Paul Gaustad was back in the lineup last night, that I get, but the decision to send Mark Mancari back to Portland I don't. This team with the exception of one game since the Olympic break has been unable to score more than two goals in a game.

So what do they do? Send Mancari, one of the leading scorers in Portland back and leave Matt Ellis and Adam Mair in the lineup.....????????

In the end, the Sabres have no one to blame but their poor decision making on what players to play and what players to sit. I appreciate Adam Mairs work ethic, like the way Matt Ellis works in the corners but the fact is they will both get their 5-10 goals if that on the season and that will be it.

Mancari netted a goal and picked up an assist in the three games and was looking more and more comfortable each shift he played, playing on the Vanek line much of the time. How is it that Lindy and Darcy think this team is better with Matt Ellis in the lineup? They can't make that case.

What's wrong with leaving a young guy who is big at 6'3" and has a nice scoring touch? He plays big and hits and hangs around the net. His 22 goals and 42 assists make him the organizations leading scorer with 62 points. I'll tell you whats wrong with it, absolutely nothing, he should be back up next game sit Mair or Ellis take your pick.  

From 1989's Dream A Little Dream, Rock On by Michael Damian. Dream A Little Dream featured Haim, Corey Feldman and Meredith Salenger.

Rock On which was probably the signature tune off that soundtrack was originally written in 1974 by David Essex. Its been featured in numerous movies and television shows including The Sopranos and Cold Case.

The song has also been covered by Damian, Def Leppard, Smashing Pumpkins, and my favorite a live version by Love and Rockets.

It summed up everything he has tried to do since his first documentary Roger and Me. The roots of this mess go back to Reagan who every conservative seemed to worship, and the debate over universal healthcare and fair wages go back to FDR and the new deal which was a great deal but most republicans forget that.

My favorite part of the movie was a scene featuring FDR introducing his "2nd Bill of Rights". Perhaps if he had lived a few years longer we would have seen that come to fruition and the landscape of this country would be much, much different, and much much better. Most importantly, FDR would have had us on the way to universal healthcare.

Its The Cure's Why Can't I Be You. If I have the story right, this was the last time anyone would see Robert Smith dance in a video, after he saw it, he thought he looked ridiculous and put a stop to him dancing in any future videos. Of course those costumes couldn't have contributed to Roberts feelings about dancing?

Maybe Alan Cross can confirm that one.

When Patrick Kaleta and Adam Mair are your two goal scorers in a 2-1 win over a team that has scored one goal in three games its pretty sad.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh, maybe I should be happy they won, but until Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville start contributing to this teams success its going to be a long last 18 games or so.

Sure they have won two in a row but I see no reason to believe this is going to continue. Miller can't keep being expected to hold teams to one or two goals a night every night, sure hes the best in the league but you need to score more than two goals to win hockey games especially with Craig Rivet and Tim Kennedy coughing up pucks.

Heres the deal, we have 79 points, we need at least 15-16 more to be comfortably in the playoffs. That means winning 8 out of the last 18, going 8-10 or a combination there of.

I don't see it happening. But let them prove me wrong.

What a great weekend! It was the 14th Annual Gold-Silver-Bronze Stingray's Shamrock Meet and officially the 6th one I have been a part of as a member of the Stingrays coaching staff and it was by far the best of the 6 thus far.

I probably could make that case every year so far but this one was different. We had the most entries in the meet, something that hasn't been the case for Stingrays in quite some time.

The parents and board put on a great meet and our athletes worked tremendously hard to get themselves ready and have some really nice swims this past weekend.

Its a long weekend, a tiring weekend but well worth it when its all said and done.

All the Repukes from Limbaugh on down to Michael Steele and John Boner....I mean Boehner....or is it Boner....what ever, have left is scare tactics, calling healthcare reform socialist without really referring to the real definition of socialism and just making it sound so scary, or telling people how the president is running up debt when in reality it was George W. Bush who got us where we are, Obama is using a spend as you go philosophy which worked to get us surpluses under Clinton.

Its pathetic and now we are going it alone. The Democrats are going to get healthcare passed with reconciliation and the Repukes can scare and fear monger all they want but in the end when the legislation goes through and is implemented the American people will realize how much this reform is needed. Especially when people are seeing their rates increasing but upwards of 30-40%.

Check out the Big Red Head Ed Scultz talk about the Repukes scare tactics:

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Ryan Miller was none too happy last night, yeah he recieved the applause at the beginning of the game but his team was getting booed off the ice by the end.

Bottom line, since January 19th this "team" has won a grand total of 3 games. I don't know what Raffi Torres is going to bring but if its anything short of an army I am getting this sick feeling like this team is not going to the playoffs.

