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thesportsbuff

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Posted

You do know what 'IMO' means right?

Perhaps I should have prefaced my question with how did you come up with that opinion? Whats it based on? Anyone can make a blanket statement about someones personality but what do you have to back it up? Just sayin.

Posted

LO freaking L

 

I missed the game today and just spent 20 minutes reading the roller coaster that is this thread. Anyone need to use a barf bag after that ride?

 

Dude that's this message board. Not saying it as a negative thing but ppl over react. Look back at any GDT with a lead change. Everyone is 'what have you done for me lately'. There are several posters actually looking to trade Miller. He gets a shutout Tuesday and he'll be the saviour of the franchise again.

Posted

Quick note, Miller has played 332 less minutes this season than Carey Price.

 

Holy crap. There are 4 goalies with more TOI than Miller. Whodathunkit?

 

Bryzgalov, Ward, Kiprusoff, and Price have all played more minutes than Miller this year.

 

Cue PA and his smaller goalies need more rest than bigger goalies discussion. :D

Posted

Which goes to my point. There are some ready to get him signed. The thought of that contract frightens me.

 

You know I'm not one of those ready to sign him. I recently am not ready to trade him, either; I like the chzfreeman approach of waiting until the summer.

 

 

At some point you have to. Even if we get to the playoffs Miller is going to be useless.

 

It's not Lindy's option to pick the roster. Lalime is freaking horrible. And he'll probably start one this week to remind us all of that.

 

 

You think that topic [of a capable backup] will come up in a meeting with Pegula?

 

It damned well should.

 

Why can't Miller just stand up and say to Ruff, I need a rest here and there.

Seriously, I don't care how competitive one is, he should be a team guy and TELL Ruff to throw Lalime a bone. Seriously, couldn't Lalime have given up 7 today? Probably not I say. Miller needs to go, I'll say it again.

 

 

I think you fairly have identified a character flaw in Miller. He wants to go every game but cannot. This doesn't mean he "needs to go," though; I don't want him to "go" unless there's a really good return for him.

 

 

And they were beating that team when the officials awarded that team a 5 on 3.

 

Just sayin'

 

You know, sometimes, the refs do screw up a game, and there's nothing wrong with pointing it out. That call on Hecht would NEVER go the Sabres way, not in a hundred games, if it were some other forward with his stick tapping on, let's say, Gerbe's gloves.

Posted

Perhaps I should have prefaced my question with how did you come up with that opinion? Whats it based on? Anyone can make a blanket statement about someones personality but what do you have to back it up? Just sayin.

 

It's just the impression I get of him, that's all. It seems to me he feels like he's put out to have to play here. He never takes the blame (tonight was the first time in a long time I heard him say he made a mistake). It's always somebody (or something) elses fault. Yes it's a blanket statement. I do not know him personally. If I'm wrong and I very well may be, then that's great. I hope I am. In my opinion he has an attitude that brings everybody down and when you're one of the veteran team leaders, that can be damaging.

Posted

Miller is not a $6 million goalie. He's a good goalie but he's overused. As for the other goalies who have played more, they are all bigger goalies than Miller if I'm not mistaken.

Miller should not be playing 30 games in a row, no goalie should. What is the point of having a backup if you don't use him?

 

Vancouver has finally gotten it and they have used their backup very wisely this season. Luongo has always been a workhorse and always fallen off come playoff time. Because the Canucks have used their backup wisely, Luongo has never played better. The Canucks are #1 in the league not because of Luongo but because they have a solid team and two good goalies. Many nights Loo has kept the team in games when they shouldn't have. But I believe it's because he's fresher this year. He hasn't lost a regulation game since Dec 5/10 going 16-0-6 in that time. That is awesome. My point is he still plays a lot but gets some rest, and the guy is much bigger than Miller is.

 

I would trade Miller for the right players. We may or may not make the playoffs this year but this is more than this year thinking. I believe Enroth will be a bonafide goalie and if the right backup can be had, the Sabres will have a nice tandem. The days of riding one goalie are going by the wayside. I cannot believe Miller has played 30 games in a row in a season where we pretty much all agreed that he can't play as much as years gone by.

