It's happened enough at this point that there has to be some infusion of talent there. Fleury is the goaltender I least want to play because he KILLS US EVERY SINGLE TIME. Ward's had his ups and downs against the Sabres, but he also has two long playoff runs in the past 5 years with teams that weren't very good.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

well ya I would think there would be some talent they are in the NHL after all

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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

Well I meant specifically in some of the saves those guys make against us, not in their play overall. Cam Ward looked AWFUL against us last Tuesday for large stretches and he still put together a 40 save shutout. Certainly that's one of those games that makes you think "shit, this guy is lucky," like a lot of Fleury's performances against the Sabres, but as it happens time and time again I start to think, well maybe there is some combination of talent and instinct to combine with that luck. I don't really see that a lot in Miller.

It's funny to me that people point to Miller's statistical shortcomings because when I tracked Miller over the last three years for a Vulgar Stats piece in January, Miller actually has the third best save percentage behind only Tomas Vokoun, and Tim Thomas in that timespan. So I think the admission that Miller isn't the greatest statistical goaltender holds less and less weight as the seasons pass.

I honestly don't know what to make of the "clutch" label for Miller. There's things that go either way, a great olympics performance, deep playoff runs (with great teams), an early playoff exit (with perhaps not a great team), a loss/misread in the gold medal game, loss in the winter classic, loss against New Jersey with second place on the line last season, and an absolutely awful 07-08 season when the team was itching for someone to step up in the wake of the Drury/Briere loss, just about breaking even in 4 point games this year, and a 1-3-2 record against the team he probably most wants to beat in Detroit. Big saves at key moments and awful goals at inopportune times. A team this season that didn't start playing well until he was hurt, and went on its large winning streak in spite of him, not because of him. Maybe some of that's playing hurt, maybe some of it is that he just isn't as good as some of us think he is and we all want him to be, I don't know. Very curious either way.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

well whenever he plays a bad game you're quick to sarcastically call him clutch!

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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 can see how you would feel that way since I haven't been Miller's biggest supporter. I've watched him play plenty of average to bad games, given him a pass and said the onus is on the forwards to win games for their goaltender every once in a while. The 7-4 victory over Tampa Bay a few weeks ago comes immediately to mind, as does the 7-6 win against Boston on New Years day.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

idk whatever you don't have to think of him ~clutch~ or ~elite~, it doesn't really matter... I guess I find it annoying when some fans try to make more out of something, or act like they know what they are talking about when they really don't. Not talking about you specifically or even Miller specifically...hell or even HOCKEY specifically. It's jus soooo annoying.

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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

So you know what you're talking about, and no one else does, huh? I see. Get out of Miller's jock-strap before you come down with an incurable disease.

dude. she knows what shes talking about. yeah, shes a fangurl, but shes a knowledgeable one.

she knows more about goaltending then most people here. give credit where its due.

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Where did I ever say that? I'm not even referring to Miller, you silly boy,

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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

Yeah Caroline is knowledgeable. She might have more credibility if she ever criticized Miller, but I can understand a hesitance to bag on your favorite guy. I hate when I have to do it to Vanek.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Miller blows.

Goaltending is easy, I could make 63934598734 shot shutouts without any defensive help at all.

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I didn't mean to call you out....it was just the timing. People act like they know way more about than they really do...when it comes to Miller, Vanek, goaltending in general, coaching, being a GM, etc. etc.

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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 have hard time blaming Miller for that game... but I'm not sure who to blame. Maybe just everyone?

Sekera and Myers should be pretty high on the list I think.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Really? Caro has less credibility on goaltenders because she's a big fan of Miller? Does that mean Alex has less credibility on forwards because he's a big fan of Vanek?

<---- da only expert on goaltending.

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a blue question mark? .... ... sorry the image didnt show up...

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It's been a rough season for him to say the least but I hope to see him rebound next season. I'll have a ton more respect for him if he comes back with a vengeance. If he doesn't, if he has another season like this one then I would be even more critical of him.

I hope no one is naive enough to think this has been a good season for Miller.....

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Everyone knows I have less credibility in hockey analyses because my analyses are stat-based. I think that's a fair comment to make given that I try to leave the analysis to people that are better at it and have watched hockey longer than I have.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I know more about hockey than anyone else on this forum...or this planet, for that matter...solely because I am from New York City. In fact, not only do I know more about hockey than anyone else, I know more about EVERYTHING than anyone else. Basically, I am all-knowing, all-seeing, boundless, celestial, deific, everlasting, illimitable, immortal, infinite, pervading, Alpha and Omega, etc etc.
Again, this is because I am from New York City.