Miller - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Ted Nolan thrilled by Olympic experience; injured Sabres set to return

BUFFALO – One of Ted Nolan’s favorite parts of his Olympic experience was simply sitting down in the cafeteria and trying to guess which sports the athletes played.

The interim Sabres coach, who led Latvia’s surprising entry at the Sochi Games, said he met an alpine skier from Mexico who’s a prince and someone from Togo.

“I didn’t know where Togo was,” an exited Nolan said today after the Sabres practiced inside the First ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller to start for Team USA against Slovenia

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will make his first start at the Sochi Games today against Slovenia, Team USA announced this morning.

It was widely expected Miller, Jonathan Quick’s backup for two games, would get this nod. Quick has played strongly so far, backstopping the U.S. to two wins, including Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 shootout triumph over Russia.

Miller brilliantly backstopped the Americans to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games while earning tournament MVP ... Read the full article

Team USA’s decision to start goalie Jonathan Quick over Sabres’ Ryan Miller isn’t surprising

Olympic coach Dan Bylsma promised last week during Pittsburgh’s visit to Buffalo sentimentality wouldn’t factor in picking Team USA’s starting goalie for the Sochi Games.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who brilliantly backstopped the Americans to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games, wouldn’t be given the job simply based on past exploits.

Sure enough, Bylsma has named Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick his starting netminder for Thursday’s opener against Slovakia.

It’s not that surprising, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Foligno will sit against Senators; GM Tim Murray says it’s not a lock goalie Ryan Miller gets traded

Not surprisingly, the Buffalo Sabres will change up their lineup tonight in Ottawa against the Senators, inserting forwards Zenon Konopka and Ville Leino, healthy scratches the last two games, for Marcus Foligno and Linus Omark.

Foligno, a fourth-liner the last two games, has zero goals in the last six games and just one score in 19 contests.

“He’s a young player,” interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan told reporters today in Ottawa. “He ... Read the full article

Reeling Sabres blown out by Penguins, can’t help goalie Ryan Miller

BUFFALO – Wednesday wasn’t an Olympic audition for goalie Ryan Miller, Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said hours before his potent Penguins throttled the hapless Sabres 5-1. He’s judging Miller on his body of work, not one game.

Bylsma, Team USA’s coach for the upcoming Sochi Games, knows what most NHL observers know: Miller’s played splendidly most of the season under the most trying of circumstances.

The Sabres’ third straight loss illustrated that. Once ... Read the full article

Instinctive game allows Sabres’ Tyler Ennis to showcase more offense and grit

BUFFALO – Tyler Ennis said he recently stopped thinking on the ice. That isn’t a bad thing, though. The slick Sabres center has just been playing more instinctively under interim coach Ted Nolan, allowing his natural talents to take over these past few months.

It’s showing on the score sheet. With an assist on Drew Stafford’s first-period goal in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ennis has four goals and 12 points in the ... Read the full article

Dan Bylsma: Ryan Miller’s play tonight won’t influence Olympic goaltending decision

BUFFALO – Tonight’s not an audition for Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, Dan Bylsma said. A spectacular performance won’t sway the Pittsburgh Penguins coach into starting the American at the upcoming Sochi Games.

“Oh, goodness, I don’t think so, either way,” Bylsma, Team USA’s Olympic coach, said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “Tonight’s not the only body of work from Ryan. He’s played really well this year. He’s played really well in some ... Read the full article

Goalie Ryan Miller knows his days with Sabres could be numbered

BUFFALO – Forget about the Olympics for a moment. Forget that Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will be playing in front of Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma tonight, a final chance to impress his bench boss at the upcoming Sochi Games.

Tonight could be Miller’s last appearance with the Sabres inside the First Niagara Center.

Rosters freeze 3 p.m. Friday for the NHL’s two-week Olympic break. The trade deadline hits one month from today.

Miller, an ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ryan Miller hasn’t talked to management much about future

BUFFALO – Days before he heads to the Sochi Games and just one month from the NHL trade deadline, goalie Ryan Miller said today he hasn’t discussed his future much with the Sabres’ new regime.

“Still don’t know what to say,” Miller, an unrestricted free agent following the season, said inside the First Niagara Center. “There’s been a change here. There was a change here before. So it’s like waiting to see what the plan ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller wanted Team USA Olympic mask to resemble old one

BUFFALO – If Ryan Miller’s new Team USA Olympic mask for the upcoming Sochi Games looks familiar, it’s because the Sabres goalie kept the same theme he used in 2010.

“I thought it was a cool mask last time,” Miller told the Times Herald on Sunday. “I just want to update the colors. I want to do something more traditional red, white and blue. Last time it was like a little off blue-gray kind of ... Read the full article