BUFFALO – After a career-high 49-save performance in Sunday’s 2-1 shootout win against Washington, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will get a well-deserved night off.
Backup Jhonas Enroth will start Tuesday in Winnipeg, interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan said today.
“You get a rested Ryan Miller, you’re going to get a better player,” Nolan said inside the Riverside Ice Rink.
Miller’s recent play – 2-0-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average and .961 save percentage – earned him the NHL’s second star of the week, the league announced today.
The 33-year-old made 36 saves in last Monday’s 2-1 overtime win against Phoenix and 39 stops on Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss in Toronto. He also stopped eight of the nine shootout attempts he faced, including all six Sunday.
Miller’s 10-17-1 with a 2.69 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 28 games this season.
Chicago’s Patrick Sharp (six goals) was named first star. Pittsburgh’s James Neal (eight points) was third star.
In other news, three Sabres forwards – Brian Flynn, Ville Leino and Steve Ott – missed today’s practice. Nolan said Leino wasn’t feeling well. Flynn and Ott were resting.
Nolan called Ott, his captain, a “warrior.”
“He competes hard every game,” he said. “When looked at our schedule, I think we have 21 games in 43 days in something like that. So it’s a lot of games. We got to really monitor our days off and our rest period.”
If a forward can’t play, the Sabres will dress seven defensemen, Nolan said.