Good afternoon friends, fans and accidental readers. Tomorrow starts the first round for the Sabres v. Flyers 2011 Stanley Cup playoff series. My anticipation level for this series is higher than the ozone layer. If it got any higher, I might float out of the atmosphere to the moon!
The Sabres are coming off some very good wins at the end of the regular season. The offense, defense, and special teams were playing as well as any team in the NHL. The question being asked of Sabres fans is about our goal tending. There seems to be some speculation that Ryan Miller looked slow in the last two games he appeared in, and there is wonder if he is totally healthy.
I'm not one of the people wondering about Ryan's health or if he is rested. Lindy simply did what he had to do to change the momentum in the Flyers game on April 8th. The next game Lindy split time evenly between Ryan and Jhonas, so both got some game action prior the layover before the playoffs start. Trust this Sabres fan, Ryan Miller will be completely ready for the playoffs. I'm predicting at least one shutout, maybe more.
One thing left on this subject - Good Luck Sabres and Lets Go BUF-FA-LO!
The Cincinnati Reds are finishing up their series in San Diego tonight. They have taken the first two games of three, so the series win is already a lock. A win tonight will just be icing on the cake and help solidify the lock on the NL Central lead. I know it's early, but a good start to the season is better than the alternative.
Shout out to my friend Christian. He's a big Padres fan and just as passionate about his team as I am about mine. We made a friendly wager for this series. Who's ever team loses the series has to sport the winner's team logo for three days on FB and Twitter. We know who won this go round. Pretty sure we will wager again later down the road. Thanks for being a good sport Christian.
The last tid bit is about my girlfriend's Red Sox. She is having a hard time being optimistic about the team getting on the winning track. I've been supportive for her during this rough season start. I keep reminding her there are several reasons to be very optimistic for the Red Sox to right the ship and seriously contend in the AL East.
1. Signing arguably two of the best free agents from the past off season. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez - perennial all stars
2. Two words - Josh Beckett. His last outing was absolutely the best he has pitched in two years. If he pitches like that most of this season, look for him to win between 15 to 17 games. Take it and run.
3. Dustin Pedroia is healthy after last seasons injury issue. He is hitting lasers, playing great defense, and using his up beat presence on the field, in the dugout, and in the locker room to keep his team mates up as well. Remember this guy has a silver slugger and an MVP to his credit, need I say more.
4. Fenway Park and the fans. There is no better field to play in as your home field to provide huge fan support and the high possibility of scoring runs in bunches. When you have both of those attributes available, they simply translate to wins.
I'm predicting right now that the Red Sox will be .500 or better before Memorial Day. If they aren't, then worry might be in the cards.
Thanks for anyone who reads and Cheers from the Cheap Seats.
Regarding the Red Sox: The press has had the fans so pumped up for a stellar season, that the teams performance this year has been disappointing. Then the team does not win, and the press gets on their case for that. Many of the headlines I have read regarding the Red Sox have been thanking Mother Nature for the rain so the team didn't have to lose last night. I even saw a blog comparing it to the movie Bull Durham asking for a rain out. I have been a bit bummed out about the season so far, but I know that it is only April. We have another 150 games to play. It can only get better from here.
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