Miller vs. Lack of Offense

[deluca67]

GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%

Fluery 302 148 106 30 17164 808 16 2.82 0.907

 

Miller 333 187 104 33 19609 839 17 2.57 0.914

 

Ward 272 138 100 23 15415 717 12 2.79 0.905

 

How did Fluery and Ward manage to win Stanley Cups with those not even Miller-esque career numbers? Again, singling out Miller on this team is asinine.

Why wouldn't want to use the playoff numbers?

 

GP W L min GA SO GAA SV%

Fluery 62 38 24 3,783 159 4 2.52 0.911

 

Miller 40 22 18 2,535 101 1 2.39 0.917

 

Ward 41 23 18 2,421 96 4 2.38 0.917

[Weave]

Miller has reverted back to his career numbers.

 

I agree with this statement. It is eerie how close he is this year to his career numbers since he's become a starter. Last season was an aberration for Miller.

 

For the most part his career numbers are not and have not been good enough(save one year on a stacked team and lost to Carolina) to get to the playoffs let alone advance in the playoffs.

 

I disagree with this statement. Millers' career numbers are plenty good enough to be a strong playoff contender. His numbers ARE NOT strong enough to carry an otherwise non-playoff team though. Like any other goalie in the league, Miller still needs a playoff calibre team in front of him to get into and make noise in the playoffs. I can only think of one goalie in my lifetime that was good enough to carry an otherwise non-playoff team into the playoffs. And Hasek was a rare breed that only comes around generationally.

[donteatyellowsnow]

DID YOU WATCH... (the two playoff runs in 05/06 & 06/07, and last season????).

 

Miller played well. Boston's goalie last season in the playoffs was NOT their backup (is now, with Thomas back on his game, and Rask playing down from his last-season's level .. plus all he had to do was stop OUR offense...). Bad luck in 05/06 & 06/07 (Miller saved some key moments in those early series wins over Islanders & Rangers), and now, they aren't yet a complete team, which will hopefully change with the new ownership (and IMO, Miller should be part of our puzzle, unless the hockey experts have good reason to believe the "Enroth era" can be at least on a par with what Miller brings, night-after-night).

 

Will be interesting to see if Enroth gets more play (early) next season. As part of the new group's "hockey evaluation" (isn't that how Miller came up, then took over for Biron?).

 

GO SABRES!!

 

FWIW, Thomas had an undisclosed hip injury which required surgery in the offseason. He elected to play through it and wasn't his normal self, enter Rask.

 

Of course I watched the 05/06 and 06/07 and last years team all lose in the playoffs well before they should have. The 05/06, 06/07 teams carried Miller, and last year he just bluntly shiiit the bed, it wasn't the other way around. So I guess I don't quite get your point?

[wjag]

Because you didn't give me the option D, the Defense, I went with the offense. They've blown so many leads this year you'd think they we're deliberating tanking the season to get rid of the owner, GM, coach and fans... in that order....

[bob_sauve28]

I agree with this statement. It is eerie how close he is this year to his career numbers since he's become a starter. Last season was an aberration for Miller.

 

 

 

I disagree with this statement. Millers' career numbers are plenty good enough to be a strong playoff contender. His numbers ARE NOT strong enough to carry an otherwise non-playoff team though. Like any other goalie in the league, Miller still needs a playoff calibre team in front of him to get into and make noise in the playoffs. I can only think of one goalie in my lifetime that was good enough to carry an otherwise non-playoff team into the playoffs. And Hasek was a rare breed that only comes around generationally.

People, people, this stuff isn't "eerie" at all! Gees, you guys are trying to turn this into some sort of second rate documentary! I mean, please!

[BeachedNLA]

FWIW, Thomas had an undisclosed hip injury which required surgery in the offseason. He elected to play through it and wasn't his normal self, enter Rask.

 

Of course I watched the 05/06 and 06/07 and last years team all lose in the playoffs well before they should have. The 05/06, 06/07 teams carried Miller, and last year he just bluntly shiiit the bed, it wasn't the other way around. So I guess I don't quite get your point?

 

Ranger series (06/07)?? Game 5, Miller made some clutch saves to keep at 0-1 before Drury's game-tier with 7 seconds left. In 2007 (06/07), no matter what statistics you look / looked at, Miller got hung out to dry regularly (as Sabres simply disregarded defense, and believed in him back there to cover their mistakes, and to outscore other teams). When the tight play of the playoffs kicked in, it didn't hold up (mistakes by Miller or whomever, were harder to recover from..., they didn't have a team built for that style of play).

 

I guess we disagree. That'd be my point.

 

Also will be interesting to see, once season is over (since you mention Thomas' injury)...

