Why Miller Should Have Played Last Night

[CallawaySabres]

I have no idea why Mair was in last night as well. Ellis did not deserve a benching with the energy he puts out there. I would have had no problem starting Lalime last night IF Vanek was back in the lineup. I think the lineup was Ruff's first mistake of the season but I won't take too much out of last night. Get Miller and Vanek back in there with the previous lineup and they should be fine. If Ottawa is our biggest concern in the division right now, it should be a good year. Something is VERY wrong in Boston right now....................

[carpandean]

I have no idea why Mair was in last night as well. Ellis did not deserve a benching with the energy he puts out there.

Ellis was injured.

[inkman]

Lalime has to play. Lindy's biggest fault to date is the handling of his the back up goalies. The past 4 seasons the Sabres have clamored about making sure the back up plays and every year it doesn't happen. The goalie gets rusty, they put him in, he sucks, right back to Ryan Miller. The Sabres backup has to play at least 15 games just for his sake, otherwise it's a L every time he plays.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Lalime is french for NotMiller........ :(

[deluca67]

Lalime has to play. Lindy's biggest fault to date is the handling of his the back up goalies. The past 4 seasons the Sabres have clamored about making sure the back up plays and every year it doesn't happen. The goalie gets rusty, they put him in, he sucks, right back to Ryan Miller. The Sabres backup has to play at least 15 games just for his sake, otherwise it's a L every time he plays.

Are the Sabres better off going forward with Lalime starting last night? Will Miller be more rested in March/April because he sat last night? Can the Sabres rely on Lalime to steal points in situations like last night? The Answer to all is NO.

 

At points in this season Miller will need to be rested. Because the Sabres were unable to upgrade the backup position during the off season they need to be deliberate on which games they play Lalime and which points they want to give up on. There was no reason to give up on the 2 pts last night. They play three times over the next 11 days. Fatigue is not a issue for Miller. Miller's fatigue is the only reason ever to play Lalime.

[inkman]

Are the Sabres better off going forward with Lalime starting last night? Will Miller be more rested in March/April because he sat last night? Can the Sabres rely on Lalime to steal points in situations like last night? The Answer to all is NO.

 

At points in this season Miller will need to be rested. Because the Sabres were unable to upgrade the backup position during the off season they need to be deliberate on which games they play Lalime and which points they want to give up on. There was no reason to give up on the 2 pts last night. They play three times over the next 11 days. Fatigue is not a issue for Miller. Miller's fatigue is the only reason ever to play Lalime.

Playing Lalime once a month guarantees a loss.

[SteamRoller72]

Are the Sabres better off going forward with Lalime starting last night? Will Miller be more rested in March/April because he sat last night? Can the Sabres rely on Lalime to steal points in situations like last night? The Answer to all is NO.

 

At points in this season Miller will need to be rested. Because the Sabres were unable to upgrade the backup position during the off season they need to be deliberate on which games they play Lalime and which points they want to give up on. There was no reason to give up on the 2 pts last night. They play three times over the next 11 days. Fatigue is not a issue for Miller. Miller's fatigue is the only reason ever to play Lalime.

 

Every other team in the league has started their backup goalie by mid October. You have to see beyond the Buffalo-based tunnel vision to see the big picture.

Back to back games are the perfect scenario to come out flat....the Sabres play Friday & Saturday night every weekend in November. Do you want Miller in net for each of those games?

Lalime sucks, he's average on his best day. Nonetheless, he is the backup for this team and needs to play despite the fact he's a loss waiting to happen.

[darksabre]

Playing Lalime once a month guarantees a loss.

 

So long as the team playing in front of him wants to completely phone it in.

[deluca67]

Every other team in the league has started their backup goalie by mid October. You have to see beyond the Buffalo-based tunnel vision to see the big picture.

Back to back games are the perfect scenario to come out flat....the Sabres play Friday & Saturday night every weekend in November. Do you want Miller in net for each of those games?

Lalime sucks, he's average on his best day. Nonetheless, he is the backup for this team and needs to play despite the fact he's a loss waiting to happen.

You're either ignoring the point to avoid admitting you're wrong or you just don't get it.

 

Going into Friday the Sabres have played 4 games in 12 days. They are entering a stretch where they will be playing 3 games over 11 games. That is a gift from the schedule makers. It is a far different scenario from playing a series of back to back games or even 3 in 4 nights. When this team gets that point of the schedule then spot start Lalime. To give Lalime a start in a winnable game for no reason is a bad coaching decision. Lalime only needs to play when Miller needs to rest.

[deluca67]

Playing Lalime guarantees a loss.