What reason have they given us to think otherwise? They blew a 13 point lead for the division lead to the Ottawa Senators in a month, right now they have just a 10 point lead over the 9th place NY Rangers and we all know who plays for that team. The Rangers will fight and claw their way up the standings because they have the guy we should have signed forever, Chris Drury and it all goes back to losing him. There is nothing to say this team can't lose a 10 point lead over the next month if they don't right the ship and fast.

I was absolutely elated last night to hear Ryan Miller call out his teammates and I hope some resent that he did. He didn't call anyone by name but you got a feeling of who he was talking about, Roy, Vanek, Pominville, and the defense.

Where was Craig Rivet our captain to answer to the media? Has a goalie ever been named captain? Ryan Miller showed why maybe he should be or at the very least an assistant captain.

Lindy Ruff was a little more kind, he took the blame stating it was his fault why the team wasn't up to snuff. I don't put this on Lindy and from Miller's comments he was smart enough not to put this one on Lindy. There were alot of players who had a lot of time off to rest so being tired is no excuse.

I looked at the schedule coming out of the break last week and saw the first two games Pittsburgh and Washington and I had a feeling that Lalime was goint to start against Pittsburgh which he did and he gave them a chance to win so Lalime did his part. The goaltending is there, where is the rest of this team. I thought this week had the potential to be a nightmare and continue the woes of this team from pre-break and so far it has been as awful as I thought.

An inability to finish plays. Danny Gare was filling in for Mike Robataille last night while Roby gets healthy from his car accident. Maybe they should keep Danny around and have him work with the forwards like Rick Martin did a few years back on shooting the damn puck.

Danny couldn't say enough about Raffi, lets hope he comes in like Danny said he would because this team needs everything that Danny talked about especially the leadership up front.

So that said, I am looking forward to this week but since I didn't get a chance to write much on the Olympics and the gold medal game I'm taking my chance here.

First off, congradulations to Canada, it was deserved, that team got better throughout the tournament and as a diehard hockey fan I can't remember when hockey was more exciting in recent memory and yes that includes the Sabres runs with Drury and Briere. I hate Heatley and Crosby but after watching them the last two weeks there is a healthy hate/respect for many of those players.

What the last two weeks did for fans of hockey probably won't be measured until after this years playoffs. For me it took a diehard fan and made me all the more a fan of the game when its played right....with passion, grit and determination. For casual fans, they saw some of the best hockey has to offer and it may have made some casual fans diehards.

The biggest difference I saw of the players in those Olympic teams as compared to what we go back to tonight is that those players play with passion, they go to the net and they pay a price to put the puck in the net by any means. They don't screw around with behind the back passes and if they do its because they know exactly where players are on the ice.

Tonight we will probably see more Tim Connolly and Derek Roy dipsy doodle crap and no effort to go to the net. If there is any hope its that Ryan Miller, Toni Lydman, Henrik Tallinder, Jochen Hecht and Lindy Ruff come back and tell their peers what it takes to win hockey games, they all saw it, they all lived it for the last two weeks.

I wondered why Tim Connolly wasn't pcked for the US team, I now know why, hes not willing to go where these players were going. Hes not willing to go to the net.

So, the trade deadline is tomorrow and after tonight, if Buffalo loses its trade time. Even if they win there is not enough room on this team for Connolly and Roy, we need grit and leadership and someone who can contribute offensively. Who wouldn't take Chris Drury for Derek Roy at this point?

We need one solid, young, power play type defenseman who isn't afraid to grind a little too and we need some leadership/scoring up front.

Its fitting that we see Pittsburgh and Sid Crosby tonight first game back, its a good measure as to how good this team really is. Granted, Patrick Lalime is getting the start, but who cares. This team has to show they are a team and they have to play in front of him. If they don't I hope Darcy has a phone on speed dial to some willing trade partners in his hand to bolster this roster.

So that said, I am looking forward to this week but since I didn't get a chance to write much on the Olympics and the gold medal game I'm taking my chance here.

First off, congradulations to Canada, it was deserved, that team got better throughout the tournament and as a diehard hockey fan I can't remember when hockey was more exciting in recent memory and yes that includes the Sabres runs with Drury and Briere. I hate Heatley and Crosby but after watching them the last two weeks there is a healthy hate/respect for many of those players.

What the last two weeks did for fans of hockey probably won't be measured until after this years playoffs. For me it took a diehard fan and made me all the more a fan of the game when its played right....with passion, grit and determination. For casual fans, they saw some of the best hockey has to offer and it may have made some casual fans diehards.

