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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.

More or less agree here, except the Enroth not being ready part. He's ready to be an average starter, but not a playoff star IMO. Maybe that's what you're saying anyway. But I think you're right about Miller, and about Buffalo fans being fickle. That's why I hate the Bills.

i haven't turned on him. i kind of feel the opposite, actually. it feels like he's turned on buffalo a bit,. to me. he just seems... over it here. also, i hate to be that person and say this, but maybe there's a reason this team this season has played harder with enroth in net..


with that said, i'd love to be wrong and see miller come back from this concussion guns a-blazin, and go back to being a true all star goaltender.

i disagree, hes shown alot of emotion. its just that alot of those emotions have been in anger or disappointment because of the teams lackadaisical play, and his own struggles.

as enroth succeeds, his ceiling grows as well. he may end up growing into a dominant force, but its extremely unlikely. hes going to be a very good goalie, but elite? i just dont see it. he came out this season on fire. but as he gets more and more exposure, teams are learning his scouting report, and are beginning to exploit them, hence why his numbers recently have been average at best (alex did some number crunching. since millers injury, he has a GAA over 3 and a save percentage under .900)

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the teams played harder because they know Miller isnt their to cover their ass like he has in years past. As for Miller turning on Buffalo. In every job there are times that you, or i, or whoever are fed up with certain aspects whether its personal performance, co-worker performance, boss/manager. the difference between us and Miller is that he gets to have 50 mics and tape recorders in his face when he gets out of work, good day or not. I can see how that would wear on a guy especially after a stretch of rough days.

i still dont think hes said anything offensive or wrong.

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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.

I think you're spot on. Maybe he'll be refreshed when he comes back from his injury and doesn't have the media analyzing his every word. Hopefully the fans are ready to give him another shot. This guy has given all of himself to the city and the team. Honestly, I don't think he's said anything wrong. Having, like Wozniak said, 50 microphones in his face after some rough days at work showed us one thing. HE'S HUMAN. He gets mad, he gets upset, he gets frustrated. No matter how many rough games he has, I will always be 100% behind Miller. He's given so much to the city and the country. Think about what his performance in Vancouver probably did for USA hockey. Now I've certainly criticized (and harshly) his bad games. But I will always be behind him. He's stuck with the team when he could've left. I honestly cannot believe how badly the fans have turned on him. It's discouraging and I can see why he would be frustrated. I've heard fans rip into him at and almost got into a fight with this guy at the Winnipeg game because he gave Miller the bronx cheer every time he stopped the puck. My point his I think he deserves a second chance when he comes back. He's carried this team year in and year out, why should we be so quick to push him out the door?

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Rest in Peace Nani. 10/3/10

Gerbacity



"Grier coming in over the line. He leaves it to Gaustad. The shot. THEY SCOOOREE!! RING UP ANOTHER ONE FOR THE GOOSE!!! HONK IF YA HEAR THE GOOSE!! 3-0 BUFFALO!"

The situation we're in now is completely different. Ruff had to ride Miller for the past 4 years for 2 reasons. The first was the fact that this Sabres team relied heavily on goaltending because of a lack of talent in other areas compared to the rest of the league. The second was the fact that Lalime sucked balls.

Adding talented players to this already talented roster would make a pretty drastic change in the compete level, and take some of the pressure off of Enroth. Additionally, if MacIntire isn't up to the task, then Regier now has the ability financially to go out and find somebody that's capable of backing Enroth up.



Yeah... dipped to a 2.29 GAA and .925 SP during a span where the team hasn't played great hockey and has a plethora of injuries. The kid's ready.



I've been supportive of Ryan Miller and his value to this team for a long time now. The whole premise of my opinions in this thread is based on the idea like Ryan Miller is indifferent to being in Buffalo. If that's not the case, then moving him would be stupid. But if his head isn't into doing what he needs to do to bring his game back up to an elite level, then keeping him around is not in the best interests of this organization.

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Wheelhouse

like ive already said. since millers injury, enroths numbers have been very pedestrian. over 3 GAA and under a .900 save percentage. he has been all over the board, getting shellacked against a bad jackets team, and playing very well last night. so what does this mean? hes ready for NHL time, and substantial NHL time. not starting time. thankfully, they have miller when he gets healthy. since the sabres have the luxury, the idea of trading miller and naming enroth the starter is silly and reckless.

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I feel the same way as PSP. If Ryan's heart isn't in it because of other factors then he is a detriment to this team, get rid of him. I still like Miller and want him to stay but only if he plans on giving the team his best effort.

