Archives for January 4, 2012

‘Instead of pouncing on the Oilers, who played a night earlier in Chicago and got into town about 2:30 am, the listless Sabres fell behind 1-0 as the visitors held a 9-0 and 12-2 shot advantage halfway through the opening period. Good grief.’

On an icy night in Buffalo, NY the Sabres used a third period spark to surge past the Edmonton Oilers 4-3, Tuesday.

Despite First Niagara Center being sold out, the silence in the building resembled midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

[Read more…] about Sabres Squeak Past Oilers

‘For the most part, this was a game completely devoid of atmosphere. Your average college pillow fight had more hitting. The usual sellout crowd of 18,690 sat mostly stoic, quieter than normal in the library-like atmosphere of First Niagara Center.’

‘”It’s his first time out, and he skated a couple times on his own,” coach Lindy Ruff said prior to the game against the Edmonton Oilers. “In his case, he should be able to progress pretty fast.”‘

‘Roy Bakos, the manager at Pearl Street, said the bar is “actively looking” to switch to another provider even though it has a large account with Time Warner. While the pregame business was steady Tuesday, Bakos said the bar simply can’t afford not to air the Sabres.’

‘Negotiators on both sides must not have been paying attention recently as consumers made their voices heard following executive decisions they disliked.’

‘But with top scorers Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek feeling ill Tuesday, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff decided to dress more skill, so Kassian went back in and the struggling Cody McCormick sat.’

‘“People aren’t going to be able to watch the game,” he said. “Without it, I’m dead in the water. It would probably more than cut my business in half on game nights. It’s that important to business.”’

‘Like many hockey fans, I would never have purchased a cable package that did not include Sabres broadcasts. I won’t hesitate to switch to a satellite carrier if this continues much longer.’

‘If Time Warner were sincerely concerned about how much it charges customers it would reduce the fee for cable TV service in the wake of dropping MSG. We’re not holding our breath for that to happen.’