 

How Miller performs if they get a Rask-like backup.

 

GO SABRES!!

[Stoner]

Ranger series (06/07)?? Game 5, Miller made some clutch saves to keep at 0-1 before Drury's game-tier with 7 seconds left. In 2007 (06/07), no matter what statistics you look / looked at, Miller got hung out to dry regularly (as Sabres simply disregarded defense, and believed in him back there to cover their mistakes, and to outscore other teams). When the tight play of the playoffs kicked in, it didn't hold up (mistakes by Miller or whomever, were harder to recover from..., they didn't have a team built for that style of play).

 

I guess we disagree. That'd be my point.

 

Also will be interesting to see, once season is over (since you mention Thomas' injury)...

 

How Miller performs if they get a Rask-like backup.

 

GO SABRES!!

 

And why did he have to make a clutch save to keep the Sabres in the game in the first place?

[bob_sauve28]

And why did he have to make a clutch save to keep the Sabres in the game in the first place?

Lack of goal scoring support, obviously! B-)

[Bmwolf21]

DID YOU WATCH... (the two playoff runs in 05/06 & 06/07, and last season????).

 

Miller played well. Boston's goalie last season in the playoffs was NOT their backup (is now, with Thomas back on his game, and Rask playing down from his last-season's level .. plus all he had to do was stop OUR offense...). Bad luck in 05/06 & 06/07 (Miller saved some key moments in those early series wins over Islanders & Rangers), and now, they aren't yet a complete team, which will hopefully change with the new ownership (and IMO, Miller should be part of our puzzle, unless the hockey experts have good reason to believe the "Enroth era" can be at least on a par with what Miller brings, night-after-night).

 

Will be interesting to see if Enroth gets more play (early) next season. As part of the new group's "hockey evaluation" (isn't that how Miller came up, then took over for Biron?).

 

GO SABRES!!

 

 

Why wouldn't want to use the playoff numbers?

 

GP W L min GA SO GAA SV%

Fluery 62 38 24 3,783 159 4 2.52 0.911

 

Miller 40 22 18 2,535 101 1 2.39 0.917

 

Ward 41 23 18 2,421 96 4 2.38 0.917

 

 

Ranger series (06/07)?? Game 5, Miller made some clutch saves to keep at 0-1 before Drury's game-tier with 7 seconds left. In 2007 (06/07), no matter what statistics you look / looked at, Miller got hung out to dry regularly (as Sabres simply disregarded defense, and believed in him back there to cover their mistakes, and to outscore other teams). When the tight play of the playoffs kicked in, it didn't hold up (mistakes by Miller or whomever, were harder to recover from..., they didn't have a team built for that style of play).

 

I guess we disagree. That'd be my point.

 

Also will be interesting to see, once season is over (since you mention Thomas' injury)...

 

How Miller performs if they get a Rask-like backup.

 

GO SABRES!!

You're all howling at the moon here. The pitchforks are sharpened, the torches lit, and some posters are out for Miller's blood.

[Supersabre]

This. I don't get the Miller hate. A properly constructed NHL team would have no problem being successful with the likes of Ryan Miller in goal. Ryan Miller is way down the list (probably last) of what is wrong with this team.

 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[X. Benedict]

It's the defensive pairs, mostly.

 

Tallinder and Lydman were not only good on the PK, but they were also very good on 4x4's.

 

The Sabres have probably given up 10 Shorties, 10 4x4 goals, and more than usual on the 5x3 kill.

 

The Sabres D have been good 5x5, but on special units the D has really been poor.

 

Leopold and Morrison and Sekera just haven't picked up the slack in these areas.

 

Apart from that, Miller has had a few clunkers.

[Iron Crotch]

It's the defensive pairs, mostly.

 

Tallinder and Lydman were not only good on the PK, but they were also very good on 4x4's.

 

The Sabres have probably given up 10 Shorties, 10 4x4 goals, and more than usual on the 5x3 kill.

 

The Sabres D have been good 5x5, but on special units the D has really been poor.

 

Leopold and Morrison and Sekera just haven't picked up the slack in these areas.

 

Apart from that, Miller has had a few clunkers.

 

I agree with this. I know it is not a popular opinion on here, but Tallinder and Lydman were our two best defensive defenseman and losing them has had an effect. As pointed out, they did most of the heavy lifting on the PK. And, Myers certainly isn't the same without Hank next to him. I love what Leopold brings offensively, but he's a career -25 for a reason.

 

BTW - our PK was 2nd in the NHL (86.6%) last year and is 16th (82.3%) so far this year. That would account for a big part of the difference in Miller's numbers alone.