Miller has just looked out of sync alot this year...

[ColdBlueNorth]

Offense had a lot of jump this game and controlled most of the game in Carolina's zone. Miller has got to be better, maybe we do need Enroth to come up and spell him a bit. It would be nice for him to know that he can take a break now and then.

 

Last year Miller just looked zoned in, and pucks weren't bouncing off him like he was made of rubber and he often controlled the pace of the game snagging pucs... like Cam did tonight.

[Derrico]

Offense had a lot of jump this game and controlled most of the game in Carolina's zone. Miller has got to be better, maybe we do need Enroth to come up and spell him a bit. It would be nice for him to know that he can take a break now and then.

 

Last year Miller just looked zoned in, and pucks weren't bouncing off him like he was made of rubber and he often controlled the pace of the game snagging pucs... like Cam did tonight.

 

Miller rarely got 'spelled' last year and was fine. As for your point, Ward has actually played more games this season than Miller, that's not the problem. Part of the problem is the lack of scoring that we have on this team.

[Robviously]

Miller rarely got 'spelled' last year and was fine.

Yeah, he was awesome by the time the playoffs came around. <_<

[LGR4GM]

Miller was bad yes. Our def is crappy as well, so if we wanna travel this road we gotta discuss both. Miller tonight was the main reason we lost and I hope he owns up to it because if hes gonna play that way we might as well skip the playoffs.

[Bmwolf21]

Miller rarely got 'spelled' last year and was fine. As for your point, Ward has actually played more games this season than Miller, that's not the problem. Part of the problem is the lack of scoring that we have on this team.

First - what does how one goalie handles his workload have to do with how another goalie does?

 

Second - yes, Ward has played all of five more games, and his stats are eerily similar stats to Miller's.

 

Player   GP     GS      TOI      W       L      OTL     GA      GAA     SA      SV       SV%    ENG    SO
Cam Ward 57	57	3291:21	27	21	8	148	2.70	1841	1693	.920	3	2
Miller   52	52	3058:06	27	18	6	135	2.65	1576	1441	.914	8	3

[SkempatheticJAF]

First - what does how one goalie handles his workload have to do with how another goalie does?

 

Second - yes, Ward has played all of five more games, and his stats are eerily similar stats to Miller's.

 

Player   GP     GS      TOI      W       L      OTL     GA      GAA     SA      SV       SV%    ENG    SO
Cam Ward 57	57	3291:21	27	21	8	148	2.70	1841	1693	.920	3	2
Miller   52	52	3058:06	27	18	6	135	2.65	1576	1441	.914	8	3

 

 

This is nice, TY. And yes, rather eerie/interesting.

[SkempatheticJAF]

Miller was bad yes. Our def is crappy as well, so if we wanna travel this road we gotta discuss both. Miller tonight was the main reason we lost and I hope he owns up to it because if hes gonna play that way we might as well skip the playoffs.

 

If he plays that way there won't be a choice to skip or not to skip, haha. The answer is embedded in/contingent on your premise. I'm not saying they aren't going to make the playoffs, but games like these -- where it's a fair judgment to say the Sabres "outplayed" the Canes in many aspects -- they must-must win, and not in OT.

[SabresMojo]

If he plays that way there won't be a choice to skip or not to skip, haha. The answer is embedded in/contingent on your premise. I'm not saying they aren't going to make the playoffs, but games like these -- where it's a fair judgment to say the Sabres "outplayed" the Canes in many aspects -- they must-must win, and not in OT.

 

Yes, when you outplay a team in many aspects, you're expected to win

I thought a few times we were to win it tonight on the PP

 

As for Miller...he hasnt been consistent.

Since Pegula though, tonight looked like his worst game tbh.

[Kristian]

First - what does how one goalie handles his workload have to do with how another goalie does?

 

Second - yes, Ward has played all of five more games, and his stats are eerily similar stats to Miller's.

 

Player   GP     GS      TOI      W       L      OTL     GA      GAA     SA      SV       SV%    ENG    SO
Cam Ward 57	57	3291:21	27	21	8	148	2.70	1841	1693	.920	3	2
Miller   52	52	3058:06	27	18	6	135	2.65	1576	1441	.914	8	3

 

And they're both playing for teams that belong somewhere between 7th and 11th in the conference.

 

Sabres need to improve everywhere.

[Bmwolf21]

And they're both playing for teams that belong somewhere between 7th and 11th in the conference.

 

Sabres need to improve everywhere.

Bingo. I think a reliable backup is going to help in two ways - one, the obvious much-needed nights off of rest; two, if he is fighting an injury, he may not feel like he has to play through it because he knows that the staff has no confidence in the backup.

[BuffalOhio]

I think he's putting too much pressure on himself and trying too hard. He's over committing to situations and leaving himself out of position. Goals one and two last night were prime examples. Goal three? He just sucked on that one. It was a very exciting game, though.

[LGR4GM]

I thought a good deal on the miller issue this year and came to some theories as to his issue.

1) Our def is very young and they are allowing much better scoring opportunities

2) Miller has confidence issues about himself

3) Miller has confidence issues about the defense so he overreacts on plays because he fears those good scoring opportunities he has seen some many of.

4) Miller can not handle the pressure of knowing he must carry his team every night because there is a decent chance that they wont get the job done so now he cracks and the team isnt even given the chance to get the job done.

[R_Dudley]

As many have said Miller is not the biggest problem on this team. No he is not playing as good as last year but still not the biggest issue.

 

I still suspect he has some lingering injury issue going on. That over commitment back to shooter goal spoke more of that to me then anything else. It appeared he either wasn't able too or was not comfortable jamming his skates into the ice to stop on a dime vs spinning off his momentum by turning his back. That looked a lot like a groin area issue that you are just afraid of blowing out.

[Stormin Norman]

The inconsistency is noticeable. There are times when the defense hangs him out to dry and he has to play god to bale out his teammates (e.g., the big win in Montreal, closing out the Rangers the other night).

 

Then, there are other times where he seems totally uncomfortable and even out of position (i.e., overcommitted, leaving the net open for someone to bang in a rebound). Example: the Detroit game, last night, and, maybe the worst example of all -- Miro Satan's goal against Boston in the playoffs last year.

 

Contrast all of the above with last year during impressive stretches, when he seems so fluid and zoned in, particularly during the Olympics.

 

What we're seeing this year, and for much of his career, is the difference between good to very good goaltending and dominant goaltending. Miller has simply not been dominant, and you might argue he's only been good (at best).

 

With that said, our goal support stinks. Every time we're up a goal, I anticipate us imploding unless Miller is all-world. This team doesn't have forwards who can step on the other team's necks by burying a goal which takes us up by two.