What to do about Ryan Miller

[chernobylwraiths]

I hear a lot of talk about trading or getting rid of him. I just don't understand it, or in the least I don't think people who propose this have thought this through. Is it because he is being paid something like the sixth highest salary of all goaltenders in the NHL? I just don't agree with people who believe that he is bad and we can get just about anybody to replace him. There are far more serious problems on this team than goalie. Our defense is playing horribly right now. What we need is a good stay at home defenseman or two. Having offensive defensemen is fine, but you don't fill your team with them.

I just don't want to go down that "anybody will be better than this guy" road again. Once Hasek left (and sometimes while he was here and hurt) we went through some very sketchy goalie play until Miller became the choice. Marty played really well in stretches, but couldn't be counted on for a whole season. Enroth looks lost out there, and I think it is a little less amplified with Ryan in there, but the defense just isn't helping out.

I believe this team is closer than they appear right now, I just think they need change at the top, starting with the coach. Darcy and Lindy have had plenty of time to make and remake this team their own and it just isn't working. Time to hire some new blood.

[PTI]

You are wrong. Enroth can do what Miller has done thus far this year. He may never be as good as Miller "WAS", but he is no worse then Miller right now. They need to be splitting games and if Enroth gets hot and the Sabres win then ride Enroth.

[OpIv37]

I think this team was built around the concept of Miller and Vanek carrying them. 2-3 years ago, Miller was standing on his head but Vanek wasn't. Now, Vanek is playing great but Miller has apparently lost it.

The problem is that quality goaltending is hard to find. And a lot of teams need goalie help.

I think PTI is right. Enroth needs more starts. Maybe he gets in a groove. Maybe it motivates Miller. Maybe not. But Miller is not the dominant goalie that he was in 2010 and this team won't win if Lindy keeps pretending that he is.

[The King]

Op is 100% right good Goalies are rare. You can't just trade one for having a crappy month after a lock-out. Play Miller 3 games to 1, see if that helps, it will also show you what Enroth can do against top teams. Miller is a really good goalie, he's better than 60% of the starters in the league.

[chernobylwraiths]

I just think it is ridiculous to blame Miller for the defense playing horribly. Every goalie lets in a soft goal once in a while. And while Miller isn't playing exemplary, he is not playing horribly. Some people here would blame Miller for letting in a goal on a 3 on 0. Nobody can save everything. I believe he is trying to do too much because he sees how badly the defense is struggling.

[OpIv37]

That's always been the problem with Miller. He'll pull an amazing save out of his ass against a top player, and then 3 minutes later he'll let in a goal that the Amerks' backup probably would have stopped. Certainly not every goal is his fault but he has made a lot of mistakes.

So, the big question becomes this: can we do better? Looking around the league, I don't think we can. Too many teams need goaltending so the market is inflated. And the only guy really available who MAY be better is Luongo, and I wouldn't touch that nasty contract.

There are only two things to do: give Enroth more starts and start brining someone through the system to replace Miller (or at least promote Enroth if he's ready then replace him as back up) in 2-3 years.

[PTI]

Luongo is doing what he does, good regular season, although, they had threatened that Schneider would get less starts. They have pretty much split time, and Luongo has a 1.46 and is 2-0-2, time to split with Enroth for a while.

[Crisis]

Enroth is garbage. He has no wins in his last 12(?) starts... The book is out on how to beat him. His 5 hole is massive and high glove hand is extremely weak.

[GreedoII]

He doesn't want to be here anymore. He has tuned out Ruff like most of these guys. If Ruff stays then trade him while you can in my opinion.

[Skooby]

Miller's wife is more of a distraction than anything.

[PTI]

Enroth is garbage. He has no wins in his last 12(?) starts... The book is out on how to beat him. His 5 hole is massive and high glove hand is extremely weak.

Sabres have scored 19 goals in his last 11 starts. He has a little over a 3 GAA in that time, not good, but this team has not played for him at all. I actually somewhat feel bad a little for him. He was awesome in the first period against Carolina, they just nothing at all on defense that game.

[SkateZilla]

I just think it is ridiculous to blame Miller for the defense playing horribly. Every goalie lets in a soft goal once in a while. And while Miller isn't playing exemplary, he is not playing horribly. Some people here would blame Miller for letting in a goal on a 3 on 0. Nobody can save everything. I believe he is trying to do too much because he sees how badly the defense is struggling.

Nearly every goal I've seen, the Defense was STANDING STILL, while other team passed around them, or skated around them.

And if they were moving, they were puck chasing around the boards, while they had a guy parked 4 feet in front of Miller.


With Possession:
The D Lacks confidence, coverage and technique.
They get the puck and turn it over passing it D to D instead of sending it up to the forwards.
They Turn it over passing it to the other player 2 feet in front of them.

