Welcome to hockey season
Greetings to all of you who were waiting for Bills season to end before investing yourself in the local hockey team. Welcome. Got to admit, bummer about the Bills. Town's way more fun when they're good, and I had an absolute blast at the first three home games. Oh well, at least now it'll be cheaper to buy tickets for the remaining games.
Anyway, here's what has been going on away from One Bills Drive:
*Sabres started 6-0-2, but they're in the midst of a 1-3-1 slide that puts their record at 9-5-3. After a couple of clunkers, they think they're starting to play like they did in the beginning of the season.
*Tim Connolly was hurt, got healthy for about 10 minutes (OK, six games), and is hurt again. He had fractured vertebrae in his back, and now he has a "bruised chest."
*It looked like goaltender Patrick Lalime had solved the backup woes that plagued Buffalo last season, but now there are a few doubts with two straight losses of allowing at least five goals.
*Thomas Vanek is among the top scorers in the NHL, but longtime (and currently former) linemate Derek Roy is struggling after leading the Sabres in points last season. For more on Roy, see Wednesday's Buffalo News.
---John Vogl