 

The teams that win the Stanley Cup in recent memory have not had a $6 million plus goalie but a good keeper with a good team in front of him. That is what I think we need.

 

The Canucks will hopefully buck that trend this year, assuming we don't win the Cup.

Posted

Holy crap. There are 4 goalies with more TOI than Miller. Whodathunkit?

 

Bryzgalov, Ward, Kiprusoff, and Price have all played more minutes than Miller this year.

 

Cue PA and his smaller goalies need more rest than bigger goalies discussion. :D

That's actually Dwight Drane, not PA. I think. I am getting confused.

 

I think you fairly have identified a character flaw in Miller. He wants to go every game but cannot. This doesn't mean he "needs to go," though; I don't want him to "go" unless there's a really good return for him.

That's where Lindy needs to be the coach and manage his workload. And I don't want to hear their BS about "he takes practices off so he still gets rest" or some other crap. There is a mental fatigue that ties in with the physcial. You get tired, your mechanics gets sloppy, your positioning gets sloppy, and suddenly you're back to swimming around the crease and diving back because you're out of position.

 

The old "play as much as he tells me he can" approach may have worked with Slinky Spine but Miller has shown signs of fatigue in the stretch run of the last three years and L needs to see the forest for the trees. Or the trees for the forest. Whatever.

 

I also think there may be some truth to X's post - he may be having injury problems that they aren't disclosing. He doesn't look exactly right. Again, some rest...

Posted

It's just the impression I get of him, that's all. It seems to me he feels like he's put out to have to play here. He never takes the blame (tonight was the first time in a long time I heard him say he made a mistake). It's always somebody (or something) elses fault. Yes it's a blanket statement. I do not know him personally. If I'm wrong and I very well may be, then that's great. I hope I am. In my opinion he has an attitude that brings everybody down and when you're one of the veteran team leaders, that can be damaging.

Then why would he sign a 5-year contract extension if he's so put out playing here?

Posted

Quick note, Miller has played 332 less minutes this season than Carey Price.

Those are just all the minutes he was on the bench at the ends of games for the 6th skater.

Posted

That's actually Dwight Drane, not PA. I think. I am getting confused.

 

 

That's where Lindy needs to be the coach and manage his workload. And I don't want to hear their BS about "he takes practices off so he still gets rest" or some other crap. There is a mental fatigue that ties in with the physcial. You get tired, your mechanics gets sloppy, your positioning gets sloppy, and suddenly you're back to swimming around the crease and diving back because you're out of position.

 

The old "play as much as he tells me he can" approach may have worked with Slinky Spine but Miller has shown signs of fatigue in the stretch run of the last three years and L needs to see the forest for the trees. Or the trees for the forest. Whatever.

 

I also think there may be some truth to X's post - he may be having injury problems that they aren't disclosing. He doesn't look exactly right. Again, some rest...

 

I"ve said at the start of the year for three years running now that it needs to be three games out of four, strictly. But that said, if there's no backup, what to do? And if the team starts in a huge hole, every game becomes critical.

 

I'm not going to get insane over an OT loss today; the team has been great in 2011 and hopefully regroups on Tuesday. But they need a capable backup, and NOW. Pulling up ETHRON might help short-term but long-term, it only stunts his development by depriving him of starts. The team needs to trade for someone.

Posted

Miller is not a $6 million goalie. He's a good goalie but he's overused. As for the other goalies who have played more, they are all bigger goalies than Miller if I'm not mistaken.

Miller should not be playing 30 games in a row, no goalie should. What is the point of having a backup if you don't use him?

 

Vancouver has finally gotten it and they have used their backup very wisely this season. Luongo has always been a workhorse and always fallen off come playoff time. Because the Canucks have used their backup wisely, Luongo has never played better. The Canucks are #1 in the league not because of Luongo but because they have a solid team and two good goalies. Many nights Loo has kept the team in games when they shouldn't have. But I believe it's because he's fresher this year. He hasn't lost a regulation game since Dec 5/10 going 16-0-6 in that time. That is awesome. My point is he still plays a lot but gets some rest, and the guy is much bigger than Miller is.