This is a more accurate version of your post. :thumbsup:

[VansTheMans]

I think the more important issue at hand is judging how THE TEAM plays when Lalime is in net.

 

It's clear to see that the team does not have the confidence to play their game when Miller isn't on the ice.

 

Our new system relies heavily upon dmen that are willing to be aggressive and move up the ice with the forwards. The new system consists of both the d and the forwards moving up the ice in unison, using short fast passes to move quickly up the ice. Our dmen can do that without worry because they know that even if they make a mistake and an opposing forward blows past them, Miller stands a good chance of bailing them out. With Lalime, they do not have that luxury.

 

You saw our system break down last night against Atlanta. Instead of playing our game, our dmen played on their heels. It allowed Atlanta to forecheck aggressively, clogging up the neutral zone, forcing our forwards further up the ice. So, instead of the team moving in unison, you had the d playing deep in our zone and Atlanta forwards freely forechecking; this effectively split our players on the ice in half. With Atlanta crowding the neutral zone, our forwards had no choice but to skate past the Thrashers and hope for a pass. This curses our defense, because the only outlet pass our dmen had was to throw the puck up the ice to the opposing blueline and hope one of our forwards received it. It frustrated me to see the d attempt those passes, as they rarely ever work.

 

The Sabres need to learn to play their new system, regardless of who is in net. It's been awesomely effective the first few games, and will continue to be so as long as the team is committed to it. If they attempt to play the game like its 06-07, they'll be destroyed. Whether or not Lalime can bail out the d if they make a mistake matters not; the d needs to be confident, aggressive and stick to the plan. If they don't, the entire system collapses and the Sabres will most likely be unable to win the game.

[darksabre]

I think the more important issue at hand is judging how THE TEAM plays when Lalime is in net.

 

It's clear to see that the team does not have the confidence to play their game when Miller isn't on the ice.

 

Our new system relies heavily upon dmen that are willing to be aggressive and move up the ice with the forwards. The new system consists of both the d and the forwards moving up the ice in unison, using short fast passes to move quickly up the ice. Our dmen can do that without worry because they know that even if they make a mistake and an opposing forward blows past them, Miller stands a good chance of bailing them out. With Lalime, they do not have that luxury.

 

You saw our system break down last night against Atlanta. Instead of playing our game, our dmen played on their heels. It allowed Atlanta to forecheck aggressively, clogging up the neutral zone, forcing our forwards further up the ice. So, instead of the team moving in unison, you had the d playing deep in our zone and Atlanta forwards freely forechecking; this effectively split our players on the ice in half. With Atlanta crowding the neutral zone, our forwards had no choice but to skate past the Thrashers and hope for a pass. This curses our defense, because the only outlet pass our dmen had was to throw the puck up the ice to the opposing blueline and hope one of our forwards received it. It frustrated me to see the d attempt those passes, as they rarely ever work.

 

The Sabres need to learn to play their new system, regardless of who is in net. It's been awesomely effective the first few games, and will continue to be so as long as the team is committed to it. If they attempt to play the game like its 06-07, they'll be destroyed. Whether or not Lalime can bail out the d if they make a mistake matters not; the d needs to be confident, aggressive and stick to the plan. If they don't, the entire system collapses and the Sabres will most likely be unable to win the game.

 

This should be the unequivocal last post on this topic. Although having Miller in net vs. Lalime may cause the team to play differently, the point is that they shouldn't. A disciplined team plays the system that wins them games. If you play the system and Lalime blows the game, then Lalime can be blamed. But until this team plays like it is supposed to in front of Lalime, then only the skaters are to blame for the losses Lalime suffers at their hands.

[Vanek Nation]

Patrick LiLAME... am I right or what guys?

[darksabre]

Patrick LiLAME... am I right or what guys?

 

Thanks for your insightful post and persuasive argument on the topic at hand.

 

 

 

<_<

[LabattBlue]

I said it yesterday morning...if Lindy had his heart set on playing Lalime this weekend, it should have been against the Islanders. Let the backup goaltending debacle begin!

[deluca67]

I said it yesterday morning...if Lindy had his heart set on playing Lalime this weekend, it should have been against the Islanders. Let the backup goaltending debacle begin!

If what Biron said, about being in serious negotiations with the Sabres, is true. What colossal failure by this front office.

[deluca67]

This should be the unequivocal last post on this topic. Although having Miller in net vs. Lalime may cause the team to play differently, the point is that they shouldn't. A disciplined team plays the system that wins them games. If you play the system and Lalime blows the game, then Lalime can be blamed. But until this team plays like it is supposed to in front of Lalime, then only the skaters are to blame for the losses Lalime suffers at their hands.

