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| Ryan Miller |
As the Buffalo Sabres prepare to face the New York Islanders in their final game of the regular season tonight at First Niagara Center, Ryan Miler is set to become the 62nd goaltender in NHL history to play in 500 games. Here’s a look back at some of the numbers Miller has accumulated during his outstanding 11-year NHL career in the Nickel City.
Born: July 17, 1980 (East Lansing, MI)
Drafted: 1999 Entry Draft, 5th round (138th overall)
Did You Know?
Ryan Miller has played more NHL games than the combined total of the 29 other players drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 Draft. (Leaders: Derek MacKenzie, 234; Niko Dimitrakos, 158).
Games played leaders from goaltenders drafted in 1999
Ryan Miller, 499 (Buffalo, 5th round)
Craig Anderson, 316 (Calgary, 3rd round)
Alex Auld, 237 (Florida, 2nd round)
Michael Leighton, 105 (Chicago, 6th round)
LISTEN TO MILLER TALK ABOUT THE 500-GAME MILESTONE
CAREER TOTALS
W-L-T/OT: 268-164-54
GAA: 2.59
Save%: .915
CAREER MILESTONES
First NHL game: November 19, 2002 @ New Jersey (4-3 OTL)
First NHL win: November 22, 2002 vs. Columbus (5-4)
First NHL shutout: January 14, 2003 @ Minnesota (1-0)
SINGLE SEASON RECORDS:
Most wins: 41, 2009-10
Most shutouts: 6, 2011-12
Lowest GAA: 2.22, 2009-10
NHL Awards:
- Vezina Trophy, First All-Star Team, NHL Foundation Award: 2009-10
2010 Olympics
- won Silver Medal with Team USA
- Tournament MVP, Best Goalie & All-Star Team
- Miller will become the 62nd goaltender in NHL history to play 500 games. The last was Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who reached the milestone on April 5 at Pittsburgh. The last before Lundqvist was former Sabres goaltender Martin Biron, who also appeared in his 500th NHL game as a member of the Rangers in a road game against the Penguins, exactly one year prior to Lundqvist.
- When added to the list of 61 goaltenders who have played 500 NHL games, Miller currently ranks fifth with a .915 career save percentage. Dominik Hasek (.922, 1st) is the only retired goaltender to rank in the top 10 in save percentage among this group. Miller also ranks 14th among this elite group with a 2.59 GAA. In addition to topping the list in save%, Hasek also leads the “500 Club” with a GAA of 2.20.
- Miller, who has spent his entire career with the Sabres, will become the 20th goaltender in NHL history to play at least 500 games with one team, and the 12th to play his first 500 with the same team.
- Of the 19 goaltenders with 500 NHL games played with the same team, 12 of them played in the NHL Entry Draft era. Of these 12, half were drafted in the fifth round or later: Billy Smith, Miika Kiprusoff, Evgeni Nabokov, Kirk McLean, Henrik Lundqvist and Marty Turco. Only two (Martin Brodeur and Olaf Kolzig) were selected in the first round.
- Despite being ranked 62nd on the all-time games played list, Miller ranks 40th in wins (268). His record ranks him second among these goaltenders in win percentage (.549), seventh in points percentage (.607) and 19th in adjusted points percentage (.564), a measure in which all ties, overtime losses, and shootout wins/losses are counted as regulation ties to better compare goaltenders from different eras.
PITTSBURGH -- It was an optional morning skate for the Buffalo Sabres at the Consol Energy Center, with seven skaters and both goalies taking part in advance of tonight’s tilt with the red-hot-but-hobbled Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition to expected starting goaltender Ryan Miller, the following players were on the ice for the 30-minute workout: Jhonas Enroth, Brian Flynn, Marcus Foligno, Nathan Gerbe, Chad Ruhwedel, Mark Pysyk, Mikhail Grigorenko and Adam Pardy.
No lineup changes are expected as forward Patrick Kaleta remained in Buffalo with a hand injury. Rookie Mikhail Grigorenko will be in the lineup for a second straight game, after skating 15:18 last night against Winnipeg, his first NHL action since March 12 after being recalled from junior last week.
The last time the Sabres came to Pittsburgh on April 2, they brought an end to the Penguins’ 15-game winning streak, the second-longest such streak in NHL history. Tonight they’ll look to snap another successful run, as the Penguins come into the game as winners of seven in a row following a 3-1 victory in Ottawa on Monday. A second win in Pittsburgh this year would be the first time since 2005-06 that the Sabres will have won two consecutive regular-season road games in the Steel City. It would also be just the fifth time in franchise history the Sabres have won two or more consecutive games in Pittsburgh.
