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The Buffalo Sabres showed up at 4:00pm for a 3:00pm puck drop and the results were sub-optimal.
Ryan Miller karma was alive and well inside the barn that he once owned for the Sabres for 11 seasons.
On Sunday, the sleepy Sabres trailed 3-0 after their listless beginning to Miller’s return to Buffalo.
Miller, the winningest American goaltender in NHL history, made 31 saves and held on fire the 3-2 win over his former team.
The win gives Miller 385 career wins which ties him with Mike Vernon for 15th place in the all time wins list for NHL goaltenders.
Jake Silfverberg, Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie scored for the Ducks.
Johan Larsson and Rasmus Dahlin scored for the Sabres.
Rookie Jonaas Johansson maade 25 saves in the loss. Johansson was making his second NHl start under weird circumstances.
Johansson was pressed into the starter's role after Sabres' scheduled starting goalie Carter Hutton was forced to miss the game due to "family circumstances". After allowing three goals on just six shots faced to start the game, Johansson acquitted himself well andd gave his teammates a chance to win the game.
Ever the Buffalo, NY optimist, Miller tweeted his appreciation to Sabres' fans after his 385th career win. Miller is such a classiest human beings I have ever encountered in my life. I can say this because I covered his entire 11 year career in Buffalo.
Miller still has hundreds of thousands of fans in Western New York and it will not surprise me in the least when his sweater #30 is retired someday soon. Miller may be gone from Buffalo but his performances on ice and his philanthropy will never, ever be forgotten. Miller is the real deal when it comes to making a difference in the community by improving the lives of less fortunate people.
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Welcome to the show.
Or, should I say, welcome back to the show, Andrew Hammond.
The Sabres have called up Hammond to be the back up today.
Carter Hutton will not play this afternoon, the Sabres have announced.
Sabres bench boss Ralph Krueger has announced that rookie goalie Jonas Johansson will start this afternoon's tilt against Ryan Miller and the Anaheim Ducks.
Puck drop is at 3:00pm Eastern.
Hammond, 31, has built a respectable 13-10-2 record with a 2.57 GAA and a .904 SV% in 27 games with the Amerks this season.
In his 11 seasoins with the Sabres, Miller started in 403 games and posted a record of 284-186 with a .916 SV% and 2.95 GAA.
Miller, 39, has played 19 NHL seasons with the Sabres, Blues, Canucks and Ducks. In 624 career regular season starts, Miller has 384 wins and 280 losses (.915 SV% and 2.99 GAA).
Miller was traded to St. Louis by Buffalo with Steve Ott for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, St. Louis' 1st round pick (later traded to Winnipeg Winnipeg selected Jack Roslovic) in 2015 NHL Draft and St. Louis' 3rd round pick (later traded to Florida ; Florida selected Linus Nassen) in 2016 NHL Draft.
On July 1, 2014, Miller was signed as a free agent by Vancouver.
On July 1, 2017, Miller was signed as a free agent by Anaheim.
The Ducks have also made a couple of roster moves today by recalling defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura from the San Diego Gulls.
Guhle has scored 1 goal and 3 assist in 18 games with the Ducks this season.
Guhle, 22, was acquired from Buffalo with a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft in exchange for Brandon Montour February 24, 2019. Guhle has 1G,9A in 47 career NHL games with the Ducks and Sabres. Guhle was selected by Buffalo in the second round (51st overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
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The Ducks will fly home after the conclusion of today's game.
The Ducks will be sellers at the February 24 trade deadline.
Ducks GM Bob Murray is here today. Murray and Sabres GM Jason Botterill have made several trades together over the years. Murray and Botterill are having conversations here again today.
Sure would be nice if Murray left forward Richard Rakell in Buffalo and took back with him a defenseman Colin Miller and a second round draft choice.
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