Dear Ryan Miller...

(x-posted to my blog)

Dear Ryan,

Back when Marty Biron was traded, most people agreed that it needed to happen - he was getting paid an awful lot to cheerlead from the bench - but there were some rumblings from certain quarters. Rumblings that maybe you needed to know Marty was behind you to take over if your play slipped. Rumblings that you were too soft, too prone to getting tired halfway through the season to be relied on so heavily. Rumblings that the fragile kid who cried after losing in his hometown a few years ago was still too much a a part of you, that you hadn't quite grown up enough. Rumblings that you could be maddeningly inconsistent - great one game, soft the next. Heck, sometimes great one SHOT, soft the next. When the powers that be traded Marty everyone understood that they were saying, "Ryan Miller is the man we want in goal. We believe in him." We all waited to see if you would answer the bell.

Well, you answered the freakin' bell all right. You answered your bell and the bell of every single one of your teammates for most of the playoffs. Listen, us Buffalo fans, we're in a weird emotional state right now. I have about a million feelings jumping around. I'm frustrated that the coaching staff watched the powerplay struggle all season and seemed to feel it would be just fine in the playoffs - one powerplay goal in two of the Ottawa games potentially changes the outcome. I'm angry that the team who swore it was playing all season for the playoffs looked so damn uninterested for most of them, finally waking up when it was too late to do much but fight the good fight. I'm happy that they were able to wake up a put up a fight. I'm optimistic about the future of the team. All that "the Sabres must win now before Drury and/or Briere" stuff the media has been trying to feed us all year is bollocks. There's plenty of young talent on the team and it's possible that they just weren't ready this year. But mostly I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that such a wonderful season came to such an unenthusiastic thud of an ending.

But you, Ryan... You were the bright spot. You were the joy for every Buffalo fan. You're the guy I feel disappointed for because you absolutely deserve to still be playing. I would almost loan you to Ottawa for the next round because you should be in the Cup Finals. (And anyone in Ottawa who wouldn't take that deal is an idiot. They got the win, but I think we can now definitively say that yes, you ARE that much better than Emery.) You deserved so much better than what you got from your team, even if you would never admit that in public. The Senators defense repeatedly bailed out Emery, making sure they were there when he needed them. Too often you were an island.

Thank you for showing up every night. Thank you for fighting even when no one else in blue and gold seemed very interested in doing so. Thank you for keeping the team in every game of every series. Thank you for standing in front of your locker after all of those games and answering question after question while some of your teammates - even one with a letter on his chest - refused to do so. Thank you for taking responsibilty for losses even though you would've been perfectly within your rights to point the finger of blame at the guys around you. Thank you for stepping up when it mattered, on the ice and off. Thank you for giving us your best, for giving us everything in you. Believe me, we know it and we appreciate it.

Have a great off-season. Try not to think about hockey too much. Training camp will be here before you know it. I, for one, am glad to know you'll be back between the pipes and I hope you're there for a long time to come.

Hey, how do you feel about quarterbacking the powerplay next season? Just something to think about...

Love,
Heather B.

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Let's Get Ready to Rumble

One of the deejays on our local sports talk radio kept saying this yesterday - he said it so many times I wanted to rip his tongue out, really, but there's no doubt it's true: Doesn't it feel like the entire season has been building toward Buffalo and Ottawa duking it out for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Finals? Heck, you could argue that it started last season. It started with Buffalo surprising Ottawa by taking a 3-0 lead in the second round of last year's playoffs and sending them home on Jason Pominville's short-handed goal in game five. From there it went to Ottawa more or less dominating Buffalo in the regular season. And of course, there was Chris Neil's hit on Chris Drury and all that led to - players throwing punches, goalies throwing down, coaches ranting and raving, fans going nuts.

Hockey fans, I feel like it's my duty to encourage you - nay, implore you! - to do whatever you need to do to make sure you're at home and in front of a TV for the Eastern Conference finals. I really think Buffalo-Ottawa is going to be the best series of the playoffs and that includes any potential Finals match-up. The teams play similar styles - wide open, baby! - and are, in many ways, mirror images of each other. Both have multiple lines of fast, skilled forwards, both have good skating, mobile defenses, both have solid young goalies, both have smart, experienced coaches. And both want to beat the other very, very badly. The Senators want to end the team that ended them last season, finally tossing aside the choker label. The Sabres want to go one more round than they did last spring and show that the regular season wasn't a fluke.

