October 30th Column

So the Sabres are once again human. The streak is over. Take a look at how good the Sabres were during it and you'll see that, minus the trouncing of Philadelphia, they still were very impressive - despite winning a few via the skills competition. Overall, they outscored opposing teams 53-28! They were 6-0 on the road, and they still have gotten a point in 11 straight. The Sabres are blessed with four fantastic lines; a solid, if not spectacular, defense; and two very dependable goalkeepers, as Ryan Miller may be an early Vezina favorite...



One problem with Versus is its inability to pick up a big game on short notice. Sure, HDNet televised the Buffalo-Atlanta game, but how many of you know about the Mark Cuban channel or even have it on your cable package? Versus needs to set aside some time to look at some key games during the season, and pick them up. I think we can bear to see the Flyers a few less times than we're scheduled to this year (6 more, plus 4 NBC games)...

Martin Brodeur has returned to inhumanity. One hundred and twenty minutes of shutout hockey, even against a surprising Florida team and the now-forgotten Columbus Blue Jackets, is a testament to Brodeur's skill in the face of the NHL's attempts to destroy him. Every time he's down, he rises up. The man is unflappable.

But his book? I can think of better ways to spend three hours reading...

If you notice stitches above Alex Auld's right eye anytime this week, ask him if the Eagle really hits that hard. Apparently, Eddie Belfour got into a little barroom brawl with Auld while slightly inebriated on Long Island this week.

Where have we heard this before? Oh, yes! How about in March 2000, when Belfour bribed Dallas police officials with up to $1 billion (!) to let him go for slamming a security guard into a wall with pepper spray...

The Chicago Blackhawks aired a home game on television on Saturday night.

Was that a piece of the sky that fell on my head just now?

While Evgeni Malkin still gives me a "meh" reaction, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal just continue to impress. Crosby's first career hat trick Saturday in Philly is one of the more impressive initial hat tricks in any career. Hopefully, Staal will stay; he's offensively gifted, but unlike his brother, is equal to the task defensively. He could fill in a role the Penguins desperately need if they want to think seriously about making the postseason...

Remember how Dallas was supposed to fail this year? That sure didn't happen. The Stars are 9-2 and would be division leaders if they'd lost in shootouts and overtimes instead of regulation. Mike Modano and Brendan Morrow have forgotten whatever controversy there may have been over the "C" changing between the two players' hands and performed spectacularly. As for which I'd rather have as captain? It's gotta be the two-way playing Morrow...

A team that was supposedly a year away, the Vancouver Canucks, has also impressed folks. The Sedin twins have been dynamite as the new "First Line." Roberto Luongo isn't taking more shots than 50 Cent did before rising to fame, and this defense is playing with a sense of purpose to defend Luongo. All that, plus a division where Calgary is failing (Alex Tanguay...really?) and Colorado and Edmonton aren't expected to be as good (but Edmonton just keeps proving people wrong) could mean a return to the playoffs for the 'Nucks.

Finally, some good news for hockey fans here in the U.S. It looks as if the NHL Network may be set to go from an unidentified location in the Big Apple once January 2007 rolls around.

How you'll be able to get it without Comcast Cable? No clue, but knowing it's there gives hope to any hockey fan...

-SFM-