 

I would trade Miller for the right players. We may or may not make the playoffs this year but this is more than this year thinking. I believe Enroth will be a bonafide goalie and if the right backup can be had, the Sabres will have a nice tandem. The days of riding one goalie are going by the wayside. I cannot believe Miller has played 30 games in a row in a season where we pretty much all agreed that he can't play as much as years gone by.

 

The teams that win the Stanley Cup in recent memory have not had a $6 million plus goalie but a good keeper with a good team in front of him. That is what I think we need.

 

The Canucks will hopefully buck that trend this year, assuming we don't win the Cup.

 

I enjoy this analysis. Cory Schneider has been great for the Canucks this year when he has been asked to play. Has he won all of his games? No, but he provides good support for Luongo, and has at times even made Luongo a little mad (there was a series of games where they started Schneider back to back and there were rumblings that Lou didn't like that), but I think Vancouver's coaching staff knows that Luongo getting some rest during the season greatly boosts his playoff chances.

 

I'm also under the opinion that Miller is still suffering from a groin or knee injury, as another poster has also noted. He simply has not looked as good as he has been known to, and I can't believe that this is Miller's A-game being brought every night.

 

I think Miller thinks that himself playing less than 100% is going to get the team more wins than Lalime would, so he's playing through the pain. All NHLers do it, but it shows itself the most in a goaltenders game, because the physical aspect is very different than for a skater.

 

I'm sure at the end of the season we'll hear how he was playing hurt and everyone knew it. This happens every year.

Posted

I"ve said at the start of the year for three years running now that it needs to be three games out of four, strictly. But that said, if there's no backup, what to do? And if the team starts in a huge hole, every game becomes critical.

 

I'm not going to get insane over an OT loss today; the team has been great in 2011 and hopefully regroups on Tuesday. But they need a capable backup, and NOW. Pulling up ETHRON might help short-term but long-term, it only stunts his development by depriving him of starts. The team needs to trade for someone.

Assuming a short-term plan until they can pick up a vet at the deadline to back up Miller, I'd say call up Enroth after Tuesday's game vs. Montreal. Maybe you say that Miller "has the flu" and play Enroth in against Toronto and St Louis. Then Miller is all better and ready for Washington on Sunday. Then Miller has to hold it together for 3 or 4 games until the deadline.

Posted

If this team is going to make the playoffs, Terry Pegula needs to call Quinn/Regier and tell them to shut Miller down this week. He doesn't play again until next Sunday against the Caps. Give Enroth the three starts, put the pressure on the forwards and D to get the job done. If Miller is this fatigued he is risking serious injury. I doubt Pegula wants to see a $19 mil investment get run into the ground.

An interesting scenario, to be sure, but unlikely IMHO.

 

Enough with the excuses. Miller has not been good all year, and other than last years aberration has never accomplished anything.

 

All you apologists really need to open your eyes and see him for what he really is, and that's a goalie who just isn't good enough. Time to turn the page and see if the Sabres can win with Enroth because they are not going to win anything with Miller.

Nonsense.

 

This was a perfect storm of crazy crap:

 

Devorski called about 3 stick fouls that weren't. But that's to be expected, Devorski has his arm up more than extras in a SURE commercial.

 

Gaustad, had one unconsciously bad brain fart. Throwing the puck back.

 

The Isles forwards are really very good. Grabner is the best shooting Austrian not named Vanek. (He's also an RFA, along with Okposo).

 

Jurcida really shouldn't be the guy beating you.

 

The Isles have a really bad defense. The forwards carry that team. They are young and create chances. As far as embarrassing goaltenders, I imagine it is going to happen more and more often.

 

They are going to be playing spoiler for a lot of teams.

I agree with all of this, but I don't think the loss was a fluke. The Sabres didn't play well enough to win.

 

On the other hand, Drew Stafford is getting into scoring areas and he's made a concerted effort to score goals. He's clearly the most improved player on the team. I am very cautious when I say I think he's actually gotten it and is about to take that next step to becoming an elite player. I will caveat that by saying that there is a very high likelihood that he will make me look like a fool and eat my words. But, he seems more mature, moving better without the puck, and going into scoring areas in front of the net and finding ways to score goals. His goals today were not very pretty per se, but he just happened to be right in front of the net each time in perfect position with his stick on the ice. Those are not goals that Drew Stafford scored last year, but he is scoring them now. He is still not that great in the defensive zone, but if he can consistently score like this and be paired with some defensively responsible forwards on his line, it is worth considering re-signing him to an extension, but I'm still very cautious about that.

