Recap: 3/7/10 Pirates vs. Amerks

I'd love to be able to tell you my thoughts on Sunday night's Sabres-Rangers game, but DirecTV decided that my DVR shouldn't bother recording it.  Because, you know, DirecTV hadn't done enough already this hockey season to piss me off.  So instead, you get my observations on Sunday afternoon's Pirates-Amerks game at HSBC Arena - in bullet-point format, because everyone loves bullet points.

• After noting on Twitter that there couldn't have been more than 2,000 people in the building, I was shocked to see attendance announced as 4,230.  That's some creative math right there. This is down quite a bit from more than 11,000 at the first Pirates game in HSBC a year ago, and as such I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last time the Pirates will play in HSBC.  And that's a shame.
• Our seats were in the 16th row of section 105, and I sat right on the center line.  Easily the best seats I've ever had in HSBC Arena.  You tend to forget how fast and loud the game is when you sit two rows from the top in the 300s.
• I thought Jhonas Enroth generally looked pretty good, but he seems to have a tendency to overplay the puck a bit and had to scramble on a few saves because of it.  Even so, with Patrick Lalime's contract expiring I wouldn't be surprised to see him backing up Miller next year.
• I wasn't terribly impressed with the defensive pairing of Mike Weber and Drew Schiestel.  Scheistel in particular misplayed a 2-on-1 - I believe on the Mike York goal - by allowing not one but two cross-ice passes.  
• Speaking of Mike York - he still plays hockey?!?
• Speaking of guys who still play hockey, guess who suits up for Rochester once again?  That's right, Rory Fitzpatrick.  Not only is he on the roster, but he's also the captain, which tells you everything you need to know about both Rory Fitzpatrick and the Rochester Americans.  From a potential joke of an All-Star to just a joke in general, it's nice to see that Rory is back where he belongs.  Welcome back to Buffalo Rory, and no, we haven't forgotten about Game 7 vs. Carolina.
• Plenty of Rochester fans made the trip, so there were a few dueling Let's go Pirates/Let's go Amerks chants.  I love dueling chants - I think that particular back-and-forth is part of what makes sports so great.  Despite the small crowd, at times I felt it was as loud as I've heard HSBC Arena in some time.  And yeah, that's an indictment on the crowds at the last few Sabres games.
• Matt Generous seems to be a pretty aggressive player.  He laid out an Amerks player with a huge, textbook open-ice check - and promptly got slapped with a penalty that can only be described as two minutes for hitting too hard.  It wasn't blindside, it wasn't a hit to the head, it wasn't interference, and he didn't leave his feet or use his elbows.  The official call was roughing.  One of the more ridiculous calls I've ever seen.
• During the game, I had a bullet point all planned out about how I think some Sabre fans are nuts for constantly wanting Cody McCormick and Jeff Cowan to be called up.  Sure, they're tough players, but I don't see what they can add to a team that's having trouble scoring goals.  So of course, McCormick scored on the power play and Cowan assisted on it to completely ruin this bullet point.
• Spotted in the crowd - an older gentleman wearing a Mike Robitaille jersey.  Except it wasn't a Sabres jersey, it was a Buffalo Bisons jersey.  All sorts of awesome.
• Sign of the night: "America will not tolerate Piracy".

All in all, my family and I enjoyed the game and I hope that I'm wrong about the poor attendance suggesting that it might be the last time.  $20 for a ticket right on center ice and just 16 rows up is hard to beat, minor league hockey or not.