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From Dylan to Hlupáku. + Sabres and Amerks both on back-to-backs |
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"Oh if there’s an original thought out there, I could use it right now"
Brownsville Girl, an epic 11-minute ballad co-written by Bob Dylan and Sam Sheppard begins with the line, "Well, there was this movie I seen one time." From there a series events unfolds from whence we find out, among other things, that "the only thing we know about Harry Porter is that his name isn't Harry Porter," and that Ruby greets our hero and heroine with "Welcome to the land of the living dead."
"Something about that movie though," sings Dylan, "well I just can’t get it out of my head. But I can’t remember why I was in it or what part I was supposed to play."
What does this have to do with the Buffalo Sabres?
Nothin', really. Just seeing if you're paying attention. I've had that opening quote in my head going on a week now and just can't seem to get away from it. "Oh if there’s an original thought out there, I could use it right now."
The album it came from, Knocked Out Loaded, was widely considered a "poor effort" in the Dylan discography, but Brownsville Girl is full of cutting lines that are amongst some of the best he's ever written.
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A couple blogs back I did one on Montreal's Jiri Sekac's boarding of Buffalo's Nikita Zadorov and as always, I reprinted it on my blog, buffalosabresnow. That's where I write everything and it makes for easy referencing especially since I have stuff dating back to August, 2010, when I started the blog.
Every once in a while I'll have someone leave a comment and yesterday someone left this in response to the Sekac/Zadorov blog--"Hlupáku!."
Roughly translated thanks to the wonders of Google, Hlupáku is a Czech word for dumbhead or fool or stupid one or idiot. In fact they have a charming children's song which entitled, Hlupáku, najdu tě, which I assume, based upon the video, mocks the proud, the dumbhead, the idiot (me?).
Not sure, exactly, but here's some of the translation:
Peacock stupidity carries
dignity as a peacock
this applies in every profession,
cobbler or Doctor of Laws.
And the song finishes with:
Whether you go in a carriage
or a cart,
my proud fool,
I know you.
While I appreciate the response, if one can read English, one should respond in English.
woof!
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So last night, the Sabres played a team nearly as bad as they are and lost 3-2. That they scored only two goals is par for the course lately, but it's much higher than their 1.13 average overall. That scoring two goals a game is above average sums up just how bad this team is.
That and their league-worst 37.3 shots against/game average. Last night Buffalo allowed 52 shots on goal to one of the four worst teams in the league, nearly 15 more than their average.
Tonight they go from playing one of the worst to one of the best in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though Pittsburgh is averaging a modest 29.2 shots/game, they have scored a league-best 4.00 goals/game.
In the first meeting between the two teams, the Pens defeated the "hapless" Sabres 5-0. From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, "Buffalo’s opponent-friendly offense generated just 18 shots. Aside from a few second-period scrambles around the crease, [Goalie Marc-Andre] Fleury’s greatest challenge was maintaining his focus through long periods of inactivity.
“Sometimes, mentally, it’s a little tougher because you’re just kind of standing there,” he said. “It’s tougher to stay alert.”
Yeah, we hear ya, there Marc.
A glimmer of hope?
The Sabres are on their fifth back-to-back of the season. Yesterday's loss left them 0-5-0 in the first game, but they are 2-2-0 in the second game.
Methinks that Jhonas Enroth will need to channel Arturs Irbe's wall-like tactics in the 1994 playoffs. A young Irbe who is about the same size as Enroth, became a legend when he and his San Jose' Sharks stifled the mighty Detroit Red Wings in a seven-game upset. Perhaps Irbe, who is the Sabres goalie coach, can offer some tips.
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If you thought you might take some solace in the solid start to the Rochester Americans season, it would seem as if they've hit a bump in the road. Last night they lost a 3-1 decision to the Binghamton Senators (OTT.)
The loss dropped the Amerks overall record to 6-5-0-0 while their strong home record fell to 4-2-0-0. They are on a three-game losing streak having been outscored 12-3 scoring one goal in each of the three losses.
Last night was the beginning of a five game homestand which also features eight of ten games to be played at Blue Cross Arena during that stretch.
The Utica Comets (VAN) come to town today having gathered at least one point in 11 of 12 games thus far. Their 9-1-2-0 record and 20 points represents a complete turnaround from the previous season when they grabbed only six points in the first 12 games.
Comets goalie Jakub Markstrom is on fire. Through six games he's sporting a 5-0-1 record with a 0.82 goals against average and .968 save percentage. Markstrom, who once played for the Amerks when they were the farm team of the Florida Panthers has four shutouts. He was a part of the Roberto Luongo trade between Vancouver and Florida.
Rochester is eight points back of Utica in the North Division of the AHL's Western Conference. The Amerks have one game in hand.
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Sabres center Tyler Ennis was Hlupáku when he tapped a linesman in "Come on, man. Get it together" kind of way at the end of yesterday's loss.
(See vid thanks to SomeHockeyVideos)
Ennis should be sorry he caught the linesman on the hand, but suspension-worthy?
“I was a little frustrated,” he explained. “I just went to talk to the linesman and tap him on the bum lightly but I think I got his hand a little bit. And he was a little upset so I went and apologized after the game to him and the referees. I said I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on them because they’re just doing their jobs.”
With the way things have gone with the Sabres over the course of the past two seasons, I wouldn't be surprised.
There was a movie I seen one time, I think I sat through it twice
I don’t remember who I was or where I was bound
All I remember about it was it starred Gregory Peck, he wore a gun
and he was shot in the back
Seems like a long time ago, long before the stars were torn down
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