 

I'll take the point, but something's got to give and the Sabres desperately need to acquire a backup goaltender before the deadline. I'm thinking a Mike Smith type player since he's already in the AHL for Tampa and would be a tremendous upgrade over Lalime. This wearing out of Miller just can't continue if the Sabres really try to make a push for the playoffs.

+1

 

Take a breath and get ready for this week.

Good call.

 

The sky isn't falling, they had a poor game that they still managed to pull a point out of. I'd start Miller on Tuesday vs. Montreal. If you're able to pull out a win against Montreal I'd have Enroth waiting in Buffalo to start against Toronto. If not, Miller probably starts against Toronto and perhaps sits out against St. Louis.

I agree with all of this.

 

And how would you know this? Have you met him? Had a heart to heart? What gives you this incredible insight?

very nice.

 

My 2 cents:

 

1. They will need better team defense and better goaltending if they want to make the playoffs.

 

2. Ennis and Stafford have the kind of skill and chemistry that enables them to fill it up against teams with crappy defenses. I need to see them do it against a few better-defending teams before I'm a true believer.

 

3. Sekera got victimized on the GWG, but I thought Gaustad's giveaway was worse, and I thought Leopold had a shakier defensive game overall than Sekera did.

 

4. We'll see how they respond on Tuesday. I think Miller will play and play well.

 

Don't give up just yet.

Posted

Is the thread starting to loosen on Miller's season?

 

Postgame lockerroom drama. John Vogl whispers a fairly innocent question and Miller gets extremely annoyed. Jerry Sullivan was third man in and from Brad Riter's account, f-bombs were exchanged. Sullivan then wrote a pretty scathing column.

 

See the News site for more and weckradio.com for Riter's account.

Posted

Is the thread starting to loosen on Miller's season?

 

Postgame lockerroom drama. John Vogl whispers a fairly innocent question and Miller gets extremely annoyed. Jerry Sullivan was third man in and from Brad Riter's account, f-bombs were exchanged. Sullivan then wrote a pretty scathing column.

 

See the News site for more and WECK.com for Riter's account.

 

It was an embarrassing outing for Miller. He still gives them a good chance of winning,

but I don't think anyone's hung 7 goals on him in quite some time. My bet is that Miller does not want to disclose an injury. I think it's a groin, but tell a reporter and you are telling the entire league.

Posted

Jerry Sullivan's column on the Miller post-game rant -

 

Miller's rant after defeat says it all

 

It was around this time a year ago, after an overtime loss in Carolina, when Ryan Miller accused his Sabres teammates of playing like a bunch of "fragile little kids."

 

Who's fragile now? Miller had a day to forget Sunday, allowing seven goals in a perplexing 7-6 overtime loss to the Islanders at HSBC Arena. Then the veteran goalie acted like an aggrieved child in the face of some mild questioning in the dressing room afterward.

 

Here's the offending question, the one that set Miller off. "Did you feel OK?" asked John Vogl, the News' beat writer.

 

"John, I feel fine," Miller replied. "I don't even know why you're going down that lane. Do I feel fine? What does that mean? What are you implying?"

 

My God, the guy gives up seven goals and turns it into a Spanish Inquisition. Maybe Miller got tired of fighting the puck and decided to take on the media instead. No one asked if he needed a break after starting his 31st consecutive game, or insinuated that he should throw his defense under the bus.

 

Miller was seething and frustrated, that was clear. It was hard to blame him. The Sabres had blown a two-goal lead at home against one of the worst teams in the NHL. They kicked away a chance to win a fourth straight game for the first time all year. They gave away a precious point in the playoff chase.

 

Link- http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article341056.ece

Posted

:blink:

 

I'm fair though. I just heard Vogl's interview. In Miller's defense I think the media sometimes goes a little far in trying to get athletes to say something stupid for a headline. Vogl didn't need to push him with all the useless questions. Ask him once then move on to something else. Miller had a bad game, cut the guy some slack.

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