Brian Gionta's Wife Cooking Stephen Gionta Dinner The Night Before They Played Each Other Explains Everything

@steviegio11 noted that @Giostyle21 's wife made him dinner (while Brian was playing a game) prior to Devils winning both games in Buffalo.

— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) December 16, 2015

Hey Tom, you couldn't have provided me with this little nugget pregame? I could have skipped out on watching the Devils ho-hum 2-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres to grab celebratory drinks at the bar before the puck even dropped. This game was over before they even played the national anthem for all 2,500 fans in attendance...

Don't get me wrong. It's pretty cool that Brian Gionta has a close enough relationship with his brother to let him dine on wifey's home cooked meals while he's not present. I'm certainly not implying that anything shady is going on. The Gionta's seem like nice guys, and more importantly, they aren't characters in a 'Lifetime' movie. It makes total sense that Stephen would go to his brother's house to see his sister-in-law and visit with his niece and nephew while he's in town. However, it's not about the logistics of the situation, it's about the appearance of it. Brian Gionta is the captain of the Buffalo Sabres. He may not be as good as he once was, but he is a leader of men. How can his team take him seriously when another man, brother or not, is in HIS home, sitting at HIS kitchen table, in HIS chair, eating HIS big piece of chicken. Stephen Gionta is a hard working son-of-a-bitch, but he's still just a 4th line grinder. A 4th line grinder that unintentionally made his older brother seem weaker in front of his peers.

Never mind that the Buffalo Sabres were playing the ass end of a back-to-back. Never mind that they aren't all that good. They may have been tired, but that's not why they lost to the Devils. They may be a vastly inferior team, but that's not why they lost to the Devils. They lost to the Devils because they viewed their savvy veteran presence as an emasculated shell of a man. I bet they lined up for the the draw and Stephen whispered "that chicken francese was delicious last night".  How could that not effect the psyche of a man, and more so the team whose confidence he is responsible for keeping up?

Hey Brian, don't get any ideas. When you make your way down to Jersey you're getting nothing more than the takeout of your choice...