Hold Your Head Up

I never want to see Ryan Miller this dejected again. My heart can't handle it.To see how much emotion he put into that performance, to see how much he cared about representing his country well - it broke me. He deserved all the happiness and accolades in the world, and I wished that he could have found comfort in at least getting the silver when most people didn't think the U.S. would medal.

But he didn't find comfort in that, and, as Sabres fans, I don't think we expected or wanted him to. Miller is a competitor of the highest degree, and I only wish he could have been rewarded for that with a gold medal. The tears in his too-expressive eyes told us all that this game meant so much to him, and it was so painful to see someone who so deserved to win come out on the losing end, when someone who's already accomplished so much (Sidney Crosby) added another layer to his legend.

Though Crosby's legend continued to grow, I think Miller's did, too. Or maybe his legend just got started. Either way, the whole world knows about our little best-kept secret now, and I couldn't be happier. To see the entire focus of America on the skinny, scruffy goalie that we call ours was truly something special. We got to share him with the rest of the country for a couple of weeks, but now he's ours alone again. I'd like to think we may have picked up a few more supporters along the way, though.

I hope what the rest of the country learned about Ryan Miller is what we in Buffalo have always known - that win or lose, he is a class act. This is the goalie who chose to stay in Buffalo and said that he would give up the money to bring a championship to this city. This is the goalie who helps so many sick children in memory of the cousin he loved so deeply and lost so young. This is the goalie who has captivated the Olympics-watching nation with his calm, kind demeanor and intelligent, focused persona.

Ryan Miller has earned all the happiness he can get out of this Olympic experience, which is why I was so happy to see him at the closing ceremonies:

Photo courtesy of Reuters

To see him smiling and enjoying himself, capturing memories of this amazing experience, made me so happy. He looked proud to be an Olympian, as well he should be. He has made an indelible impression in people's hearts and minds across America, and I hope people know that they weren't just rooting for a great hockey player; they were cheering for a great person as well.

I may have been sad to see silver in Miller's hands today, but I think I'll be okay with it come June, if that silver in his hands is from the Stanley Cup. I know it's a long shot, but if the past two weeks have taught me anything, it's that we should all be believers in "Millercles."

He's Back!

I know I'm not the only one who has missed Paul Gaustad in the Sabres lineup. He brings to the ice things that I think the team has been sorely missing in his absence (besides good bone structure and nice eyes).

He should help the team dramatically on faceoffs, even if he won't be 100 percent yet. Also, he should help the power play from his position in front of the net. He may not score a ton of power play goals, but his ability to screen goalies should help some more shots to get through (hopefully).

There's something else, too, something that is hard to define about Goose's influence on the team. He's become a definite leader on the ice and in the locker room, and his play this season is really backing that up. He's having a career year, and it makes me so proud to see him having that kind of success. Before this season, Lindy used to say in interviews that Goose had to work on his own game before he could wear a letter. Now that he has his "A," I think it's only made him a better player. He plays with heart and grit every game, but now it's nice to see tangible things like faceoff percentages and goal totals to go along with what I always loved about his play.

This excitement over Goose coming back and the season he's been having was the lead Sabres story in The Buffalo News today. They also mentioned that he's still a possible candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. The idea of my favorite hockey player, my all-guts-no-glory grinder, getting chosen to represent American hockey on the biggest international stage is incredible. To imagine what that would be like for him, someone who never even saw himself in the NHL, makes me so happy. His toughness, faceoff ability, and leadership would really be an asset for Team USA. Plus, it would be great for me personally to just get to look at him on TV for a few extra weeks!