For the record... While there are some concerns on both sides - Ottawa needs to start getting a little more secondary scoring, Buffalo needs to be more consistent on special teams - if everyone plays the way they can, I think the defenses and offenses are pretty close to a wash. That leaves us with goaltending. And while there's no doubt Ray Emery is a better goalie than he was this time last year (just wait till the devil comes to collect that soul, Ray), I'm more than comfortable giving Ryan Miller an edge. He's been the one Sabre locked in from the beginning of the playoffs, he's let in the same number of goals as Emery while facing 40 more shots behind a team that looked asleep for parts of the first two rounds. He's looked calm and confident from the first puck drop. I'm - surprise! - picking the Sabres in 7 long, tough games with Miller being the difference maker.


But seriously, watch. It's going to be awesome.

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Fashion and Hockey

As some of you may know, Ryan Miller started his own charity for kids with cancer. It is called the Steadfast Foundation, and he has had much sucess with it so far. Miller has had always had a softside for disabled kids, and after his cousin was diagnosed with cancer, "It really hit home" according to his father, Dean Miller.


Now, you are probably wondering what the heck hockey has to do with fashion, so I'll attempt in explaining it. Ryan Miller decided to host a "Catwalk for Charity," where the Sabres themselves would be modeling clothes. I really wanted to go, but I figured it was not worth the minimum $200 to get in. As the players strutted their stuff to songs such as "Fergalicious" and "Sexy Back" fans screamed as their favorites appeared. You know hockey is becoming popular with the women of the world when they decide the hold a fashion show.Click this to see the hilarious video of the Fashion Show!

Millsey also visits kids at the hospital and even did when he attended the All-Star game. I know I shouldn't wish for cancer, but meeting Ryan Miller would brighten my day, no matter the circumstances.

Before the fashion show there was also an auction in which he raised over 100 thousand dollars. Which nearly half of ($50,000) was for a signed and worn helmet of Ryan Miller's bought by Billy Fucillo who owns Fucillo Chevrolet, a local car shop.

So that was just a quick 'Congratulations!' for Ryan Miller on his sucess with his foundation and the joy he is bringing to many young one's life with cancer.

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It's Miller Time

"The best chance Buffalo has to change it's sports history comes down to the space between Ryan Miller's ears. --- The good news: He seems ready." -The Buffalo News


The quote above says it all. Miller is the heart of Buffalo's sucess, saving us time and time again. I'm so very glad I finally have a chance to blab about my dear Millsy (as his teamates call him).


Millsy is perhaps the just plain weirdest dude I've heard of. Anyone who describes him usually mentions "intense." The Buffalo News showed an article on him, where his father describes Miller as "A baby who you would poke in the ribs, and instead of giggling he would look at you with a look on his face saying "What was that for?"." He is so serious about what he does that he has a sports psychiatrist who sometimes even travels on the road with him. Of course, Miller is royalty in Buffalo. Listen to this, which I found in the same article in the Buffalo News:

"Amanda Shultz, a waitress at Pearl Street Grill where Miller ate that late autumn lunch, took one look and called her mother, Patricia. "Mom, guess who is here," she said on the phone. "God is here." "
^I LOVE this picture, but I'm not sure if I should be insulted by it.^

Also, Miller has a distinct pregame ritual that he does before every game. He is so into the routine that he doesn't seem to notice cameras or even screaming fans. I have a funny habit of mimicking him when I'm concentrating really hard. Especially the way he stretches his neck. You can see his weird tactics on you tube.

So, that's my grub on the one, the only, "MILLLERRR...!" as Rick Jeanneret might say. He is just so amazing at what he does, and so exciting to watch. He was the All-Star starter goalie too.

Just to throw this in: Have you ever noticed that most goalies tend to be number 30, or a number in the 30's? Either that, or their are a few that are number 1, Emery and I think Luongo. Just something to think about.

Speaking of All-Star game, let me take the chance to praise my Danny Boy. It turns out he is more "petit" than Heather B. might think. It turns out he is admittingly 2 inches shorter than his statistics say, making him a mere 5 ft. 8 inches. He was often told that it was too bad he wasn't 6 foot 1 inch, or he could be a great hockey player and make the NHL. Then, after the Pheonix Cyotes dropped him, he thought of traveling to Europe to play. Luckily, the Sabres got hold of him (in exchange for a better draft pick). Good thing they did, because we now have the MVP in the NHL. Danny is leading us on our quest for the cup! (I just hope we can keep him since he's a free agent after this season.)

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