Sabres vs Kings – Liveblogging from the Staples Center

6:48PM – Check out the view above from our perch at Staples Center. When you have a lower level, a club level, THREE levels of suites then the upper level, that translates into total nosebleeds for the pressbox.

The Sabres will be looking to rebound from an ugly defeat at Anaheim last night. As for the Kings, they are also coming off an identical 4-1 defeat at Phoenix.

The last time these two teams played was in Buffalo on January 14, 2006, and the Sabres demolished Los Angeles 10-1 on that night. The Sabres last played at the Staples Center on October 23, 2003 and Buffalo also won that game, by a 5-1 score.Jocelyn Thibault will be in the nets for the Sabres tonight. -ak

7:19 As usual, heavy Sabrefan presence around the visitors entrance….-pjf

7:22 Looking over at the championship banners above the seating bowl I just can’t help but think “night and day”. Nine Laker Championship banners in sets of three hung alongside….an LA Sparks WNBA title and LA Avengers AFL title banner. Could there possibly be two more irrelevant pieces of cloth hanging next to the Laker banners??? As an aside, the Kings do have one division and one conference championship banner up there with retired numbers for Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Rogie Vachon, Luc Robataille and that #99 guy…can’t make out his name. – pjf

7:27 Peters and Tallinder are scratched….. – pjf

7:35 Johnathan Quick making his first NHL start this season in net for the Kings. – pjf

7:42 Thibault with a save on a breakaway….Sabres first PP opportunity gets some chances but no reward. – pjf

7:45 @#$!!!….bright side, the goal horn isn’t as annoying as last nights. First noticeable “Let’s Go Sabres chant heard soon afterward. -pjf

7:51 @#$!!!….softie….was just thinking how this is the game the Sabres have to get on this road trip. Yikes – pjf

7:57 TV timeout, useless note. I’m really not liking the chants these fans have out here. “Let’s Go Ki-ings” and “Let’s Go Du-ucks” just don’t roll off the tongue that well. I suggest they go the Canadian route of “Go (team) Go”. Spacek in the box, here at Staples they pronounce correctly.- pjf

8:01 Derek was “Roybed” on the break….yea, I’m using the French pronounciation for this comment only. – pjf

8:12 @#$!!!….It’s getting REALLY close to bedtime, on the east coast….for Sabrefan here in the building…whereever.- pjf

8:15PM – Jaroslav Modry makes it 4-0 Kings and the song “I Love LA” rains down on the crowd. Will we see Miller between the pipes? Anyone staying up in the east? Ugh! -ak

8:36 PM – Miller in net….doesn’t mean crap. It’s bedtime folks, not like I’ll stop blogging though. pjf

8:40 Pete and I took a ride down to the 100 concourse and said hi to our road trip bud Andy DiMento and his older brother Nick… both in the building tonight cheering on their beloved Kings, and both with big smiles on their faces. – ak

8:42 1…2…3…4….5…6….oh wait, nevermind….-pjf

8:48 another note about the intermission, we walked around the lower concourse and saw plenty of diversity in the Sabres jerseys, must’ve been the rich folk this time around compared to last night in Anaheim. – pjf

8:53 TOUCHDOWN!!!!!:(…great, three goal by folks who haven’t scored a goal all year and we’re facing a goalie who hasn’t played in the NHL all season. The Elmira Jackals could punk the Sabres tonight. BTW…..Sabres have been outscored 11-0 since early 1st period in Anaheim. – pjf

8:57 Make that 11-1, forgive me if I’m not thrilled. Amazingly, Sabrefan still throwing out the “Let’s go Sabres” chants in the building…would’ve thought they’d bail by now. – pjf

9:08 7-1 end 2, outshot 26-11, outscored 11-2 in California. Anyone in favor of keeping the current scheduling format? Anyone? Do I hear a second??? – pjf

9:27 3rd period underway, gee we outscored them 2-0 in the last seven minutes or so….-pjf

9:30 Did I read this right? Todd Collins throws two TD for the ‘Skins as they beat the Bears tonight? I thought Collins was selling insurance somewhere in the Yukon…. – pjf

9:41 Ok, we have tonight’s mispronunciation of a Sabre player’s name. Meet Nathan Paetsch(pronounced Pash) guilty of a delay of game penalty. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that delaying the end of this game is the last thing he wants to do right now. – pjf

9:44 They play “I Love LA” after each goal and I’m tellin’ ya…I hate LA right about now. I wish to have the referees swallow their whistles from here on out. Let’s get outta here before someone suffers a needless injury. -pjf

9:53 2:23 remains. I heard some Kings fans start a “Buffalo sucks” chant. Anyone disagree??? – Tick…Tock – pjf

9:59 Game over….8-2 loss. If you’re still awake, you’re certainly a diehard and someone whose sanity I’d have to question….adios!!!!!!