Great goaltending vs. good goaltending

[LabattBlue]

Miller wasn't terrible in the loss, but Cam Ward showed everyone what it is like to step up and play great. I'm tired of hearing everyone saying that "Miller had no chance" on every single goal scored against the Sabres. He has to find a way to make the "impossible" save i.e. Ward on Hecht in OT. Teams that win the Cup usually have EXCEPTIONAL goaltending and teams that don't, fall short.

 

Based on the effort they gave yesterday, I think the Sabres still have a chance.

 

GO SABRES!!!!

 

PS Tale of two cities...Sabres fall behind 2-0 at home in game 4 and are smothered. Carolina falls behind 3-1 at home and within 7 or 8 minutes the game is tied. :(

[Stoner]

I agree. Ryan has to steal one for us. Another average outing and I think some questions start to get raised about whether he's the guy to take you to the promised land in the future. I'll get slammed for saying that. "He played well... you can't blame him... without him it would have been 7-3 (actually without him it would have been 39-3 :))... yada yada yada. This is no kid. He's 25. He showed flashes of brilliance late in the Philly series and most of the Ottawa series. If anything he needed to take one step up in the conference finals, but instead he has taken a step back. Again, he hasn't been terrible. He has been good. Just aight, dawg.

[hopeleslyobvious]

I agree. Ryan has to steal one for us. Another average outing and I think some questions start to get raised about whether he's the guy to take you to the promised land in the future. I'll get slammed for saying that. "He played well... you can't blame him... without him it would have been 7-3 (actually without him it would have been 39-3 :))... yada yada yada. This is no kid. He's 25. He showed flashes of brilliance late in the Philly series and most of the Ottawa series. If anything he needed to take one step up in the conference finals, but instead he has taken a step back. Again, he hasn't been terrible. He has been good. Just aight, dawg.

 

His age has nothing to do with it. He is a rookie. In fact, as a goalie, he is right around the age where most goalie's develop. If we fall short this year, I think the experience he gained in this post season will go a long way.

 

Actually I think it's pretty insulting to him to say he's not the guy. If you need "the guy" to go deep in the playoffs, how come half of the teams in the Conference Finals didn't go with the same guy through their whole playoff run. But I guess it's just easier to point the finger at Ryan, instead of appreciating how far he got us in these playoffs. ;)

[Stoner]

I didn't say he wasn't the guy. He could still be the guy. I said if he has another average game, there should be some questions. Questions, that's all. And the question isn't whether he's really good, whether he's been a big part of the success the Sabres have had or whether he's going to get better. Yes, yes and yes. The question is whether he is that magical talent who can step up at the biggest moments and win games. Make the unbelievable save in Game 5 of a conference finals in overtime.

[rickshaw]

Miller looked tired to me last night. He fought through it but it is clear he is not on fire right now.

 

The goals are going through him and that is not a good sign.

 

The first one was terrible, just terrible. Making saves at the right time is huge, especially now. You go up 1 zip in their building and the fans are deflated, so what happens? He lets in a stinker 17 seconds later. That was unacceptable to me.

 

I feel Biron should have played somewhere in this series. Miller hates when he gets benched. Not once has he been "warned" that he might not be playing the next game, in this series. Look what he did when that prospect was brought up in the past 2 series!!!!

 

Game 4 was the night to yank him, much like Carolina did with their keepers. But now it's too late. We ride him the rest of this series for sure. He needs to be the better goalie, or we are done.

[hopeleslyobvious]

I didn't say he wasn't the guy. He could still be the guy. I said if he has another average game, there should be some questions. Questions, that's all. And the question isn't whether he's really good, whether he's been a big part of the success the Sabres have had or whether he's going to get better. Yes, yes and yes. The question is whether he is that magical talent who can step up at the biggest moments and win games. Make the unbelievable save in Game 5 of a conference finals in overtime.

 

How many goalies out there have the magical talent to step up like that when they are down to 7, 8 and 9 on their defensive depth chart?

[rickshaw]

hopeleslyobvious

 

your name says it all. you obviously love miller. That's fine. But dude, he's not getting it done in this series. The D was fine last night. They have to give up shots somewhere along the line.

 

Two goals went through him, that is not good. I'm sorry, but as much as I like Miller, he has been very mediocore at the wrong times in this series. It's when you make the saves that most matter and if you let in goals 17 seconds after taking the crowd out of it, and you should have saved it, it's not good goaltending. It's deflating to your team.

 

They played hard last night and he did make some good saves, but he has been letting in untimely goals. Straight up, that's the fact Jack.

[Rabbit151]

There's no way they risk going with Biron now. I pray Miller doesn't finally melt-down. 3 goals on 6 shots in the 1st period on Tuesday? I hope not!!

 

He does look tired, with that skinny body it's tough to keep replacing the nutrients, rest and liquid you need to. He's never played this late into the year, or this much.

 

He's started letting in goals that are coming from mental fatigue, I think. I've seen a few goals go in between the legs on plays where the stick should have been there. It's a loss of mental focus.

 

It's too bad the Hurricanes didn't score an 8-0 victory in game 4. Biron maybe would have come in for #5, even if the Sabres still lose, you can come back with Miller in game6, rested, ready and enraged at sitting game 5.

 

Right now, the Hurricanes are clearly winning the goaltending battle.

[Dr. K]

Miller wasn't terrible in the loss, but Cam Ward showed everyone what it is like to step up and play great. I'm tired of hearing everyone saying that "Miller had no chance" on every single goal scored against the Sabres. He has to find a way to make the "impossible" save i.e. Ward on Hecht in OT. Teams that win the Cup usually have EXCEPTIONAL goaltending and teams that don't, fall short.

