The financial uncertainty surrounding the Rochester Americans was too much for the Buffalo Sabres, who will end their 29-year relationship with the AHL franchise at the end of the 2007-08 season, according to published reports.

Here’s a scenario that would normally be reporter heaven… you are covering the Sabres; no competition as the only other beat reporter covering the game is John Vogl from the News; the Anaheim media contingent is skimpy to begin with and all engaged with their players; the locker room isn’t the labyrinth of side rooms and coves where players duck out like in Buffalo, but just one big room with locker stalls and an adjacent shower. I walk in and nirvana!… 25 hockey players in various stage of undress, and Media Coordinator Chris Bandura beseeching me to please have at it and interview anyone I like. I have the room pretty much to myself.

Check out Peter and Andrew’s Live blog recap of last nights 4-1 loss to the Ducks.

As you may know, there’s a big to-do in the hockey blogosphere about blogger access to the press box. I’ll write more about that, and the piece that aired on Hockey Night in Canada, at a later point. I swear, I must have started a dozen different posts over the past year about how bloggers should have regular access to the press box (note: I do not want that for myself), but I have always canned them because I think the topic of bloggers writing about bloggers who want to blog is, well, I don’t know. It’s just not me.

Much of the conversation from the blogger end is that “we” can actually be more critical of the local team than “them” - those writers whose papers are owned by companies which interact with companies owned by the owner of the hockey team. Got that? If not, read it again.

Here in Buffalo, that’s clearly not the case. In fact, I would think that - my stunning good looks aside - much of this site’s popularity is due to the fact I am usually in direct opposition to the negative and downright destructive commentary of Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan. (Although Jerry has been like a mouse of late. Maybe he’s worried about Santa screwing him this year.)

Nothing like an 8-1 win to get you feeling good about the home team, and there’s nothing like an 8-1 win to make sure your five-year-old kid has a good time. What’s really amazing is that I’m not sure he saw a single goal. We were up in the first row of the 300’s (ebay purchase for $95 for the pair - that’s a bargain) and his eyes were everywhere but the ice. The ribbon board was a big hit, but then again, so was the press box. Who knows, maybe he was looking for Bucky Gleason to try and figure out what exactly Daddy’s fascination is…

I’m not sure how it’s possible to look like shit in an 8-1 game, but Thomas Vanek sure managed to pull it off. It was as if his goal for the night was to give Carolina a power play for the entire second period while missing - or hesitating on - every single chance he had. Well, except one, that is. I don’t mean to diminish his goal, but it came at a time when the game was long decided and after misplaying multiple chances. I know he’s got about $10 million worth of gripping on his mind, but he just needs to let the puck fly and hope they start going in. Maybe his goal tonight will change that.