Speak about your STATEMENT GAME! Miller was playing against the Atlanta Thrashers and wanted to prove a point to Thrashers and Team USA GM Don Waddell that he had made a mistake in not selecting him to the Olympic team. Waddell decided to bypass Miller in his selection of the 3 goalies that will represent the United States in the upcoming Olympics come February.

The Sabres shutdown the Atlanta Thrashers 4-1 Friday night and Miller was one of the biggest reasons for the victory.

Miller had broken his thumb in early November but had since started 2 games and was completely recovered when Waddell snubbed the top goalie that the U.S. could select.

Miller had already beaten the three goalies selected ahead of him in head-to-head competition. Now he wanted to prove once and for all that Waddell will have egg all over his face when Team USA gets inferior goaltending in the Olympics. Miller shoved Waddell's HUGE SNUB right back in his face Friday night as he stonewalled the hot Atlanta Thrashers, allowing only one goal late in the game. Miller was incredible in goal, using his size, body and wits to outwit the Thrashers, who left HSBC Arena shaking their heads in amazement.

Miller was very close to recording his second shutout in his NHL career when Marc Savard spoiled his bid with only 6 minutes left in the game. Even so, Miller was the top star in this game where the Sabres beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-1. He made 34 saves, some of them spectacular in the win.

Miller is definitely the best U.S. goalie in the NHL and it is a royal shame that he is not going to the Olympics. Since coming back from his injury, Miller has won 4 straight, 3 of them where he allowed only 1 goal.

Maybe with Rick DiPietro going down with a knee injury, Team USA hockey GM Don Waddell may come crawling back on his knees, begging Ryan Miller to be one of the USA goalies. Miller should snub him the way Waddell snubbed Miller. But I'm sure Miller will accept any invitation to join the hockey team, his feelings for Waddell notwithstanding.

The Sabres during the past week, continued their hot streak. After losing in Florida, they came back and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1. It is a sign of a maturing team when they can come back from a bitter loss which snapped a long winning streak and pick it right up again.

Against the Islanders, Miller was having an off night. After the Sabres took a 1-0 lead, the Islanders struck from 3 straight goals in the first period and were on their way to a huge upset over Buffalo. But the Sabres kept on pecking away and tied it up by the third period. Then the Isles took a couple penalties and the Sabres scored 3 goals on way to a 6-3 victory.

The Sabres went to Toronto on Thursday night and came back twice to tie it and force overtime. However, the Leafs beat the Sabres in the shootout and came away with a 4-3 victory.

It was a classic Sabres-Leafs game, the kind that leaves great memories in the fans of both teams. The history of the Sabres-Leafs rivalry has been blessed with some of the most enjoyable and exciting games imaginable. This game Thursday night was no exception. If fact, it left fans at the ACC and watching on TV breathless on many occasions.

The Sabres are proud of the effort they put forth, coming back twice to tie the game. They spotted the Leafs two goals and tied it up. Then, down 3-2, they once again scored on a power play and forced overtime.

Certainly the Sabres didn't want to lose this one, but like the YES song, "Yours is no disgrace."

The Sabres are not a secret any more. Teams are gunning for them as if they were the Stanley Cup Champions right now. While the Sabres are far from making any claim for the Cup (right now anyway), they certainly have had a good month of hockey.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were ready to ambush the Sabres Thursday night and that they did, coming out of the gate in a blaze and not letting up the entire game. They wound up beating the Sabres in a shootout and evened the series between the two teams at 1-1.

Six more exciting games are left in this series. The Sabres hope they can play better than they did Thursday and win the majority of them. But it won't be easy.

It was an electrifying game. The overtime was continuous back and forth action. I'm still not sold on the shootouts and would have actually preferred this one to end in a tie as neither team deserved to lose.

Marty Biron didn't look sharp at all in the shootout. The Sabres goalie, who had made several great stops when a Leaf got in on him alone several times in the game, looked baffled out there. It was similar to the shootout he was in when the Rangers scored on him in the other shootout loss the Sabres have had.

Biron had been stellar all night and none of the 3 goals the Leafs scored in regulationwere his fault. The same cannot be said about the shootout.

Three-headed Monster

Mika Noronen is the third man out in the Sabres overcrowded goal. And apparently he is making his opinions known to not only the Sabres brass but the media as well. After the Toronto game, Noronen vented his feelings that he wants out of Buffalo.

"It's a bad situation," declared Noronen.. "I'm just hoping they can figure out something and make a move.

"It's not good for anybody, especially for me because I'm not even in the lineup and I'm not playing. It's almost January. 1 and I just want something to happen because I want to play this game again."

Noronen has only made 4 appearances in the Sabres uniform this year and refused to go down to Rochester for conditioning earlier this season. ,

"Those are good guys," Noronen said about Biron and Miller. "I'm really happy for them right now. They're playing well and I have to be happy for them. But at the same time, I can't be happy for myself. I'm trying not to show it but hopefully something changes."

Biron, meanwhile, is happy to be able to do his part in the Sabres current success.

"I don't worry about the trade rumors," Biron reflected."I just want to be part of this.

"I was here when we went through bankruptcy. I was here when we were 15 games under .500. Now we are selling out mid-week games and they are doing the wave. When was the last time they did the wave in Buffalo?"

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