Amherst, NY (WGR 550) -- It was an issue last season when Patrick Lalime had to wait two weeks or longer for his next start. He rarely did well in those situations. Last year, he played in game number two which was a 7-1 victory in Long Island. Thanks to one game in the first nine days of the NHL season, he may not play for almost three weeks. Ryan Miller likely gets the call on Thursday.
As far as Saturday in Nashville Lindy Ruff said, "With the amount of work that Millsie went through it is about getting Patty some work. At the same time, Millsie didn't have a lot of work. We've toned down our practices and he probably sees one third the rubber that he saw last year. In an action sense, he's seeing more game like simulation stuff so we're going to weigh where we're at by the weekend and Patty could go in." If Lalime doesn't play in Nashville it could go another full week before the Islanders and Atlanta come in on back to back nights. Lalime says, "I looked at the schedule in the beginning of the year and I'm not worried about that. I want to get some quality practice time and when ever the games are there, I'm going to be ready." You can't simulate a game, but they're coming close and Lalime is using that to stay sharp, "We're practicing a lot like game situations, a lot of power plays, a lot of guys driving the net, we get some bodies in front which is exactly what you see in a game so the approach is very good to get into that mentality and get ready for a game."
Lalime played in three preseason games going 2-0-0 with a 3.14 goals against and .852 save percentage. He looked good in 90 minutes vs Washington and awful in 60 minutes vs Toronto. Lalime said, "I felt pretty good for the most part. The last game a little bit of a scrappy game, 7-6, but for the rest I felt good and the body felt good."
Lalime had two surgeries in the off season. He missed the last few weeks of the season and said, "It's pretty much back to normal. It feels pretty good out there and we strengthened it pretty good out there this summer and when I'm on the ice, I don't even think about it."
Lindy Ruff said today that there's a good chance Toni Lydman could be ready Thursday, but Lydman isn't as confident as he says there are still issues with shooting.
Mike Grier was back at practice today at the Pepsi Center after missing half of practice yesterday with soreness in the legs.
Does Perrys have soft ice cream cones like Mr. Softee?
10/06/2009 10:50PM
what's this?
Hey is Ryan getting close to 30? Oh yes he is! Enroth is a number one isn't he? Oh, yes he is! It's Enroth time! Miller for all the hoopla has been average to average-good, no more and nothing can excuse it away. He had his chance to beat Ottawa and couldn't do it with a better team, opportunity knocks only once Cryin Ryan, your done.
10/06/2009 11:53PM
Marty
Man how nice it was having Marty as a back-up....
10/07/2009 8:53AM
Miller needs to be traded!
Miller is no good. I agree with the post above that says he is average at best. He never steals the Sabres a game the way Hasek did or other great goalies have done for their teams. Miller does not play well in the playoffs. Most goalies take their lay to another level come playoff time. Miller just keeps laying average. Miller has only been to the playoffs 2 times in his career and couldn't even go deep in those two years with an amazing team in front of him. Sabres fans make me laugh because they think Miller is a god. Sabres fans are such homewrs. If a guy plays for the Sabres, the Sabres fans think he is special and talented and a god. Sabres fans are the most uneducated of all fans in the NHL.
10/07/2009 9:30AM
How dare you?
You filthy animal... ryan miller needs to be traded? he is definitely is the franchise player in buffalo... how about you trade in your brain for something that works!! Let's GO BUFFALO!
10/07/2009 9:32AM
Re: Miller needs to be traded!
I COMPLETELY AGREE! If the Sabres are going to conttinue to be cheap with the players and put average at best players on the ice then they should at least spend some money on the one position that can really make a difference on a bad team....GOALIE! Of all the teams in the NHL, the Sabres should already know this. Look at what we had with Dominick Hasek. The Sabres were a horrible team back in the 1990s but they had an amazing goalie in Hasek.Hasek made all the othert players look great. He took them to the Finals (even though they lost). Maybe it is time for Sabres fans to speak up and say "stop letting players like Drury and Brierre go or else bring us in another Hasek like goalie." But no....Sabres fans on here just want to go with the flow, believe what Lindy and Regier telll you, and deny common sense. I mean people, the Sabres have not made the playoffs inh 2 years and they make no changes in the off season and you really think the Sabres are going to be any different this year? The game this past Saturday was played exactly like they played last year. They plays ok but ended up losing. The Sabres have had many owners over their history in Buffalo. Yet they still have not won a cup. Ever wonder why? I know why....it is because the Buffalo Sabres fans do not expect quality. The fans accept what ever their team gives them. They sel out all the games. They brag abot how good and exciting and special their non playoff Sabres are and have been over the last few years. Give mea break......you look so uneducated. I really think you must be bored out of your mind there in Buffalo to think the Sabres are worth defending. If you love your team, start expecting more from them instead of patting them on the back after the lose a game or miss the playoffs at the end of the year. Buffalo = losing....in every way. The city is a dead city and the people that live there have a dead attitude.