Tonight’s game also wraps up Buffalo’s ninth and final set of back-to-back games this season. Following last night’s 2-1 loss to Winnipeg at First Niagara Center, the Sabres dropped to 4-3-2 in the first game. Entering tonight’s game they are just 2-5-1 in the second of back-to-back games. Buffalo’s point breakdown in previous back-to-back sets is as follows: four points (2), three points (1), two points (1), one point (2) and zero points (2).
If the Buffalo Sabres want to play spoilers tonight against the Winnipeg Jets at First Niagara Center, they’ll have to accomplish two things they haven’t been able to do in the last five meetings between these two clubs: 1) win, and 2) score more than one goal.
Winnipeg defeated Buffalo 4-1 at the MTS Centre on April 9, and that was preceded by a 2-1 Jets win in Buffalo on February 19. The Sabres are 1-5-0 against the Jets since they relocated from Atlanta prior to the 2011-12 season, with Buffalo’s only win being a 6-5 OT decision on November 8, 2011. In their last six games, the Jets have outscored Buffalo by a 20-11 margin.
The Jets come into tonight’s game sitting in ninth spot in the Eastern Conference at 49 points with three games left to play. They are three points behind the eighth-place New York Rangers, while also trailing the Washington Capitals by three points for the lead in the Southeast Division.
Tyler Ennis knows the Sabres are in for a dogfight tonight facing a Jets team that is 5-0-1 in their last six games.
“They’re a good team, and they’re fighting for their lives. We know they are going to come out with everything. It’s do or die for them, and it should be intense.”
Jhonas Enroth will start in goal for the Sabres, following his 39 minutes of mop-up work in Friday’s 8-4 loss to the Rangers that eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention. In his last five starts, Enroth is 4-0-1 and has posted a .958 save% during this stretch. Enroth’s only previous start against the Jets was a 2-1 loss in Buffalo on January 7, 2012.
Rookie Mikhail Grigorenko will return to the Sabres lineup for the first time since being recalled from his junior team last Tuesday. Grigorenko has five points (1+4) in 22 games for Buffalo this season, with his last game action coming on March 12 versus the Rangers.
Interim head coach Ron Rolston is interested to see how Grigorenko handles his role tonight against a gritty team like Winnipeg.
“We’re gonna put him in game situations, and see the compete and just his overall game against a team like Jets who are going to be desperate. We’ll find out.”
Patrick Kaleta will miss tonight's game after blocking a shot with his right hand in Friday's loss to New York. His status for the final two games is questionable at this point.
LISTEN TO ROLSTON'S' FULL AUDIO
“We have to take care of our destiny.”
Those were the simple words of Sabres interim head coach Ron Rolston this morning, as the Sabres prepared to face the New York Rangers at First Niagara Center tonight. With just four games left on their schedule, a regulation loss tonight would eliminate the Sabres from playoff contention. If the Sabres have any hopes of securing a spot in the postseason, a regulation win would be their most favorable result. Giving away points in any other form are basically unacceptable at this point.
“You want to play in these games, especially when you’re trying to develop the kind of mentality that you need in this league,” explained Rolston. “With the close games we’ve been in (the Sabres have played 17 one-goal games under Rolston), you want to test your teams in those situations. Tonight’s another test of a really high caliber opponent in a situation where you need to be successful.”
LISTEN TO ROLSTON'S FULL AUDIO
Ryan Miller will be back between the pipes tonight, one game after locking down a 3-2 shootout win in Boston on Wednesday with 41 saves and stops on all three Bruins’ shootout attempts. In his last 14 games against the Rangers, Miller is 8-2-4 with a 1.71 GAA and .943 save%.
Rookie Mikhail Grigorenko will be Buffalo’s only healthy scratch.
- Buffalo comes into tonight’s game on a three-game winning streak, and will be looking to win four straight for the first time since a five-game run from March 19-27, 2012.
- The Sabres have allowed 40 or more shots in two of their last four games, and have averaged 36.1 shots against in the last seven games.
- The Rangers have averaged 33.4 shots for in their last 10 games, including five games of 35 or more shots. Rick Nash leads the Rangers with 158 shots on goal, which is good for fifth in the NHL.
