commentary...

it is not easy being a fan of a NHL team that is not doing too well in the standings,like Buffalo,Edmonton,and Calgary... they are at the bottom of the standings,and have not made the playoffs,in years... this is NOT to put the teams,or the fans down,but quite the opposite,because it is the fans who honestly make the team... i am watching the Sabres/N.Y. Islanders game;Buffalo up,2-1,second period,and there is a crowd,which is about half full in Buffalo,but the players have come out,and put on a good game... this is when you show up to be a true fan,because there are teams who are in the Stanley Cup playoffs,who did not put up a good effort in their home finales(like Detroit,and St. Louis),to show their own fans that they know that the fans do really care about the team... the Oilers have not made the Stanley Cup playoffs in eight years,and yet the fans still come out,maybe not like it was in good years,but there are still fans who honestly care about the team... the Sabres,Oilers,and Flames do have talent,but they are very young and inexperienced in critical areas,like goaltending,and in the case of all three teams,they really need to work on their team defense... there is a old saying that defense wins championships,and in the NHL,defense around the net can take you a long way toward improvement... this season,the Red Wings beat the Sabres in every game they played,but honestly,their games were very tough wins,and one goal affairs... the Flames are a team who lost their starting goaltender before the season(he retired),so they were behind the eight ball,starting the season... the home finale in St. Louis,against the Red Wings,for the Blues,was a total disgrace,because to have only eighteen shots in the game,is simply disgraceful... the Blues can complain about being banged up,but to show the fans that putrid effort,even made me mad,and in no way,am i a Blues' fan... i do not care if you are a Stanley Cup contender,like the Blues,or the Red Wings are,or a team that are struggling,like the three teams named,you put on ice players who are hungry,and who want to play the game,in front of the true fans of the game of hockey,simply fans who really make the game,whether it is game one,or game eighty two... PLAY HOCKEY WHETHER IT IS GAME ONE,GAME EIGHTY TWO,OR EVEN GAME SEVEN OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS... that is my point,folks...