Sabres at Carolina Game 2

As I sit at my computer typing and looking out the window, lots of different thoughts come into mind. The first is what a perfect example of a Buffalo day it is outside. The temperature is somewhere in the high 40's - low 50's, it's completely overcast (has been all day), and by the way, its May 22nd. It's days like these that Buffalonians and members of the Queen City's surrounding areas deal with 80% of the year. Take a trip from downtown on the 190 to Orchard Park. You will first pass HSBC Arena, which appears to be too nice to be in the city. Be sure to admire the Eastern Conference Champions banner...no Stanley Cup banner in sight. Continue your trip and you will see miles of abandoned factories that haunt the could-be beautiful landscape of Lake Erie. You reach Ralph Wilson Stadium and realize - A. This f'n place is in the middle of nowhere! B. Four AFC Championship banners....no Super Bowl.

These are the sights that define Buffalo. We live in a city that is used to being not just knocked down, but kicked while they're down too. Poking fun at Buffalo is easy: not only is the city in shambles with no sign of coming out of this funk, no team from the city has ever won anything significant. The worst part about this is, their losses are devastating, and very hard to forget. I would take the time to go through "Wide Right," "No Goal," and "The Music City Miracle"...but I'm sure you've seen then replayed on ESPN 1,000 times, complete with a smart-ass remark by an "expert" after the clip.

The greatest part about all of this? We love it...

Buffalo sports fans expect the worst knowing that one day, they will finally be able to smile. One day a Buffalo team will win. The Bisons and the Bandits championships just won't do it, we need national recognition. We want people to turn on the television and see Buffalo fans in the streets, living it up like they do best. I see a dose of this when I look out the window today. Driving around the past few weeks, the Sabres flags hanging on the top of car windows have grown in number exponentially. A random conversation with someone on Elmwood always ends with "...and Go Sabres!"

This is because Buffalo lives vicariously through their teams. Other cities have bigger things going for them, like an economy for starters. Buffalo only has sports. It is all we know. People my age have been sporting a Jim Kelly or Bruce Smith jersey since the first backyard football game they ever played.

This leads to Buffalo's current high: The Sabres run for the Stanley Cup. The stage is set, the players are there, and everything seems to be rolling along. For fans, that is the scariest part. In the past when everything has looked good, something ridiculous happens and Buffalo chokes. Will it happen again? If it does it's going to be a long winter, especially since the Bills don't seem to be going anywhere.

Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals is tonight!

Ryan Miller looks to continue his hot streak between the pipes. I'm also looking for Maxim Afinogenov to get going sometime soon. The season's points leader for the Sabres has been relatively quiet throughout the playoffs. The MVP of the playoffs has definitely been Mike Grier, however. Grier's superb penalty killing has kept the Sabres alive during opponents' power plays, and he's even come up with a few big goals.

Not much more to say. I'm afraid I'll get too far ahead of myself. By the way, 7 more wins and the Cup belongs to Buffalo...