While there's no way I'd point the finger at Ryan Miller for the Sabres' early season struggles, it's no secret that he turned in very few performances during the first month where he would be viewed as the "difference maker." In the locker room following a strong performance that helped Buffalo to its third straight win, Miller once again showed himself to be his own worst critic.
Since I hadn't planned on heading downstairs after the game, I went in without a recording device and didn't bother to write down what I was hearing. Therefore, nothing here will be directly quoted, but I just want to shed a little light on what's going through Miller's head as the team works its way back into the playoff race.
According to Miller, early in the year, he was wasting too much time and mental energy on trying to be a leader. He said something along the lines of "I can't be the captain of this team. I can't constantly think about the right things to say to you guys or the guys in the room. I need to focus on what's on my plate and let the other guys do their jobs."
Apparently, ever since he decided to abandon his "I'm gonna lead" philosophy, things have gone a lot more smoothly for him.
I don't know if you'll read or hear about this anywhere else as there weren't many people left in the huddle around Miller when he got into this stuff, but it was very interesting to me and I thought it was worth sharing.
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