Why? We need to talk about something during all of this down time the Sabres have early in the season. Yes, during all of the down time the Sabres have early in the season. Let me repeat it, during all of the down time the Sabres have early in the season.

[darksabre]

If what Biron said, about being in serious negotiations with the Sabres, is true. What colossal failure by this front office.

 

How is it a failure by the front office? Biron went to the Islanders to take a crack at starting. It's not the front office's fault he still thinks he can do that. He said it himself that it wasn't about money, it was about his role on the team. He would not have a chance to take a starting job here from Miller and we all know that.

 

We wont get Marty back here as a backup until he decides it is time for him to relegate himself to that role. Nice try and blaming the front office for it though.

[darksabre]

Why? We need to talk about something during all of this down time the Sabres have early in the season. Yes, during all of the down time the Sabres have early in the season. Let me repeat it, during all of the down time the Sabres have early in the season.

 

You're completely missing the point. Completely. Let me repeat it: completely.

[LabattBlue]

I said it yesterday morning...if Lindy had his heart set on playing Lalime this weekend, it should have been against the Islanders. Let the backup goaltending debacle begin!

I meant to say...Let the backup goaltending debacle begin AGAIN!

[deluca67]

You're completely missing the point. Completely. Let me repeat it: completely.

I'm the only one on point. You can go ahead and continue to believe that Miller will somehow be fresher in April because he had last night off. I can't wait to read your post after the April 3rd game against Montreal, "Miller looked really refreshed tonight. Good thing he didn't get over worked in October."

[deluca67]

How is it a failure by the front office? Biron went to the Islanders to take a crack at starting. It's not the front office's fault he still thinks he can do that. He said it himself that it wasn't about money, it was about his role on the team. He would not have a chance to take a starting job here from Miller and we all know that.

 

We wont get Marty back here as a backup until he decides it is time for him to relegate himself to that role. Nice try and blaming the front office for it though.

Biron himself said it was "serious." Which means there was a opportunity there for this front office. A opportunity the Sabres could take advantage of.

[VansTheMans]

If DiPietro comes back when he's supposed to (around Thanksgiving), the Islanders may look to move Biron.

 

The Sabres could take a run at him then.

[darksabre]

I'm the only one on point. You can go ahead and continue to believe that Miller will somehow be fresher in April because he had last night off. I can't wait to read your post after the April 3rd game against Montreal, "Miller looked really refreshed tonight. Good thing he didn't get over worked in October."

 

This whole issue of Lalime playing has nothing to do with Miller being fresh, and I'm not arguing that it was a good time to play Lalime at all. The point I'm trying to make here is that it shouldn't matter whether or not Lalime plays. Yesterday's game was a prime example of the Sabres completely blowing it in front of their backup goalie. Harp about the decision to play him all you want, I'm not saying playing him right now is a way to save Miller. It's simply something that has to be done, just as most other teams do. And quite frankly I'm happy this occurred this early on in the season, because now we know that we shouldn't expect any better from this team in front of Lalime this year than last year.

 

Last night's game had nothing to do with "resting" Miller to save him for April or whatever garbage you're saying. Last night's game was simply to get Lalime into the mix. Would I have preferred to see him against the Islanders? In hindsight, yes. Would I have liked to see him at all this weekend? No, and I said as much in another post (the game day thread?) where I felt it wouldn't be so bad to see him in November for his first start, if we really want to ride Miller while the schedule has space here in October. I AGREE WITH YOU that it would be better to play Miller more now, as a matter of building points while it's easy.

 

You can't blame yesterday's loss on Lalime though. There is just no justifying that.

 

Biron himself said it was "serious." Which means there was a opportunity there for this front office. A opportunity the Sabres could take advantage of.

 

You're just proving my point. Just because the talks were "serious" doesn't mean we were his first choice. We very well could have had him pen in hand, ready to sign, when the Islanders offered him a job. Just because it may have gotten even THAT far (which is all speculation of course), doesn't make it a failing of the front office. Because we know Marty would rather have a crack at starting, which is exactly why he CHOSE the Islanders over the Sabres. We might have even had an offer to him for more money, he said as much. That his decision was not about money. Marty Biron wants to start. It wasn't going to happen here. We were his backup plan. The Islanders simply gave him what he really wanted. How is that a failing of our front office that Marty waited for the right offer to come along instead of impulsively settling to be a backup in Buffalo? That's smart negotiating on his part, not a failure on Darcy's part.

[inkman]

Last night's game was simply to get Lalime into the mix.

This.