The biggest difference I saw of the players in those Olympic teams as compared to what we go back to tonight is that those players play with passion, they go to the net and they pay a price to put the puck in the net by any means. They don't screw around with behind the back passes and if they do its because they know exactly where players are on the ice.

Tonight we will probably see more Tim Connolly and Derek Roy dipsy doodle crap and no effort to go to the net. If there is any hope its that Ryan Miller, Toni Lydman, Henrik Tallinder, Jochen Hecht and Lindy Ruff come back and tell their peers what it takes to win hockey games, they all saw it, they all lived it for the last two weeks.

I wondered why Tim Connolly wasn't pcked for the US team, I now know why, hes not willing to go where these players were going. Hes not willing to go to the net.

So, the trade deadline is tomorrow and after tonight, if Buffalo loses its trade time. Even if they win there is not enough room on this team for Connolly and Roy, we need grit and leadership and someone who can contribute offensively. Who wouldn't take Chris Drury for Derek Roy at this point?

We need one solid, young, power play type defenseman who isn't afraid to grind a little too and we need some leadership/scoring up front.

Its fitting that we see Pittsburgh and Sid Crosby tonight first game back, its a good measure as to how good this team really is. Granted, Patrick Lalime is getting the start, but who cares. This team has to show they are a team and they have to play in front of him. If they don't I hope Darcy has a phone on speed dial to some willing trade partners in his hand to bolster this roster.

Ryan Miller and Team USA just one upped what Team Canada did to the Russians. The US team manhandled Finland from the drop of the first puck with 6 goals in the first period the US team embarrassed Finland didn't stand a chance after the first goal was scored. It was a game that was supposed to be close.

Ron Wilson is coaching a masterpiece so far in this Olympics and it will culminate on Sunday with a win over who ever they play.

The beauty of it all is the Buffalo connections on the US team. First and most obvious is Ryan Miller who really didn't have much to do today and was taken out to rest for Tim Thomas a class move all the way.

Then Patrick Kane who had 2 of the 6 US goals today.

And of course there is Chris Drury who is playing like a man possessed, what else would you expect in big games from a big game player.

I can't wait, bring on Canada, bring on Slovakia, who cares at this point. My prediction for the gold medal game? Ryan Miller lets in no more than two and Drury nets the game winner with Patrick Kane assisting. That would be the ideal result.

Yesterday the Canadian women's hockey team won gold and deservedly so, I am not writing this to take anything away from their victory, I am however, writing this to state that the way the Canadian women chose to celebrate was and should have been an embarassment to their country.

Smoking cigars and not just drinking, but underage drinking on the ice after the awards ceremony was not the way to do it. Not when there were still journalists around and even if there weren't underage drinking is underage drinking.

Toronto Mike and other readers on his site felt otherwise. That what the Canadian womens hockey team did to celebrate was okay.

The celebration should not have spilled out onto the ice where whether there were fans in the building or not, they could have potentially been seen by fans or a kid and how would you explain that?

Even big league, professional athletes take it into and keep it in the lockerroom after championships. And lets be clear right here and now, underage drinking is underage drinking, it doesn't matter if you are from Quebec and come to New York to drink, when you get to New York if you are 19, you are shit out of luck if you want to drink because the drinking age is 21.

Here are some of the blinded comments made by Toronto Mike and other Canadian readers:

From Toronto Mike:

"Here's my opinion on this... These women just won gold, defeating their arch rivals in a hard fought game. If they want to crack open a beer and smoke a victory cigar after everyone's left, I'm okay with that. They deserve it, and it's pretty much standard after winning a championship. Ideally, the 18-year old would abstain so we can avoid this nonsense, but damn... 18 is the legal drinking age in Quebec. I hate the fact we have to apologize for this. We won. I'm proud of these women."

So what example are these women setting for younger girls?

Another from Toronto Mike:

"BBM, you're missing a key detail. Everyone had left the arena. All spectators were gone. All that remained were a few journalists, who did what journalists do, and took pictures. They did not crack open a beer and light up a cigar in front of kids or fans or during live television coverage."

Here is a comment that agrees with me on the issue, bad idea to celebrate on the ice yet not taking anything away from the victory.

McNulty writes: "There is a time and a place for these things. Partying on the ice wasn't a good idea. Having the arena empty mitigates the idea but it still just looks bad. I am not taking away anything from their victory, it was hard fought and deserved."

I don't mind the celebration but if it involves booze and cigars do it in a more discreet fashion. The Olympics have to maintain a clean image, if it were a pro game I don't think anyone would bat an eye lash. I did however question the cigars, for a sport that requires cardiopulmonary endurance like nobody's business these girls were puffing away quite readily.