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| Ryan Miller |
BOSTON -- Ryan Miller will be back in goal tonight in Boston as the Sabres look to extend their winning streak to three games in what should be an emotionally-charged TD Garden. Tonight’s game will be the first professional sporting event in Boston following Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon that left three people dead and more than 170 others injured.
Miller’s last game was a 5-1 loss to Montreal last Thursday, before giving way to Jhonas Enroth for Buffalo’s consecutive weekend wins over Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. Miller has played in all four games against Boston this season, posting a 2-2-0 record, 2.53 GAA and .930 save%.
Luke Adam was returned to Rochester today, after scoring one goal during a four-game recall. The Sabres have just one extra skater, and recently-recalled rookie Mikhail Grigorenko will be the team’s only healthy scratch tonight. Ville Leino (upper body injury) is out indefinitely and did not travel with the team to Boston.
Patrick Kaleta will play in his 300th career NHL game tonight, becoming the 67th Sabres player in franchise history sto reach this milestone. The 26-year-old native of Angola, NY, played his first game in Buffalo on February 22, 2007, against the Ottawa Senators. Kaleta has 51 points (27+24) and 501 penalty minutes in his previous 299 games.
This is the fifth and final meeting between the Sabres and Bruins this season, with the teams splitting the previous four games. In the only game at Boston’s TD Garden on January 31, Thomas Vanek collected five points (3+2) as the Sabres came-from-behind to defeat the Bruins 7-4. Vanek’s five points are tied with Boston’s David Krejci (2+3) to lead both teams this season.
The Buffalo Sabres will fly to Boston this afternoon, just 24 hours after the bombing of the Boston Marathon that left three dead and 144 injured.
With the postponement of Monday’s Bruins-Senators game, and the cancellation of tonight’s Celtics-Pacers NBA contest, Buffalo’s game on Wednesday against the Bruins will be the first sporting event in the city since the bombing.
Unfortunately, the Sabres have been in this position before. In October 2001, the Sabres and Rangers played the first game at MSG following the World Trade Center bombings. Then on February 13, 2009, just one day after 50 people were killed in the crash of Continental Airlines flight 3407 in Clarence Center, NY, the Sabres hosted a home game against the San Jose Sharks that featured an incredibly emotional moment of silence before the game.
Sabres general manager Darcy Regier was part of both games, and immediately saw the connections.
“I actually found myself thinking about 9/11 when I heard about that, knowing we were going to Boston. We had gone into New York shortly after 9/11. Actually right after it, we flew down to South Carolina for training camp. That obviously affects all of us. It’s tragic and it’s horrific. But I don’t have any reservations. You just move forward.
“You can’t help but think in terms of the families that are involved and how difficult it must be. The only thing you can do is that thoughts and prayers are with them and their families. It’s terrible.”
Regier said he had yet to receive official word from the league on the status of Wednesday’s game, saying that it’s still business as usual for the team in terms of preparing for it from both a hockey and logistical standpoint. He knows the final decision of whether to play or not is out of his hands, but also realizes there’s more than just two points on the line right now.
“There’s at least a couple of ways you can look at it. You can either stop everything, or make a statement to these types of situations that you’re gonna get on with life.
“It won’t be our decision. It’ll be a decision made by the people in Boston that are empowered to make those decisions. We’ll wait to see what that decision is. But right now we’re planning on going.”
Regier also said that knowing the area of the bombings in Boston as well as he does makes the events that much more surreal.
“It’s not far from the Boston Library and Lenox Hotel; I looked at the map this morning. We’re very familiar with that area. Unfortunately it casts a different light on everything.”
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| Tyler Ennis |
To say that Tyler Ennis has struggled lately is being polite. The 23-year-old center has gone five games without collecting a point, and was on the ice for all four goals in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss in Winnipeg. Ennis is a cumulative minus-seven over the past five games, and has recorded just eight shots on goal during this stretch.
Ennis is third in team scoring with nine goals and 17 assists in 39 games, but interim head coach Ron Rolston says the youngster will needs to use his speed for more than just generating offense when the Sabres host Montreal tonight at First Niagara Center.
“Obviously he’s a huge part of our team. He’s just gotta make things happen out there; he’s gotta get his feet moving more than anything. When he’s playing well he’s moving his feet – he’s fast, he’s on pucks. That’s what he’s got to get back to.
