Throughout his career as a Sabre, Ryan Miller has had the unfortunate experience of having been mentioned in sentences with Dominic Hasek purely because they both played in a Sabres uniform as goaltenders. Yes, Ryan is quickly maturing into a game-stealing goalie who could "Richter" Team USA to a medal in Vancouver much like Hasek did for the Czech Republic, but it really isn't an apt comparison in my opinion.

Ice had mentioned it in a previous thread about Miller, and I immediately saw what he meant. I share his thoughts on the situation, so I thought I'd expound on them.

During Hasek's stay in Buffalo, he became the best goaltender in the world and posted superhuman numbers while doing it, but were the Sabres ever "Dom's Team"? No. They were Patty's team, up until he left, and then there really wasn't a true face of the team. Some people will say Peca, and some people will say the short-lived goon squad of Ray, May, and Barnaby, but there never really was one.

With Gilbert Perreault, he was the face, heart, and soul of the team. When people think of the old Sabres of the 70's, that's who they immediately think of - Perreault, a fiery competitor who would win games seemingly on his own or with the rest of the French Connection.

And that's what Miller has become - the face, heart, and soul of the team. He will pick the team up on his back like Atlas and win games singlehandedly. Regardless of what happens in regards to championships, stories, etc, the Sabres of the 2000's and 2010's will be forever known as "Miller's Team". For all intents and purposes, when an outsider looks at the Sabres, they see Ryan Miller, like those who did so 30 years ago saw Gilbert Perreault.

That's why, to me, Miller is more like Perreault than Hasek.

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mechaphil

Miller has caught me off guard this year with his development....obviously he is probably the best goalie in the world right now....and yes i think it is fair to compare him to perreault in terms of being the face of the franchise, and having the ability to win games all on his own....as long as he remains a sabre for the rest of his career, and continues to play goal at his current level, then he would go down as the #1 or #2 best player all time in buffalo history alongside Gil.....

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"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

fair enough, but i completely disagree.

dom was and still is the player you first think of when you mention the sabres. the only reason hes looked at with indifference is because he, and ill add, it was a shitty way to go, orchestrated his trade out of town.

perrault is a hall of famer, a great. but the laundry list of players better then him isnt a select few, its a pretty long list. he was never the best player in the league, really, while dom was. dom was the reason the sabres had any success in the late 90s.

this is akin to me arguing grant fuhr is the face of the edmonton oilers, not that waynes world guy. i just 100% completely disagree.

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That all could change, I think Miller is poised to overtake that "title"...he's with us for at least the next 5 years.

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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

perhaps... but the gap between elite goaltenders, and bad goaltending back in doms hayday was alot bigger then the gap is now.

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Yeah but I think Phil's point was that it isn't necessarily about the goaltending.

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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

Bingo

Ryan Miller may never compare to Hasek, and I am perfectly fine with that. Hasek did things and made saves that we didn't think possible, and his best years ever were played in the Queen City. But was this club Hasek's? Not like it's Miller's.

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mechaphil

Oh, and in my OP I talked about Miller winning games on his own. Yes, Hasek did that in spades, too, but that aspect is only one facet of where I'm coming from.

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mechaphil

i remember reading that while peca was the captain, the only reason dom didnt wear the "C" was because he couldnt. that aside from his neurotic behaviour, he was a very good and vocal leader. i remember he was VERY vocal on the ice.

regardless, i simply disagree.

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Actually, Phil has a good point on this. This decade will be remembered as Miller's team.

Also, if everyone is mentioning the greatest or best Sabre of all time, it tends to lean toward a "generation" thing. I have been around since the team was created. To me, Gilbert Perreault will always be "The Sabre" for a combonation of reasons, not the least of which is he was the "Original 1" "The First" Sabre. His talents extend over multiple Sabres teams. He stretched through the greatness of the 70's and then was "The Beacon of Light" in the 80's as the Sabres were knocked out of multiple round 1's in the playoffs. Gilbert Perreault will always be the grand-daddy of all Sabres by virtue of being the 1st overall pick in 1970 and his subsequent years of great hockey he had here. He retired Here, he was a part of one of the most prolific scoring lines in NHL history, he was the backbone of a team for 16 years.

I miss him now, as I watch this current roster, looking for someone like him to come in and grab the bull by the horns on offense for this team.

Thanks for the post Phil, it brings up mountains of memories for me and many like me who grew up watching Perreault and his career.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.