 

Based on the effort they gave yesterday, I think the Sabres still have a chance.

 

GO SABRES!!!!

 

PS Tale of two cities...Sabres fall behind 2-0 at home in game 4 and are smothered. Carolina falls behind 3-1 at home and within 7 or 8 minutes the game is tied. :(

 

 

I too would like to see Miller throw a shutout, but I have to disagree that Ward's save on Hecht's shot in OT was so sterling. Hecht has a completely open left side of the net, but he shot it back to the right, right into Ward (who was falling backward onto his butt). It was more a missed shot by Hecht thatn a great save by Ward.

[LabattBlue]

I too would like to see Miller throw a shutout, but I have to disagree that Ward's save on Hecht's shot in OT was so sterling. Hecht has a completely open left side of the net, but he shot it back to the right, right into Ward (who was falling backward onto his butt). It was more a missed shot by Hecht thatn a great save by Ward.

Bottom line...It was a point blank shot in OT that did not end up in the net. That's all that matters.

[hopeleslyobvious]

hopeleslyobvious

 

your name says it all. you obviously love miller. That's fine. But dude, he's not getting it done in this series. The D was fine last night. They have to give up shots somewhere along the line.

 

Two goals went through him, that is not good. I'm sorry, but as much as I like Miller, he has been very mediocore at the wrong times in this series. It's when you make the saves that most matter and if you let in goals 17 seconds after taking the crowd out of it, and you should have saved it, it's not good goaltending. It's deflating to your team.

 

They played hard last night and he did make some good saves, but he has been letting in untimely goals. Straight up, that's the fact Jack.

 

Has he played his best series? No. Have a lot of the goals that have been scored on him been tipped or screened? Yes. Would we be this far with Biron in net? There is no way to know for sure, but IMHO, no.

 

Another important point is that he is one of the few goalies in these playoffs to play good enough to keep his job and not be questioned by his coach. So if you want to argue that he has not been magical enough, please point to a goalie who has been infallible in this post season.

[LabattBlue]

So if you want to argue that he has not been magical enough, please point to a goalie who has been infallible in this post season.

Roloson? ;)

[hopeleslyobvious]

Roloson? ;)

 

Yeah, I was thinking of Roli as well. But even he has shown some signs of weakness.

[apuszczalowski]

As I said in another post, Sabres fans have been ruined by having a goalie like Hasek, Now the bar has been set so high they expect a goalie to give up only 1-2 goals a game no matter how many shots they face or to have a shut out. The problem is, this is the new NHL and the rules have been changed to make sure the goals total go up, and the shut-out totals go down. Between the screens he is getting from his own players infront trying to block shots or having them get deflected in aren't helping the situation. Unless someone can get Miller some X-Ray glasses or Ruff tells his teams to stop trying to get in the way of shots, Its gonna be tough to make a save with a guy infront of you.

 

Goaltending is not a problem right now for this team, I think the big problem is a defence playing its 7th, 8th, and 9th players, and a disapearing forwards who aren't finishing. But what the heck, Millers young and not pulling Hasekesque plays out of his @ss to carry this team so it must be his fault.

[frisky]

I think Miller has been average to above average. I also think he still has the potential to become great. And, at 25, he's still young for a goalie. They do take longer to develop than other positions. It still is his first full year in the Bigs and he's done well in becoming the No. 1 guy. I still have faith in Miller and I think he will continue to develop into a better goalie. He still gives up some crappy goals but no reason to give up on the guy. We're not gonna see another Dominator but who will?

[zow2]

We hash this out over and over again. Yes, Miller has been good not great. Yes, Biron playing in game 4 would have definitely been a good thing. No one is saying Biron should have started game 5 or would have been better than Miller but he did win 13 in a row this year for godssake and he did shut out Carolina in the last regualr season game on the road when they needed the game. He could have been an option and his presence could have lifted Miller. Now we will never know. What I do know is that big time goalies like Brodeur and Roy in their prime always won games like last night when their team went up 3-1. It wasn't meant to be for Ryan. He's just not at that level yet and he's not been as good as Carolina's tandem in this series.

[apuszczalowski]

We hash this out over and over again. Yes, Miller has been good not great. Yes, Biron playing in game 4 would have definitely been a good thing. No one is saying Biron should have started game 5 or would have been better than Miller but he did win 13 in a row this year for godssake and he did shut out Carolina in the last regualr season game on the road when they needed the game. He could have been an option and his presence could have lifted Miller. Now we will never know. What I do know is that big time goalies like Brodeur and Roy in their prime always won games like last night when their team went up 3-1. It wasn't meant to be for Ryan. He's just not at that level yet and he's not been as good as Carolina's tandem in this series.

I disagree with the Brodeur Roy theng, they played on very good well rounded teams with alot of stars on offence and Defence

 

Miller is playing on a team with no superstars (just alot of lower stars) and a good Defence (when Healthy), put Miller on one oe Roy's teams or on the Devils, and he would look even better (not as great as brodeur or Roy but he would look like he could become the next one of them)

[hopeleslyobvious]

I disagree with the Brodeur Roy theng, they played on very good well rounded teams with alot of stars on offence and Defence

 

Miller is playing on a team with no superstars (just alot of lower stars) and a good Defence (when Healthy), put Miller on one oe Roy's teams or on the Devils, and he would look even better (not as great as brodeur or Roy but he would look like he could become the next one of them)

 

Agreed, Brodeur looked much more human this year when his defense was gone.