Something hasn't struck me right about the "Don't overplay Ryan Miller, he's going to the Olympics" talk, and today I found a pretty good reason why.
It's knowledge out there for everyone to find, but in the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, the Carolina Hurricanes fell to the Detroit Red Wings, as former Sabre netminder Dominik Hasek outdueled Arturs Irbe to win a ring.
Well, it appears that in the 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City, held just a few months before the Cup Finals, Irbe played for Latvia in preliminary round action in Utah, while Hasek manned the pipes for the Czech Republic. That tournament, too, was held in North America.
So, while backup goaltending is a major concern for the Sabres -- and we should see a No. 2 goaltender more often, as I pointed out last month -- there is precedence to keep you with as little worry as a Buffalo sports fan can have.
(To be clear, I prefer a Cup to a Gold. Not sure I made that as clear as I'd like on the air today).
Email: nick@wgr550.com
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