Knee-Jerk Reaction: Game 5

Some wins just plain feel better than others…

After blowing a 3-0 lead, the Sabres did what last year’s team couldn’t do. They said “no more” and shut down defensively, Miller tightened his game, and they got it to sudden death and got the win. Now if they can take the next step and stop blowing games, we’re in business.

Praise for Miller. He had bad momentum coming his way, gave up a couple of softies, and focused himself during the game. During! Not after and not in two days. That deserves credit.

Pominville got hurt. Who’s going to shoot it wide from the point now?

Brad Boyes needed to show up and boye did he ever. No points for the night, a zero on the plus/minus, but he was all over the place. The effort was there, but he didn’t quite click it to production. Still, he knows he’s on notice.

Before this game I was asked to pick who would be most satisfying to score tonight. I answered Gerbe and Ennis. No, not just cuz they’re the new kids and they’re small. Gerbe because he’s been taking a lot of crap from the other team and Ennis because he has so much potential and he should’ve been delivering thus far. Two goals from the Little Tyler and I have a feeling they’re going to carry him on their shoulders back to Buffalo.

I was going to write about how Ennis reminds me of the bad things Afinogenov used to do but screw it. Screw it! Two goals, one of which was an overtime winner, erases that. He was dynamite.

Fun Fact: Everyone who has scored first in this series has won the game.

Fun Fact: In the history of Flyers/Sabres playoff hockey, the team that has won the first game has won the series.

Fun Fact: 5 goals were scored on one end of the ice, 2 on the other end. Just thought it looked cool on the stat tracker.

Peter Laviolette has made a history of changing goalies and shutting down Buffalo from that point on in the game. This is the first time he’s pulled a goaltender and Buffalo has managed to win, and we just baaaaaaarely did that. It’s official: he is a witch.

Is there going to be any more crying of the Sabres “getting away with murder?” Penalties were 6 for Buffalo and 4 for Philly, but I’m sure the Sabres got away with about 6 or 7, right?

Stop. Leaving. Danny Briere. Alone.

Whoa! James van Riemsdyk wasn’t one of the stars again? B-b-but he took like 6 shots!

The Sabres were outshot 15-5 in the second, when their 3-0 goal evaporated.

Bitch Mode Activated: I hate Versus. I’ve hated Versus for like 5 years now. For a long time I’ve hated their play calling, their daydream-like monologues, and their biased. Tonight was no different. I don’t know if their love for the Sabres was this prevalent during the President’s Trophy year of 2006-7, but could they have been pulling for a Philly total comeback any more? I’m cool with local guys like RJ or the Comcast commentators being homers, but this is national TV. Show some class.

Game 6 is in Buffalo. Come out with some spunk, Sabres, and put this series away. As much as I love a booing Philadelphia crowd I will put my personal wants aside if you can end this in HSBC Arena.