Keep in mind RJ was watching the game on TV, he wasn't actually at the arena. If he's still getting names wrong and missing things when actually at the arena then fine, but I'd cut him some slack, on the first game of the season, when viewing a television broadcast and still calling the game.
As jbuds mentioned, he's been getting progressively worse, so it's not like it's something new. He started fumbling names a couple seasons ago and it's been getting more and more apparent since.
I'm not hating on the guy or anything. He's been a major part of Sabres hockey for decades now, and he's been awesome the whole time. I just hate seeing guys hang on past their prime instead of taking the Seinfeld route and going out on a high note.
As jbuds mentioned, he's been getting progressively worse, so it's not like it's something new. He started fumbling names a couple seasons ago and it's been getting more and more apparent since.
I'm not hating on the guy or anything. He's been a major part of Sabres hockey for decades now, and he's been awesome the whole time. I just hate seeing guys hang on past their prime instead of taking the Seinfeld route and going out on a high note.
The thing is that even slowed down RJ is better than 75% of the other announcers in the league and also better than Kevin Sylvester who seems to be the heir apparent. So I'm fine with him doing as many games as he wants.
RJ was fine. I'll only be worried if he'd doing this in the middle of the season. He was watching on TV, with several new players and new numbers... I'm cutting him some slack.
Good:
• Miller looked real sharp
• Vanek is in monster mode, Poms looks good, and the whole VAP line continues to impress
•*Myers-Regehr did a great job handling the RPG line. They looked much better than preseason
•*Leino with the opening night hometown goal
•*PP looked impressive, and Grags looked great moving the puck
Bad:
• Ehrhoff-Leopold
•*Missed having Weber in the lineup, but Grags did add a lot to the PP, which was a big reason for the W
• Ducks' announcers suck, although not as biased as last season. "grag-nanny" "Tony Pegula"?!?
• 3rd period shell.
Ugly
• Lack of forecheck for much of the game
• no shots in 3rd
I agree with those above about re-forming the lines. I'd like to go back to GGK and ELS, although that leaves a hodgepodge line of McCormick-Roy-Boyes
The thing is that even slowed down RJ is better than 75% of the other announcers in the league and also better than Kevin Sylvester who seems to be the heir apparent. So I'm fine with him doing as many games as he wants.
I respectfully disagree with the bolded. It's not just the name fumbling that gets me. It's that his voice sounds older and older with each game, and right now, there are a good 15-20 guys on tv and/or radio that are better than him. He's a legend and is all that Sabres hockey is - I pray he gets to call a Cup victory, but I think this should be his final season.
He wasn't given the captaincy, but Vanek led by example in the Sabres' season-opening win over the Anaheim Ducks in Helsinki. He opened the scoring on the power play at 4:02 of the first period. In the second, after Nate Guenin cut the Buffalo lead to 2-1, Vanek did solid work in the offensive zone that led to captain Jason Pominville's goal 1:13 later. Vanek's second power-play goal of the game iced it, scoring off the skate of Cam Fowler. Sabres won, 4-1.
