Ryan Miller sat in his locker stall. Alone with his thoughts. Visualizing what he could have done differently. Sullen. Dejected. All alone and trapped in time. More specifically, 1 second's time.
Miller didn't need to be reminded that he had just let a critical point in the standings get away. All he needed to do was save Jordan Leopold's bacon after he had been blown past by Leafs winger a Matt Frattin. Leopold was made to look ridiculous on the OT GWG. All he had to do was trip or tackle Frattin. Who cares about a miinor penalty with one second remaining in OT. The penalty can't carry over to the skills competition. Leopold had to know that there was only one second left to play in OT. If he didn't, then shame on him.
In his scrum after the galling loss, Miller took ownership of his performance by holding him self accountable for his performance against the Leafs.
“I just really didn’t feel like I gave the guys too much help,” Miller said. “We get three goals and we carried the play. We probably should have had a lead. I’ve got to make more saves. I just didn’t have it.”
The Leopold blunder notwithstanding, all Miller had to do is squeeze the post, make the save, force OT. Win the game in dramatic, comeback fashion in the shootout. earn the extra point. head to Boston with chins up and chests puffed out.
Not exactly how it all played out with Miller surrendering his second greasy goal of the game.
Sabres are headed to Boston, winless in their last four games.
Thanks, Leafs TV
Miller was left to wonder what happened to the one that got away.
No time to wallow in it. It stings to lose a nail biter on home ice. Miller has to turn the page and get his head focused on facing Lucic, Horton, Bergeron, Seguin, Chara annd the Bruins on Thursady.
Team doctors performed x-rays on Pat Kaleta's neck in the arena imaging suite. he was then taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons. You'll recall that Kaleta suffered a neck injury two seasons ago in a game against Montreal. The status of this injury will not be known until Wednesday.
Mikhail Grigorenko went from being a -3, and an unpopular liability to a hero in one feel swoop by scoring his first NHL goal. Thats the life of an NHLer in a microcosm. You can go from zero to hero in th eblink of an eye. Just ask Ryan Miller and Matt Frattin.
Grigo played just over five minutes in the first two periods because he was on the ice for all three of Toronto's goals.
Ruff had seen enough and decided it was best to shorten his bench to go with a more experienced lineup.
Then, with 12:50 remaining in regulation play, Marcus Foligno and Mike Weber co-authored a lifelong memory for the young Russian, when Grigo grabbed a rebound and deposited in Reimer's five hole with a spinning back hander.
Foligno, Weber and the rest of the team celebrated the achievment while the near sell-out crowd gave the Russian Rifle a huge ovation directly after the goal, and during the ensuing TV timeout.
First NHL goal on the same day that his NHL entry level contract kicked in. Grigorenko's five game audition was a success and the Sabres organization were impressed enough with his development to keep him in Buffalo for the rest of the abbreviated season. Were it not for the NHL lockout, the Sabres would have sent the kid back to Quebec City in September.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, his teammates congratulated Grigo on making the Sabres roster.
Thanks, sabres.com
After the game, Marcus Foligno told me: "I'm happy for the kid. I'm so happy that we got him his first goal. Thats the first of many goals to come"
Thanks, sabres.com
After the game, Grigo spoke with Brian Duff.
Thanks, sabres.com
Get used to seeing more of these types of moments from Grigorenko.
Grigo's goal would force OT, where Ryan Miller would make a fatal mistake on Matt Frattin's shot , with less than a second left to play in the extra session
Sabres grab a loser point. Haven't won in four straight. Next stop: Boston on Thursday night. They'll likely have to rumble with Pat kaleta, who was sent to a local hospital for precaution. Kaleta has suffered a neck injury in the past. Perhaps Ruff will summon rugged winger Nick Tarnasky from Rochester to foli up for the Bruins game.
Late in the first period of an evenly played 1-1 game, Leafs numb skull, Mike Brown, took 4-5 strides and wasted Patrick Kaleta from behind on the wall.
Kaleta was shaken up on the play. His teammate, Mike Weber, wasted little time tracking down Brown to give the Leaf cement head a piece of his fists and his mind.
Thanks, hockey-fights.com
Kaleta would go to the Sabres room with two minutes to play in the period, after the punk play and he has not returned in period two. Brown was given a two minute boarding penalty and a five minute major for fighting. Weber was assessed the instigator, hence no powerplay for Buffalo. Garbage officiating.
I'll bet that Brown gets a call from Brendan Shanahan.
Kaleta has an upper body injury and will not return tonight per the Sabres.
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