He has to understand the fans/media hold him to the highest standard possible for goalies, elite. The fans/media do not expect an elite goaltender to struggle. They don't allow for him to be human. I am confident that when he returns (baring any further complications from his concussion) he'll play like someone possessed.

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Again, you're looking at a small sample size of games where he's played in net behind a team with loads of injuries during a stretch where they've played some pretty poor hockey. That's not Jhonas' fault.

You're a smart enough hockey person to know that you can't trash Enroth for getting lit up by a "bad jackets team," because trends are everything in hockey, and the Jackets were playing very good hockey. They had almost 3 times the amount of Sabres shots on goal at the end of the first period alone.



SabresinDC gets what I mean. I'm not in favor of rushing Miller out of here unless there's bad blood. Whether or not Jhonas is ready to start for this team is irrelevant if Miller doesn't want to be here.

Look at all the criticisms Vanek has taken over the years. He's heard it from the media, and he's never made excuses. He'd say straight up that he wasn't good enough, and he worked hard to get through it with no complaints at all. Look at him now.

That's how players with a good mindset act. Miller's actions sound alarms in my mind about where his head is at. I hope that he figures it out, but I'm not overly optimistic.

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Wheelhouse

If Miller had played stellar in the start of this season none of this would be coming out. The fans are booing their own goaltender (back before Miller was injured), not realizing that even the best have their down moments, don't even think to rally behind him.

It would take a major collapse (and a completely different mindset in the NHL world) for someone like miller to want to go somewhere else. They've prided themselves on making Buffalo the place to play, no way Miller (who's said he wants to win the cup in Buffalo) does a complete 180 so quickly.

This team struggled and the fans shit hit the fan. We weren't very far into the season, and there was little to judge everything on, yet the harshest judgement came out.

Miller's going to stay in Buffalo for quite some time. There's absolutely NO indication otherwise.

of course, I'd better use the word hypothetically...

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but its also a small sample size to declare enroth starter ready. of course theres been injuries. of course a young goaltender will stumble.

and id also like to point out that drewmac only gave up 1 goal in relief to enroth.

i like enroth. i think hes going to be a good goalie. he already is. i just dont think hes ready to be a full time starter in the NHL. and with the luxury of miller, we dont have to rush him into it.

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when has he ever said that he hasnt given it his best effort?

And the way im reading your second paragraph makes it sound like Millers not allowed to have am off stretch. did i read that wrong?

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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.

I'm not saying he wasn't purposely giving his best effort. If I came off that way, I apoligize. Why would anyone want him to stay on this team if he doesn't give it is all????

As for my second paragraph, just stating my observations of fans. They usually have an unrealistic view of how a star player should perform. Fans expect Miller to play like the 2009-10 season every season. They won't accept the fact the he's human and will have off stretches in his career.

Personally, I understand that he may never have a season like that again and I also understand that he's human and will have bad nights, bad weeks....but if it starts stretching into months, then there needs to be concern. Obviously this is all hopothetical

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I'll need a 10 lb. sack of salt for this one...

It used to be "Miller wants to play for the Wings and he'll take a trade or not resign to do so."
That was BS
Now he goes out and get's married and the story changes to "ZOMG Miller wants to play in California to be close to his hot wife"

He's a professional with a big-boy contract and I can't see any reason the organization would feel compelled to trade him.

Hogwash I say.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

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Wheelhouse

i agree with this. especially the second paragraph. miller is a human and humans are prone to struggles and frustration. his comments were way overblown and his struggles were not his alone. the defense in front of might as well sat at the opponents blue line and hoped miller made a save and lobbed the puck up the ice. cause they sure as hell wernt doing anything that resembled playing defense.

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also, remember 08-09? millers first season where he looked elite, though his numbers sometimes didnt reflect that. they were the 5 seed on night against the ny rangers, looking to extend that seeding security. scott gomez comes in, and bumps millers skate (no way in hell gomez meant to injure miller IMO) and miller misses significant time. sabres free fall and finish 10th. miller has bailed out this franchise so many times, and his career W/L reflects this. he will be fine when he returns and honestly, sabre fans should just shut the fuck up when it comes to him.

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Team defense? You mean every line is not supposed to have one blue liner rush up the ice, turn the puck over, and have the puck some back the other way where one defenseman has a 2 or 3 on 1 and slides out of position? This then leaving Miller to fend off a barrage of point blank shots?

yes, and when the puck goes in the net, we need to make sure to point the finger at miller and say he got burned.

that justinTV feed with those morons were fun as hell to mess with during the boston game. miller was actually looking great till the sabres decided to stop playing defense. miller leaves game after being "BURNED" and enroth comes in, gets left out to dry, and suddenly its the defenses fault. enroth wasnt getting burned, but somehow miller was.

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