10/07/2009 9:36AM
what?
the guy went to the conference finals two straight years... get your facts straight before you say he didn't go far in his playoff appearances. and he stole games 2,3 &5 in the ottawa series in spring '06 to get us there. you've also never seen enrothplay if you think he's NHL ready...
10/07/2009 9:41AM
Biron and Miller- One in the same
The Sabres loved Biron when he was here....ops, looks like they got that wrong. Now he is nothing more than a back up journey man. Miller looks the same as Biron. I see no difference. They both never steal you a game. They play average in the playoffs when most great goalies step up their play. Just because the goalie wears a Sabres jersey does not mean you have to be blind and just throw your love at him. Miller is average at best. He has no accomplisged anything in his many years here. Compare him to Hasek and you will see what I mean. If the old Hasek were our goalie a few years back when we had Drury and Brierre we would have won the cup. Miller couldn't even get us into the Finals. That Sabres team could score 5 or 6 goals agame.....but it was because they had to because Miller usually let in 3-4 goals a game each and every game. Oh well, it doesnt matter cause as long as Sabres fan love Miller and make him their hockey god, the Sabres management will not think about getting rid of him and your team will continue to lose and miss the playoffs year after year after year. Bills and Sabres fans are jokes.
10/07/2009 9:46AM
Spoiled...
You guys are just all spoiled by the play of Hasek. A guy like Hasek is the exception not the rule. Miller is a good goalie, just because he isn't doing what Hasek did doesn't make him average.
10/07/2009 10:19AM
The facts speak for themselves
Stop debating it Sabres fans. The Sabres have only made the playoffs 2 times in 8 years. If that stat doesn't tell you something them you are not worth debating because you do not understand common sense. So just because it is a new season and the Sabres management tells you the team is new and improved.....you believe it? Sabre fans logic is bizzare. Oh well.......the other fact that I love to remind Sabres fans is that their team has never wo a cup in 40 years here in Buffalo. And you have only gone to the Finals 2 times. Now if that doesnt speak volumes I dont know what does. If you want to have fun watching the games and love your team that is fine....I understand that. But please do not get on here and say your team is going to be good this year and that they are special and exciting and have a great goalie because correct me if Im wrong but you have all been saying this for 40 years and have been right maybe 2 or 3 times out of that 40 years. You have no credibility with a record like that. Win a cup first then come back and debate how good your Sabres team is. Buffalo is the city of losers in every way. Oh I almost forgot, can you afford to buy toilet paper yet for your county buildings?
10/07/2009 10:27AM
playoffs
in his last playoff appearance, miller had a .922 save percentage and a 2.22 GAA... don't tell me the guy doesn't show up. And don't tell me anyone who's not hasek sucks. he's not hasek. no one is, hasek revolutionized the game, is a hall of famer, you dont find those just anywhere. miller is a top ten goalie in the league right now. go talk to tampa bay, or pheonix, or nashville, or ottawa, or 15-20 other teams in the league and they would gladly take an experienced goaltender with two conference finals appearances who will be playing for the US olympic team...
10/07/2009 10:39AM
miller
Miller would have been a vezina finalist last year if he did not get hurt. He'll be a finalist this year.
10/07/2009 11:12AM
Enroth?
Enroth is only in his second year in Portland. He is not ready for the NHL. I would never consider Ryan Miller a backup anyway, but a paying a backup goaltender $6 million is kind of extreme, isn't it?
10/07/2009 11:12AM
Lindy Ruff
If anyone saw the game the other night, you seen a lousy, lazy game. In the article, Ruff says he has toned down the practices, for what? It the first week of the season. I know it is getting close to Halloween...Is Dick Jauron wearing a Lindy Ruff mask.Ruff has done nothing for this franchise, it's time to let him go, but everyone is afraid to say it.
10/07/2009 11:40AM
Cheap??
The Sabres are only a 1.5 mill under the salary cap, and here we go with people calling them cheap.
10/07/2009 12:24PM
Hasek
If we still had Hasek those two years of the conference finals, the Sabres would have won two cups in a row. Good team with a great goaltender. The reality though was the Sabres had a good team with an average goaltender in those two conference finals. NO CUP!
10/07/2009 12:30PM
Here we go again
Lindy can't handle the goaltending situation. I'd start Lalime against the Coyotes and if he wins, play him until he loses. Share the goaltending so one don't rot. Lalime could get hot in net avoiding the softees.
10/07/2009 12:57PM
courtesy White Man Clan
Whoever wants Hasek back is gay.He's like 45 and his legs shred to dust when he stops a puck!...You make me want to cut off my own dick you fk!
ESPN Overnights
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