I'm going to write about this later this week, but I have a question for all you Miller haters.

Ryan Miller puts up career numbers last year. The general commentary has been that since we know Miller is capable of playing that way, anything less is a failure.

However, conversely , we look at a guy like Drew Stafford. Here, he scores 31 goals, yet the common statement is 'Well, lets wait and see if he can do it again.'

Why is it then that Miller is held to the standard of needing to match career bests, while other players are evaluated differently?

(Hint : Don't use salaries as an evaluator. That doesn't matter. Talking about the salaries proves you have no counter to the argument. )

Because insulting Drew is intolerant, as he celebrates Festivus, and insulting his play is against the Festivus way.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Just speaking for me although I guess it's similar for some people:

I've criticized Miller a lot this year but I'm not a Miller hater. I like him and I like him as the Buffalo Sabres goalie and face of the franchise.
The only reason why I criticize Miller more than guys like Drew Stafford is that Miller has a more important role on the team. I don't like it equally when Stafford plays poorly but it is not as important as Millers performance. Goalies are always in the focus of attention.

I'm also more critical with Vanek than with Stafford (or others), just because I think his play is more important for the success of the team. He is supposed to be the offensive leader on the team and that's the standard I'm holding him to (not sure if that makes sense).

To sum it up. I pay more attention on the guys who I think are the key to success.

EDIT: For the record. I think Boyes, Pomminville, Ennis, Montador and Gaustad have sucked so far in the playoffs but I haven't posted it yet.

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I think BaY touches on it somewhat indirectly, that a lot of people find Stafford more likable than Miller.

There's also the fact that goaltenders play a higher percentage of a team's total minutes so people tend to expect more of an impact from them, however unfair that may be.

I also feel like there have plenty of people bagging on Stafford for not meeting expectations in years past.

Personally I trust Miller a lot more to come a lot closer to his Vezina year than I do Stafford to score at a .5 goals per game pace ever again.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Miller is a super star, Stafford is not. So when Miller has a so-so season it's going to effect the outcome for the team a heck of a lot more than it will if Stafford has a so-so season. Add into it the fact that Miller plays in the most important position in the game, and Stafford is one of many skilled wingers on the team, and naturally you're going to have different levels of standards expected by the fans, myself included.

Personally I like RM, and I think he's had a good season, but that is a very young defense and the experienced players aren't playing well enough either. It's asking a lot, even from a super star, and we shall see if he has that club in his bag for this season.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

I've never hated Ryan Miller, you can't hate the guy. I have liked him more at certain times than others for sure. Some of the things he does irritate the fuck out of me, like when he comes out ten feet from the net to cut the angle down but then gets beaten by skating passed him or a quick one time pass. Teams are picking up on that shit, IMO.

Anyways, for me personally no goaltender, especially Sabres goaltender, will EVER replace Dominik and that is quite frankly the standard I compare them all to. I know thats a little unrealistic, but that's what it is.

Honestly, I hold no animosity towards Miller whatsoever, last year was phenomenal but prior to that he has been just a good goalie sometimes worse. Unless Miller started pulling amazing seasons left and right and then started to go down I wouldnt have judged him any other way.

Pretty much....and add to that in a not so distant past, Sabres fans had a goalie who could almost single handedly win a playoff series...
and the pictures of Miller as Jesus....
and playing the superman theme music when he makes a save...

Those things add up to generally unwarranted expectations.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I think it comes with the goaltender position honestly. I try to keep a pulse on other fanbases around the league, by reading various message boards and blogs, and it's all pretty much the same criticisms and arguments when it comes to the goalie (especially if he's considered to be a top goalie in the league like 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

people dont understand the nature of the position, and all the factors that go into it. they see a goalie as a guy in oversized equipment who doesnt have to do much other then stand there.

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You really think Gaustad has sucked so far this series? I feel like he's really elevated his game.

Whoa man. Let's not get crazy here.

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I dont know that we're far enough removed from last season to really answer this. I mean, it just happened that he 'peaked' and took the vezina. Was it a peak, or was it a plateau? I guess I sort of felt like he was working up to elite-ness, and that he'd plateau and have some solid years of utter dominance, NOT that he'd peak and immediately decline, if that is what's happening.
And who the fuck actually ponders these things about drew stafford? Seriously, you make a good point though, we should mention more often what a steaming scatpile he is.




Well, not really. It's a pretty good indicator of his perceived value as determined by hockey experts. Even though we know that there is not a direct correlation between salary and performance, the expectations of performance are what shape that salary figure, you are talking about our expectations for different players, so connecting performance expectations to salary seems kind of valid. Although what you're specifically getting at isnt really addressed by talking about salaries, so i'm going to stop typing.

Among the worst on the team at his so called specialty, faceoffs. Yes he's doing other things well (pk), but when you're underperforming in the reason you have a roster spot...

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

lol...I had a very similar reaction, but was going to let it go. I mean, maybe he's got a weird definition of 'skilled', or 'many'.

I don't want to get too offtopic here so I'll keep it short.

Granted. Gaustad is the one of the list that had his upsides but he has lost key faceoffs and lost puck battles along the boards way too often and those two aspects of the game are supposed to be his strong suit.

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That is all goalies are. Guys who sorta just get in the way of the puck. Not like it's that hard.

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watching nascar again and getting it confused with another sport?

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lol hey man don't be mean to the team!

Oh and also, Miller speaks his mind, so...pretty much when anybody has an honesty policy people are not going to be pleased all the time. That's human nature I guess, I think it's refreshing.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

oh come on, really? Stafford, Vanek, Ennis, Pomminville, and Gerbe are all skilled, and then you got Kassian and a couple other promising wingers on the way. That's better than a lot of teams wingers.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger