I don't really disagree with the column, but I don't think Miller definitely isn't expendable.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Rud's got this one right.

Miller has had few easy games this season. Say what we did about Hank and Toni and how much money they got from their new teams, but we really missed their quietly good and pretty consistent play from the blueline. I know all the stat mongers will say that he's not really faced many more shots per minutes than he usually faces, but he's definitely facing more quality shots this season. If there was one thing that Hank and Toni were good at was pushing the play to the outside. Right now our slot's as open as a hooker after day 3 of a Shriner's convention.

(Let's also not forget that he plays a lot is usually in the top 3 in shots faced per season.) That alone could wear you down a bit.

Wide open shooting lanes open up far too often with our current D pairings. When Vanek and Stafford get an unobstructed shooting lane like that we expect them to score. So when a guy like Grabner get's one...he's gonna score on most of those.

Now Miller does need to buckle things done better. He's not ever going to go on a shutout run like Tim Thomas, but Miller's best skill is make that ridiculous save to keep us in a 2-1 or 3-2 tilt. He hasn't been making those saves...granted our D hasn't made it easy at all on him. He's not been the master of his own net and hasn't played positionally as well as we're used to seeing. I don't normally jump onto something Jerry Sullivan says, but I agree with him that Miller may be thinking too much.

If he can get out of his own head and just react....he'll be fine.

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If your having goal problems, I feel bad for ya son....we got 99 problems but Vanek ain't one!

So what it really boils down to is whether one Vezina year equates to greatness and indispensability, when the other 5 years have been less than spectacular, where he has not been in the conversation as a Vezina contender or led the team to any huge milestone, even when they have made the playoffs. It's really not about what he's done (or hasn't done) the past couple of weeks.

I like the guy, really do, and thoroughly believe he is good for this team. But I remain convinced that his on-ice achievements, when taken in the context of his entire career and compared to other contemporary goalies, really aren't that awe-inspiring to the point of being untouchable. I think he happens to be a very good and solid player on a team that over the past few seasons has not had any other true leaders or stud performers, which in turn raises his relative value to this team.

C'mon man - he gave up 4 goals on 16 shots in the 3rd period of the 2 games combined where they had a 2-goal lead, and you've got no problem with that, whatsoever? Now we're gonna start talking quality of the shots? That's what kills me about his game - great start, no finish. A great goaltender finds a way to win at least one of those games!

I'd have a problem with it if the Sabres played half way decent for stretches during those periods, but they just didn't. It was a constant assault the whole time.

There have been other games where the Sabres have been shelled because they're up 1 late in the third or something like that, and they've held on. But how you can expect a goaltender to keep you alive when you spend the whole period in your own zone?

That just doesn't happen.

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Wheelhouse

Great goalies play bad games sometimes. It's hockey.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

quality of the shots a goalie faces ALWAYS matter regardless of what goalie your talking about. Last year, for example, Niemi rarely had to make the ZOMG THAT WAS FUCKING AMAZING save. the team in front of him really limited the quality of shots against him which made him look a lot better then he was (and most of Chicago fell for it).

hell, if you've watched any Sabres games in the last couple years you would have seen Miller getting shelled in some games. you would have also seen him bail out the fucking team in front of him.

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

Nothing but excuses by all his apologists. He didn't get the job done. Period. He's the leader, the team's best player, and the face of the franchise, so he gets the lion's share of the blame when the team fails in big situations. That's how it works. And losing 2 playoff games after giving up 2 goal leads when that didn't happen at all during the season is without doubt failure.

When his finish is as good as his start, then I'll start feeling differently about his indispensability to the team.

I'll be very comforted when you start feeling better about him.

Its a combination of both Miller & Defense. Last year our D-men were much more solid on the back end but less productive in the offensive zone. We brought in Leopold and finally gave Sekera the ice time he deserves but on the flip side, let Lydman and Tallinder walk. That's the biggest difference right now but also, Miller isn't making those incredible saves night in and night out to cover up defensive zone mistakes like last year.

I love Weber's grit but I would be a happy man if I never saw another one of his moronic giveaways right in the middle of our defensive zone. At this point, the team is better off without his toughness and giveaways...let Butler take Weber's place once Monty is back.

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"Every time I think you say the dumbest thing ever...you keep on talkin' " - Hank Hill
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula

One bad game does not define a goalie. Even Roy and Brodeur had their clunkers.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

We are gonna look back at this thread and laugh at it, just like all of the other negative miller threads..


*Not saying this thread was made to be negative by the OP*

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Miller, Myers and Greir are sick, but not Jesus Christ..

KILL OTTAWA

At least it's not as bad as the threads made a few years ago when a good handful of fans were advocating that we trade Miller and have (then) 18-year-old Jhonas Enroth (who had never played a single game in North America) be our starter because he was slated to become the next Henrik Lundqvist.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Reimer beat us tonight.

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reimer and our forwards not showing up

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

optimus reim player good.

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At least this thread has some reasonable discussion.

I'm just going to be nuts hearing radio callers and seeing blogs declare every goal that Miller lets up from here on out as 'soft'.

Ponderous.

dont worry, yhoshi. apparently, im not speaking english either

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Robitaille was absolutely hilarious when he was responding to some doofus who called into WGR 550 and said that Enroth should be playing over Miller.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

I lol'd at that.

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If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy