Good afternoon, students!
Buffalo74 is straying off the hockey-cliche-ridden beaten path today, for a fresher (or older) look at what it will take for the Sabres to emerge victorious from their biggest road trip of the year.
Ye Olde literature is sometimes the best place to find our words in times of great courage.
Pictured: In this Sabres Epic, Enroth and Vanek must lead the boys to glory.
“Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.” (Beowulf, 1384–1389)
– “Beowulf” makes for a perfect rally speech for the Buffalo Sabres, who, without Ryan Miller, embark on their epic season-defining road trip with rookie netminder Jhonas Enroth. The Sabres will have to find more from themselves, and a new champion, on the road.
“Humbaba’s mouth is fire; his roar the floodwater; his breath is death. Enlil made him guardian of the Cedar Forest, to frighten off the mortal who would venture there. But who would venture there?
Humbaba’s mouth is fire; his roar is the floodwater; he breathes and there is death. He hears the slightest sound somewhere in the Forest. Enlil made him terrifying guardian,Whose mouth is fire, whose roar the floodwater.” (-Tablet II)
– “Gilgamesh” serves up a perfect warning to Buffalo of Alexander Ovechkin, who can unleash the floodgates on a goaltender at any given moment. It is up to Enroth to venture there, and quash Ovechkin’s fire.
“…through me you enter into the city of woes through me you enter into eternal pain, through me you enter the population of loss…
Abandon all hope, you who enter here.” (-Canto 3)
– “Dante’s Inferno” provides a wonderful description of what will happen to any Washington forward who dares cross over the Sabres’ blue line anywhere near Mike Weber.
“Just as I have come from afar, creating pain for many – men and women across the good green earth – so let his name be Odysseus . . . the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.” (19.460–464)
– “The Odyssey” explains how Thomas Vanek absolutely must emerge as the captain of this voyage, and of this team. He must unleash pain to the Washington Capitals, and then the Carolina Hurricanes, before the Sabres’ return.
“It is asserted that the dogs keep running when they drink at the Nile, for fear of becoming a prey to the voracity of the crocodile.” (Book VIII, 148)
– “Pliny the Elder” describes that crashing the crease is nothing new at all. Fear begets a losing effort.
I certainly don’t expect any of these quotes to go up in the Sabres’ locker room any time soon, but really, the means to galvanize a team towards glory have never changed. And wasn’t that fun?
Class dismissed!
Go Sabres.
buffalo74 