His day ended in a better fashion than it had started.
This morning at the Buffalo game day skate, Ryan Miller took an errant Marc Andre Gragnani slap shot to his collarbone. Stung by the shot, Miller immediately left the ice to seek treatment from the Sabres training staff. Miller was evaluated and was found to be okay to play in the Devils game.n Newark.
Great news for Buffalo fans.
Bad news for the Devils.
Despite his stinging collarbone, Miller was the game-changer in the Sabres 2-1 shootout win in Newark.
The Sabres had no right winning this game as they only could muster 14 shots on Marty Broduer in 65 minutes of hockey.
Healthy changes everything, eh?
Christian Ehrhoff played 24:27 after missing the last 11 games with a jcked up rib. Big, tough Robyn Regehr also returned to the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury, skating 18:10. The Sabres suffered a huge scare when Tyler Myers stepped in fromt of a point blst that was intended for Ryan Miller. The shot hit Myers square in the family jewels. The 6'8 tower crumpled to the ice in obvious pain. He lay there for several minutes, then skated to the bench under his own power. To my knowledge, Myers never left the bench to seek treatment. That, my friends, is taking a bullet for your boys. Thats leadership. Thats the type of unselfish play that a captain makes on nightly basis for his teammtes. Myers would finish the game despite the injury. Momentsbefore Myers was injured, Reggie Sekera blocked a heavy slapper off a Devil's twig, however, he skated it off ad was able to finish the game.
Great guts to add to Miller's glory.
Miller was outstanding in thwarting 27 Devils shots in the game's first 65 minutes. Many of the saves were of the point blank variety. Miller stood tall and delivered the type of stone wall that Sabres fans have grown accustomed to expecting from their Vezina goalie over the years.
Miller now needs only one victory to equal Dominik Hasek's franchise record of 234 career wins
Jordan Leopold gave Buffalo the 1-0 lead in period one. Elias tied it in the second period.
Miller held the Sabres in the game during a furious push by Parise and the Devils in the third period.
Nathan Gerbe scored the shootout winner on Brodeur to slay Buffalo's 12 games road winless streak and in doing so, killed the Wicked Witch of the East.
Miller played his best game in months. He made monster save after monster save to preserve the win. Here are some of his gems:
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Here are your game highlights:
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This check by Anton Volchenkov on Pat Kaleta sent th Sabtes pest flying to the ice.
Jochen Hecht has a another concussion and is out of the lineup tonight. This is the third concussion that Hecht has suffered in the past year. Its time to be more concerened about Hecht's future well being and good health. Forget about hockey. He has a wife and young kids. Its time that he focuses on the quality of the rest of his life.
Hecht practiced in Amherst yesterday and skated this morning in Newark. He began to feel symptoms after today's skate and was sent to the doctors for an evaluation.
This is the third concussion that Hecht has suffered in the past twelves months.
I'm not a neurologist, and I don't play one on TV. However, I'd have to say that we've seen the last of Jochen Hecht in a Sabres sweater. He's due to become a UFA on July 1. He's in the final year of his deal that is paying him $3,525,000 this season.
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Not all is doom and gloom in Pegulaville.
Happy 21st birthday, Zack Kassian.
You are now an AHL All Star.
Kassian will replace his teammate and badass brother, Brayden McNabb, at the AHL All Star Game in Atlantic City this weekend. McNasty is still recovering from a concussion.
Kassian has 21 points in 25 games played in Rochester this season. He has another 6 in 18 games played in Buffalo. He also ranks tied for third on the team in goals and fifth in assists despite appearing in fewer games than each of the teams’ top six scorers, and is tied for the team-lead with eight power play points (2+6).
Nice first season of pro hockey thus far for Kassian.
The Sabres presently sit in 15th place in the East, ten points out of 8th place. I'm hearing that the Sabres will recall Kassian at some point in February to reward him for the impressive season that he is having in the AHL as well as in the NHL.
Organizationally, the team has to determine in the next little while whether they will be buyers or sellers at the NHL trade deadline. If they decide to move out players with expiring contracts like Boyes ($4 million), Gaustad ($2.3 million), and Hecht ($3,525,000 million), that will create a roster spot for Kassian in Buffalo. It will also allow the Sabres another opportunity to see their organizational prospects play meaningful minutes in the national league. This will allow the team to further evaluate Foligno, Tropp, and Whitmore. It will also give the youngsters confidence in their individual games that they can apply to the Amerks playoff push later this Spring.
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