When they dont have the puck, like I said, they are either standing around waving sticks like they are on a 5 on 3 PK when it's 5 on 5. or they are chasing it bak and forth around the boards.

Lindy needs to get them back to basics, Puck Control and Passing.

[Skooby]

Nearly every goal I've seen, the Defense was STANDING STILL, while other team passed around them, or skated around them.

And if they were moving, they were puck chasing around the boards, while they had a guy parked 4 feet in front of Miller.


With Possession:
The D Lacks confidence, coverage and technique.
They get the puck and turn it over passing it D to D instead of sending it up to the forwards.
They Turn it over passing it to the other player 2 feet in front of them.

When they dont have the puck, like I said, they are either standing around waving sticks like they are on a 5 on 3 PK when it's 5 on 5. or they are chasing it bak and forth around the boards.

Lindy needs to get them back to basics, Puck Control and Passing.

It wouldn't hurt if the wingers came back a little to give the D another target to pass too.

[SkateZilla]

It wouldnt hurt that the Wingers playing the point would actually play D when the puck comes the other way. instead of this "oh Im a forward" crap and stop at center ice.

[OpIv37]

Miller's wife is more of a distraction than anything.

You sure it's his wife though? That's the common explanation that gets tossed around. But just before he married her was also the Olympic gold medal game where he gave up the OT goal to Crosby to lose. Sometimes I wonder if its not his wife but that goal that has gotten in his head.

[trapezeus]

i always just thought that miller is best when the pressure is on. when marty was playing well, miller came back from that thumb injury and played even better prior to the injury.

In the olympics, he had tim thomas right behind him. he stayed focused and stayed on top.

but when he has the luxury of being hte undisputed king, he gets unfocused. he only warms up again, when the team absolutely needs him.

Which comes back to the focus and being pushed. the coach isn't doing it.

honestly, the answer to all this is to can lindy last week. let these players see that concern is very real. after two weeks more, if production is weak, you start a rebuild whether you like it or not. and that means miller, if it can get you a ransom at the deadline, needs to be looked at. and then you need to get all the top prospects in the world with your top 3 pick, and in every trade you make from there on out.

you need to try and get the 2005 sabre team of youngins who are hungry and want to prove themselves. because this current roster clearly doesn't care.

[chernobylwraiths]

Nearly every goal I've seen, the Defense was STANDING STILL, while other team passed around them, or skated around them.

And if they were moving, they were puck chasing around the boards, while they had a guy parked 4 feet in front of Miller.


With Possession:
The D Lacks confidence, coverage and technique.
They get the puck and turn it over passing it D to D instead of sending it up to the forwards.
They Turn it over passing it to the other player 2 feet in front of them.

When they dont have the puck, like I said, they are either standing around waving sticks like they are on a 5 on 3 PK when it's 5 on 5. or they are chasing it bak and forth around the boards.

Lindy needs to get them back to basics, Puck Control and Passing.

It drives me crazy when I see the team chasing. Plus, nobody seems to want to consistantly finish checks with a couple notable exceptions.

[The King]

After last night I hope you all acknowledge how crazy trading him would be.

[SabreEleven]

After last night I hope you all acknowledge how crazy trading him would be.

He should trade him because he can't score goals.

[The King]

But he can still steal you games where your team looks like absolute garbage. Last night shouldve been like 6-1

[chernobylwraiths]

After last night I hope you all acknowledge how crazy trading him would be.

Does the phrase, "Anybody would be better than Bledsoe" ring a bell? Replace "Bledsoe" with almost any high profile player/coach that fans started to hate. Not that the fans (and myself for that matter) were always wrong.

[The King]

Does the phrase, "Anybody would be better than Bledsoe" ring a bell? Replace "Bledsoe" with almost any high profile player/coach that fans started to hate. Not that the fans (and myself for that matter) were always wrong.
Funny since I was very pro Bledsoe at the time.

[PTI]

He should trade him because he can't score goals.

If Miller scores you a huge haul, why not, you have to trade him.

[chernobylwraiths]

If Miller scores you a huge haul, why not, you have to trade him.

Dominik Hasek was one of the best goalies in the game at the time we traded him and all we got was a late first rounder and Kozlov who didn't want to be here. What could we possibly get that would help this team win without a decent goalie?

[chernobylwraiths]

Funny since I was very pro Bledsoe at the time.

and he was good when the line held up, but he needed a great line and he was near the end of his career and had no stopwatch in his head telling him to get rid of the ball.

[coastal]

This season is shot.

Tank it and tank it now!

trade him to a team who feels they are a goalie away from having a shot for a 1st rounder or a solid two way player or a prospect.

[G Wolly]

Cashed out his wife in the store during the Boston game sunday.

Whata *****. I blame her for ****ing with his already fragile head.