Ryan Miller Love-Fest

I was looking through some of my past posts, and I've realized something very unfortunate.

I do not mention Ryan Miller nearly enough on this blog.

As I've said before, I feel extremely protective of our wonderfully quirky goalie. I love that he's our guitar-playing, picture-taking, deep-thinking goalie.

This weekend has provided me with the perfect opportunity to bring my love for Ryan to the forefront once again. He was a rock for us, stealing the shootout win over the Rangers and keeping us in it against the dreaded Red Wings until the very end. With 43 saves Friday and 45 on Saturday, Ryan deserves to keep the Pigeon of the Game for as long as he wants it.

I only wish the team could have gotten at least a point for Ryan's effort in Detroit because he had so many family members and friends there.

I guess I'd rather not talk about last night's game because I'll have fits if I try to articulate my anger at being unable to hold on for 2 minutes.

Instead, I'd like to talk about Friday's exhilarating win over the Rangers. If ever there was a time to use everyone's favorite cliche of "poetic justice," it was the second that Chris Drury grabbed the puck at center ice and began skating towards Miller.

Photo courtesy of The Buffalo News

There it was, right in front of us - the man who left versus the man who stayed. The man who turned his back on an adoring city versus the man who has embraced Buffalo with all of his heart. For one night, the Buffalo guy came out on top. The quietly intense goalie who said he'd give up all of his money for a Stanley Cup in Buffalo proved that, if only for a moment, karma could work out in our favor.

My best friend and I went to practice on Friday morning, and we could tell then that Ryan was going to have a good night. It was the loosest I'd ever seen him. He was shooting pucks into the boards to startle everyone watching, practicing puck-handling with Goose, and playing faceoff judge between Goose and Pommer.

The Trio huddles with James Patrick to discuss how awesome they are.

The best part of practice, though, was when Ryan decided that he was actually going to take draws against his fellow Trio members. Goose and Pommer looked like they didn't believe him at first, but Ryan proved just how multi-talented he truly is by actually winning a faceoff (Does that just mean that Goose and Pommer were really bad at draws?).

In conclusion, Ryan Miller is getting a lot of credit right now, and I would just like to say that it is completely deserved. On that completely unoriginal note, I present two final pictures of Millsey from Friday's practice (if you want to see the rest of my pictures, click here for my Facebook album):

Even though last night's loss still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, I'm looking forward to Wednesday's game in Chicago. If Ryan Miller is in goal, I like our chances against just about anyone right now.

A Day Later, Still Happy

I don't know if I've ever confessed this before, but Ryan Miller makes me emotional.

I think he even stirs my heart more than Paul Gaustad.

Now before you go checking to make sure this is the right blog, let me be more specific. Goose is my favorite Sabre, bar none. Nothing makes me smile more than the mere mention of Paul Gaustad or his pretty face and hard-hitting play. However, he really only evokes one feeling in me - pure, unadulterated love.

Ryan Miller, on the other hand, has taken me on the complete roller coaster of hockey emotions. I get mad when he lets in a soft goal from the point. I get sad when I hear him talk about losing his cousin. I'm proud when I see all of the amazing charity work he does for kids in Buffalo. I'm amused when he gets snippy with the press.

However, if you ask anyone I know what emotion best describes how I feel about Ryan Miller, they will all say fierce protectiveness. I'm more protective about Ryan than I am about some members of my own family. When he got that shut-out against Atlanta after his cousin passed away, I'll admit that I cried. When other people (like my father) rush to criticize him, I rush to defend him - he's had a rough year personally, he's exhausted, our defense doesn't help. I always want to make sure he eats enough, too.

I have to fight the urge to send cookies to the arena for him.

As you can imagine, all the talk about Ryan not wanting to stay in Buffalo had me nervous. After all the emotion I had invested in him, it would have devastated me to hear that he didn't really love us back.

So, thank you, Ryan. Thanks for helping our fragile psyche one kind word and signed contract at a time. When you said you really love living here, it made me feel justified in believing in how genuine you are, and I know I'm not the only one.

As a Buffalo fan, all I ask is that my favorite athletes love my city with the same passion that I love watching them play. This offseason has made me proud to be a Sabres fan. First, Goose committed to us because we were the ones who gave him a chance. Then, Miller proved that he not only believes we can win it all but that we're a fanbase he'd love to win it all for.

Now that these two have validated me in my emotional attachment to them, I can only hope that Pommer follows suit. Ryan said that the signing of Goose was a big factor in his decision. It only makes sense that Jason would think the same about his roomie Goose and fellow Amerks-alum, Miller.

Only one more of the trio left...They're waiting for you to join the Sabre-snuggle, Pommer!

Ouch.

This pretty much sums up last night's game for the Pens:

Oh, Flower. First, you get stuck with the least masculine nickname EVER, and now this. At least you were able to laugh it off, though.

Unfortunately, the replay of this moment was about the only thing that brought a smile to my face for the entire game. There's not much to say about it. What I've learned from this season in Sabre-world is that you have to try to put the really bad games behind you as quickly as possible and hope the team does the same.

For tomorrow's game, the Pens are going to have a new look on the ice, and it's one I'm totally in favor of. Malkin is playing with Sykora and Talbot, and I'm so happy to see "Maxie" (as Geno called him) up there. He is a true mucker and grinder and now his hard work is getting appreciated. The same goes for Ryan Malone. Bugsy gets to play with Hossa and Sid, and I must say that Malone and Sid on a line together will be very easy on the eyes. Plus, Gary Roberts is back! I love those cagey vets; he'll knock some sense into these little whippersnappers.

In short, Sid's not giving up and neither am I. As he said, "It's only game one, so I don't think it's desperation."

This is Sid's determined face...Be afraid...

I said Pens in 6, and I'm no quitter. Let's hope they're not either.