“It’s everywhere, getting to loose pucks, even in our zone. Putting himself in position to play defensively and winning his battles. Just making things happen out there, being proactive on things. It all starts with him moving his feet.”
LISTEN TO ROLSTON’S FULL AUDIO
Buffalo comes into tonight’s game with a 3-1-0 record against the Canadiens this season, and they have won three straight against Montreal since being trounced 6-1 at the Bell Centre on February 2.
The Sabres are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Canadiens, including a 6-2-2 record at home. Buffalo is 4-0-1 in their last five home games against Montreal, with the Canadiens’ last regulation win in Buffalo being a 3-2 victory on November 5, 2010.
Thomas Vanek leads both teams with five goals on 16 shots during the four-game season series. Vanek scored both of Buffalo’s goals in their last meeting, a 2-1 Sabres’ win at the Bell Centre on March 23.
Ryan Miller will start in goal for Buffalo tonight, and John Scott is expected to be a healthy scratch. Luke Adam will return to the lineup after being scratched on Tuesday in Winnipeg.
WINNIPEG -- Interim head coach Ron Rolston classified Thomas Vanek as a “possibility” for tonight’s game in Winnipeg, as the Buffalo Sabres (16-17-6) put their three-game winning streak on the line against the equally-desperate Jets (19-19-2). Buffalo’s leading scorer has missed the last six games with an upper body injury sustained in Tampa on March 26.
The injured Buffalo winger showed no visible signs of discomfort during drills at today’s morning skate at the MTS Centre, but stayed on the ice longer than most of his teammates. When Vanek came off the ice, he would only smile when asked by reporters if he’ll be back in the lineup tonight.
LISTEN TO ROLSTON’S FULL AUDIO
Buffalo enters tonight’s game on their third three-game winning streak of the season, and will attempt to win four straight for the first time since they won five in a row from March 19-27, 2012.
Ryan Miller will make his fifth straight start in goal for Buffalo; posting a record of 3-1-0 in the previous four games. In Miller’s last start, he stole two points for the Sabres by making 37 saves and stopping all three Devils’ shooters in a 3-2 shootout win over New Jersey on Sunday.
Winnipeg comes into the game having lost five of its last six games, after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday. The Jets are just 9-9-0 at home this season in the raucous MTS Centre, after posting a 23-13-5 home record last season.
It’s been a while since the Sabres have won a regular season game in Winnipeg; 20 years in fact. The Sabres were 0-2-0 in their two visits to Winnipeg last season as the Jets returned to the NHL after relocating from Atlanta.
Buffalo’s last win in the province of Manitoba was a 6-2 decision on February 10, 1993. Pat LaFontaine was involved in every Buffalo goal that night, collecting one goal and five assists. In the middle of his record-setting 76-goal season, Alexander Mogilny scored four times and added an assist. Grant Fuhr defeated Bob Essensa to earn the win in net. Sabres assistant coach Teppo Numminen was playing for the Jets at the time, but missed this game due to injury.
Buffalo only played two more games in Winnipeg before they relocated to Phoenix in 1996.
To take this stat one step further, when the Sabres last won in Winnipeg, Jochen Hecht was the oldest current player at 15 years old; Ryan Miller was only 12; and rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk had just celebrated his first birthday one month earlier.
Thomas Vanek will miss his fifth straight game with an upper body injury tonight when the Sabres (14-17-6) host the Ottawa Senators (19-11-6) at First Niagara Center in a 7 p.m. start.
Buffalo’s leading scorer skated for the third day in a row and continues to improve, but he’s still not ready to get back into a game for the first time since February 26 in Tampa.
Ryan Miller gets the start in goal tonight, coming off an impressive performance in Buffalo’s 4-1 streak-stopping win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
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| Nathan Gerbe |
The trade of Jason Pominville to Minnesota not only left the Sabres without a captain, but it also opened up a hole on the right side of Buffalo’s first line. The first player to get a crack alongside Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson will be Nathan Gerbe.
The feisty winger will be elevated from the third line to the first unit tonight, and knows this is his shot to prove himself with the team’s top offensive center in Hodgson.
“It’s a good opportunity for me. I’m just gonna come in and try to take advantage of it, play hard and try to compete. Hopefully good things happen,” Gerbe said today. “I’m kind of the guy that can move around everywhere in the lineup. This is a good chance for me.”
