A few questions to start the season Part III...

[LabattBlue]

#1 7th or 8th

#2 25-50%

#3 1 or 2

[Eric in Akron]

4-6 - See answer to number 2

51-75% - Miller back in form on shootouts

0 - Miller just doesn't do the shutout thing.

[R_Dudley]

7-8

40% - I am hoping the big new contract does not cause a let down year

3- Attention to better D pays off but he has never been a big SO gaolie

[Bmwolf21]

#1 - 4th - 6th

#2 - 25 - 50% -- won't matter if Miller gets back to form if the shooters can't score more than 12 SO goals on the year or convert at a higher rate than 28%

#3 - 3-4 -- with a lot of 1-goal games sprinkled in. Maybe Rivet and LaLime helps push Ryan to the next level and he gets to that 5+ level, but I can't see him sliding back with the apparent increased team emphasis on defense.

[frisky]

I think the off-season moves will propel them back into the playoffs...barely. But, althought the regular season hasn't started, at least from the pre-season, I'm afraid of them playing enough drag ass games to put them in a hole early. I'm also afraid of the stretch of road games in January (10 of 13 on the road with 6 consecutive ones (of which 2 are in Fl and 4 are out west). At least they only have one Cali game this year instead of 3 (I wish they had 3 but Spock called it a "nice vacation" last year...good focus). However, I hope that Rivet and Nummy can keep the team focused and help put out consistent effort and energy from game to game.

[wonderbread]

7-8

above 75% (We do have a shoot out captian here for cripes sakes)

1-2 Miller can't stay focused for 60 mins more than once or twice.

[Bmwolf21]

1-2 Miller can't stay focused for 60 mins more than once or twice.

He did it three times last year. ;)

[wonderbread]

He did it three times last year. ;)

 

On the whole I don't feel Miller is a shut out Goalie.

[Samson's Flow]

7-8th. How could we be that much better if we didnt make any changes save from Rivet? its still the same players guys...

25-50% (see above)

3 shutouts for Miller, same as the last couple of years. although the emphasis on defense sounds nice, i'll wait until i see it in action before i go drinking the kool aid.

[Bmwolf21]

On the whole I don't feel Miller is a shut out Goalie.

I can understand that, I just don't buy the "can't stay focused for 60 minutes" BS that keeps resurfacing. I just think that if that truly was an issue the Sabres would have sent him to every sports psychologist and specialty training institute in North America, trying to get that resolved before investing $30M+ as making him the franchise goalie.

 

I honestly think that, last season aside, some of these fluke goals are actually the result of overthinking and trying to outsmart the opposition -- sometimes he tries to anticipate too much instead of just reading and reacting.