Beat Down in Bean Town, Five-in-a-Row in Buffalo

The Games: Avs at Bruins, Avs at Sabres

I had to put in a good twelve hours at work yesterday, prompting me to ask the other half to tape the game. He's learning quickly - he took advantage of my obsession to get the DVD recorder he's been wanting. Next thing you know, he'll finally convince me to let him get speakers for our TV, which rests approximately ten feet from our couch. I always thought that was a ridiculous prospect. But the sound of the game...you know.

Coming into last night's game, both the Avs and the Bruins were at 69 points in their respective conferences, although the Bruins were 4 points from a playoff berth, whereas the Avs were holding steady at 9.

Appropriately, the game was equally even for the first two periods of play. Good shots on both sides, and even better goaltending. Power plays and penalty kills, the same. Wolski would have had a goal had the net not busted out of place.

Liles refers to Budaj as "Boodz" at Intermission. Aww. "My Budaj, My Budaj, My Bu-daj and me!" If you don't get that, you aren't a child of the 80s. Not to say that's a bad thing...

Clark is awarded a controversial goal in the third - the Bruins contend that MacLean made Thomas unable to make a save. It's not reviewed, though. I'm OK with that.

In the end, Stastny gets his 16th point in a row and ties his father's rookie point streak with an assist on Hejduk's empty netter. SHUT OUT! The Avs' recent five-game homestand was a debacle. Now that their on the road for another five, they're playing some serious hockey. They definitely aren't giving up. If anything, having the odds stacked against them has really spurred them on. There's something to be said for that.

FINAL

Avs 2
Bruins 0

I missed the first few minutes of tonight's matchup against the Buffaslugs, as I was just getting home from a grueling day of doing my civic duty. More on that later. I stumbled in, cussed the unfamiliar remote, and settled in with my notepad and a slice of cold pizza. Hockey and beer might make me fat. Incidentally, the other half recently mentioned as much, to my chagrin and his eternal misfortune.

I missed a Buffalo goal, and apparently Kaleta passing on a fight with Lappy. Probably a good idea on his part. He also steers clear of Parker when "The Sheriff" bats down Hecht (McNab yells, "And the Sheriff sends him to the next county!") after Guite takes a huge hit. Parker just might be awesome. I'm looking into his enforcing history. So far, I've found this: he has a magical beard that absorbs hits. And it gives him strength like Samson's hair did. If this were Ancient Persia, Parker could totally knock down pillars and stuff. Barring injury, that is. [Fingers crossed...]

Speaking of Finger, he's had some great checks himself, and he and Parker are, combined with the team's healthy desperation, encouraging players like Guite, etc. to be more physical and a little ornery. This could be a good thing. Or not. What the hell do I know? I just like it.

Stastny assists "The Duke" on a short-handed goal to tie both the game and Teemu Selanne's rookie consecutive point streak record! He's now on a 17 game point streak, 4 points from NHL Rookie of the Year favorite Malkin, and 11 from top-scoring Av Sakic.

Interjection: I just stepped away to see ESPN's hockey recap. I don't know why. They can't pronounce Wolski's name, and only mention Stastny's league-leading streak as an ineffective segue to the hit on Kaberle.

MacLean scores, and Briere and Pominville tie the game at 2-2 before the 2nd Intermission. It is worth mentioning that the Sabres finally have Drury back after that crazy hit. Good for them, but his only shot on goal was gloved by Budaj-cakes. That's what I call him now, in the privacy of my home. And in the privacy of this blog that most visitors only occasion by accident.

In the 3rd, Sakic assists Wolski, passing Doug Gilmour in All-Time Assists. This is amusing to me, as I recently posted footage of Sakic kicking Gilmour's ass.

Wolski's goal ends up the game winner, though Quenneville continues to work Sauer after a brief grounding. Clark takes a hit, and in the interest of keeping the puck in the opposing zone during the final minutes, gloves it into center ice as he falls. It's a level of hardcore-ness that I have not seen yet, and celebrate.

FINAL

Avs 3
Sabres 2

The Avs are now only 6 points away from catching the Wild...Interesting. Let's Go Avs!

Beer. Laughing Lab, from Bristol Brewery in Colorado Springs. I'm SO glad I don't have to excuse my choice due to losses. Laughing Lab is good, especially when you're happy. Not that I have tested it in other circumstances. It's probably still good. But not AS good. Lab is an award-winning Scottish-style Ale, and it does, I admit, present itself as 1) easy enough to drink as to make one laugh, and 2) easy enough to drink as to make one frolic in the way of the carefree Labrador. I am frolicking right now. Not really. Well, maybe. Last night, it was the last thing in the world I needed to recover from caffeine crash. Tonight, it was just what the [court] ordered.

I am listening to the " O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack now, and need to jump on the bed and process having divested a fellow American woman of her immediate freedom today.

Best Friends Forever!

--Satanella