in overtime, to take a HUGE 3-2 lead in their second round best-of-7 match-up against a very fiesty New York Ranger team. This comes after the Sabres dropped back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden - a 2-1 2OT loss and a 2-1 regulation loss. And I was there tonight.....!!!!!!!!!!!
Best playoff game I've been to yet this year (and only my third playoff game ever). I also went to Game 1 of Round 1 vs. the Isles, a 4-1 win, and Buffalo's come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Rangers (Game 2, Round 2). Both of those games were really awesome, but this one just has to take the cake.........
First of all, my immediate reaction when I got home....after honking Let's Go Buffalo from the parking ramp downtown all the way down Delaware Ave., and even in Tonawanda and on my street, and getting great reactions from just about everyone I came near....here's the away msg I flicked up on my AIM upon returning home: "BAKC FROM THE BEST GAME IN THE UNIVERSE GO SABRESRESESESES GOOOOOOSEEE HONK HONK HONK LETS GO BUFDFALO YEAHHH." Needless to say I had TONS of energy (no I didnt drink at all) - I WAS VERY WIRED, AND I STILL AM. WOW. AMAZING.
Paul Gaustad was back in his first game since Feb. 7 so already that alone gave the arena so much jump and excitement......Max Afinogenov was back after sitting out last game (healthy scratch due to his poor play in this round to that point), he was flying all night, more on him in a second......Dainius Zubrus (what an acquistion at the trade deadline) played AMAZING, again, forechecking, hitting, and keeping the Rangers on edge/getting their tempers flaring (for example drawing a penalty on Jagr at the end of the second)....Chris Druuuuuuuury TYING THE GAME WITH 7.8 SECONDS LEFT AFTER IT SEEMED ALL BUT OVER - we were losing 1-0 and people were VERY VERY nervous....WHO ELSE? YEAH...DRUUUUUUURYYYY.....ANd THEN...In overtime, MAXIM AFINOGENOV WINS IT ON THE POWERPLAY (AFTER WE KILL OFF A PENALTY)...CAN YOU SAY WOW? WHAT A GAME!
It was also my girlfriend Nicole's first playoff game ever. I was so happy for her that it was a good one - let alone one of the best/biggest games in Buffalo sports history (literally)! From "it seems over" because the Rangers play so good at Madison Square Garden (and it's not over yet, game six on Sunday will be very very tough for us) to COMPLETE JUBILATION ... W-O-W!
WHEN DRURY TIED IT, IT WAS THE LOUDEST I'VE EVER HEARD THAT ARENA. When Afinogenov won it, IT WAS THE LOUDEST I'VE HEARD THAT ARENA (YES BEATING THE DRURY TYING GOAL). I was jumping for both goals and I usually don't jump...just SO huge to keep our season alive and kicking! Absolutely AMAZING. And then Afinogenov doing a bellyflop on center ice and his team mobbing him after, and the Rangers quickly escaping, and people hugging, going CRAZY, high-fiving complete strangers (I did that as well), and just going NUTS, um...none of that hurt the atmosphere either! --OBVIOUSLY!!! Wow wow wow. What a great game! Definitely a classic. with that, OBVIOUSLY it merited an update, and hopefully there's lots more Sabres excitement to come....... I know one thing for sure, this wasn't my last home Sabres playoff game this year, and I was worried when the Rangers went up 1-0 with 3 minutes to go in the game...even if the Rangers win Sunday (LET'S HOPE NOT...WE'LL BE THROWING EVERYTHING AT THEM SO THEY WON'T, BUT THEN AGAIN THEY'LL BE THROWING EVERYTHING AT US TOO, FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES), i'll be at game number seven, IN BUFFALO !!!!!! Otherwise I'll be there for Round 3. GREAT EFFORT TONIGHT BOYS, GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, GREAT GAME! KEEP IT UP! WE CAN DO THIS....
Let's Go Buffalo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best playoff game I've been to yet this year (and only my third playoff game ever). I also went to Game 1 of Round 1 vs. the Isles, a 4-1 win, and Buffalo's come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Rangers (Game 2, Round 2). Both of those games were really awesome, but this one just has to take the cake.........
First of all, my immediate reaction when I got home....after honking Let's Go Buffalo from the parking ramp downtown all the way down Delaware Ave., and even in Tonawanda and on my street, and getting great reactions from just about everyone I came near....here's the away msg I flicked up on my AIM upon returning home: "BAKC FROM THE BEST GAME IN THE UNIVERSE GO SABRESRESESESES GOOOOOOSEEE HONK HONK HONK LETS GO BUFDFALO YEAHHH." Needless to say I had TONS of energy (no I didnt drink at all) - I WAS VERY WIRED, AND I STILL AM. WOW. AMAZING.
Paul Gaustad was back in his first game since Feb. 7 so already that alone gave the arena so much jump and excitement......Max Afinogenov was back after sitting out last game (healthy scratch due to his poor play in this round to that point), he was flying all night, more on him in a second......Dainius Zubrus (what an acquistion at the trade deadline) played AMAZING, again, forechecking, hitting, and keeping the Rangers on edge/getting their tempers flaring (for example drawing a penalty on Jagr at the end of the second)....Chris Druuuuuuuury TYING THE GAME WITH 7.8 SECONDS LEFT AFTER IT SEEMED ALL BUT OVER - we were losing 1-0 and people were VERY VERY nervous....WHO ELSE? YEAH...DRUUUUUUURYYYY.....ANd THEN...In overtime, MAXIM AFINOGENOV WINS IT ON THE POWERPLAY (AFTER WE KILL OFF A PENALTY)...CAN YOU SAY WOW? WHAT A GAME!
It was also my girlfriend Nicole's first playoff game ever. I was so happy for her that it was a good one - let alone one of the best/biggest games in Buffalo sports history (literally)! From "it seems over" because the Rangers play so good at Madison Square Garden (and it's not over yet, game six on Sunday will be very very tough for us) to COMPLETE JUBILATION ... W-O-W!
WHEN DRURY TIED IT, IT WAS THE LOUDEST I'VE EVER HEARD THAT ARENA. When Afinogenov won it, IT WAS THE LOUDEST I'VE HEARD THAT ARENA (YES BEATING THE DRURY TYING GOAL). I was jumping for both goals and I usually don't jump...just SO huge to keep our season alive and kicking! Absolutely AMAZING. And then Afinogenov doing a bellyflop on center ice and his team mobbing him after, and the Rangers quickly escaping, and people hugging, going CRAZY, high-fiving complete strangers (I did that as well), and just going NUTS, um...none of that hurt the atmosphere either! --OBVIOUSLY!!! Wow wow wow. What a great game! Definitely a classic. with that, OBVIOUSLY it merited an update, and hopefully there's lots more Sabres excitement to come....... I know one thing for sure, this wasn't my last home Sabres playoff game this year, and I was worried when the Rangers went up 1-0 with 3 minutes to go in the game...even if the Rangers win Sunday (LET'S HOPE NOT...WE'LL BE THROWING EVERYTHING AT THEM SO THEY WON'T, BUT THEN AGAIN THEY'LL BE THROWING EVERYTHING AT US TOO, FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES), i'll be at game number seven, IN BUFFALO !!!!!! Otherwise I'll be there for Round 3. GREAT EFFORT TONIGHT BOYS, GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, GREAT GAME! KEEP IT UP! WE CAN DO THIS....
Let's Go Buffalo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!