Gerbe has seven points (4+3) in 31 games this season, and has bounced all over the depth chart. While the constant shuffling might bother some players, Gerbe says he’s become accustomed to it.
“I’m getting used to it for sure. I think towards the beginning it was a little difficult; new guy every game or new position. Now I’m getting the hang of right wing and it’s becoming more natural for me to play on that side and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable.”
LISTEN TO GERBE’S FULL INTERVIEW
Interim head coach Ron Rolston says there’s value in a player like Gerbe who can fill a variety of roles on a hockey club.
“He’s pretty versatile so that’s probably a good thing. He’s played left wing and right wing, and some of his best offensive games have been on the right side,” said Rolston. “He’s one of those guys that brings you the same thing every night. He’s got good speed and he competes. Again, you can put him anywhere and he’ll be that same player. That’s what gives him value for us.”
11:15am: Welcome to the blog folks. I just finished an hour on the Sabres Hockey Hotline radio show with Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters. Any chance I can get that time back? We spent far too much time talking about captains, and not enough about trades. Not to mention I’m still tired from last night’s 12:30am arrival from Pittsburgh. Now to sit and watch TSN and follow Twitter in hopes of some actual movement.
11:28am: First big move of the day! I’ve gone from my desk to the conference table about five feet away. Unfortunately that also means sitting near Detroit Tigers superfan Matt Gould and Social Sam Hicks. I also found some cashews and peanuts in my backpack leftover from recent flights. Told you I was bringing snacks today.
11:50am: I’m not surprised that there have yet to be any trades today. With all the movement over the last few days, I’m anticipating a flurry of action between 1-3pm as GM’s start to use the deadline to their advantage. Wouldn’t shock me if we’re still hearing about deals as late as 4pm today because of the backlog of trade calls to the league office.
12 Noon: Thankfully the NHL Network cut away from TSN’s coverage to show the commercial for the Sticky Buddy. But I wont be satisfied until I see the Wax Vac ad. So, no Slap Chop?
12:20pm: I’m very hungry, which means as soon as I walk away from the table a trade will be made. My best bet would be to have Darcy go with me. I wonder what he’d eat for lunch on deadline day? I could really go for some wings – hot and extra crispy.
12:21pm: The Bruins have traded Maxime Sauve to Chicago for Rob Flick! Holy crap!
12:36pm: The Montel Williams money commercial on NHL Network just prompted a conversation about Montell Jordan. In case you care, “This is How We Do It” was released in 1995. I was 26. Social Sam was considerably younger than that.
12:51pm: Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos is reporting that the Devils are dangling a first rounder in hopes of landing a scoring winger. Could this be the fit for Jason Pominville? On Sabres Hockey Hotline this morning, Andrew Peters said that Pominville is just the kind of player that Lou Lamoriello would love to have on his team.
1:20pm: Jason Pominville has moved to the top of TSN’s “Trade Bait” list, with Minnesota suddenly popping up as a team showing considerable interest in Buffalo’s captain. As we get closer to 3pm, Pominville’s stock will continue to rise.
1:34pm: BREAKING NEWS – Ryan Clowe still hasn’t scored a goal this season.
1:50pm: The best news I’ve heard all day? That it’s supposed to 50 and sunny in Buffalo for the Bisons season opener at Coca Cola Field. It’s baseball season!
2pm: Less than an hour left until the deadline, and my buddy Eklund is now reporting “news of a possible Clarke MacArthur deal.” Is that what this day has come to? (E4)
2:07pm: Tampa acquires 6-foot-7 goaltender Ben Bishop from Ottawa, and he’ll form a tandem with 6-foot-6 Lightning netminder Anders Lindback. In related news, Bishop and Lindback will now join forces to face Kane and Undertaker at Wrestlemania this Sunday.
2:27pm: To quote Eklund, “the dominoes are falling.” With Bishop dealt to Tampa, Columbus now ships Steve Mason to Philadelphia. So basically they swapped Mason for Bobrovsky.
2:34pm: Gaborik to Columbus … and something brewing in Minnesota.
2:37pm: RDS reporting Pominville to Minnesota.
2:41pm: Remember what I said about things heating up late?...
2:53pm: Multiple outlets now reporting Pominville to Minnesota. Waiting for official confirmation/details.
3pm: Deadline! Now we wait on the last minute deals to start leaking out.
3:13pm: Thanks for coming along for the ride everyone. Stay tuned to Sabres.com for more details!
