Ryan Miller Jersey Retirement: A first hand re-cap #ThankYouMillsy

          I've been to Notre Dame, I've been to Sabres games and I've been to Sabres playoff games(really to only two teams I genuinely care about) but there was something about this night that made it more special than all the other ones put together. Something about seeing Ryan Miller, the greatest USA goaltender in the history of the NHL, he was our guy....Buffalo claimed him as our own and to seem him come back on the KeyBank center ice, not as an opponent but as our guy? It sure had my eyes swelling up. Yes I know Hasek was one of the greatest goalies ever and he is a Hall of Famer but Miller was my guy, he was Buffalo. To see all of his teammates come back to salute him, names like Vanek, Pominville, Roy, Kaleta(my guy), Stafford, Dumont and so much more showed how respected he was in the locker room. Everyone outside of Tim Connolly seemed like they had a great time, side not I know Connolly came out on crutches but god damn he could have at least clapped for Miller from time to time. Miller much like Hasek was the sole reason the Sabres made deep playoff runs, when he was on his game we knew the other team had no fucking chance to win the game, Millsy was locked in? Then it was an easy dub for Buffalo. Not only was Miller a stud on the ice but off the ice too, doing much work for the Courage for Carly fund which worked with pediatric cancer patients. Miller made it a point to always go to Roswell Park, even after his playing career in Buffalo was over. He truly is the saying of "he's not just a great player he's a great human being." RJ even came out to give the crowd one last "MILLLLLLLLLLLEEEERRRRR" and holy shit the tears rolled down my cheek like a bitch. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to admit that I love Ryan Miller, he is my favorite Buffalo Sabre of all-time and to be in attendance when his jersey got raised to the rafters alongside of legends like LaFontaine, Hasek, RJ, Gare, The French Connection and Tim Horton....it was long overdue for a guy like him.
          For the game? It was everything the Sabres stand for now. Fighting back, never giving up and getting the win to cap off an amazing night. Sorokin was on his game for the Isles that night for sure but that wasn't going to stop the Sabres from capping one of the most memorable nights in Sabres history. Goals by Tuch and Olofsson in regulation had the game tied 2-2 going in to OT. Dahlin, Thompson and Cozen came out to start overtime. Twelve seconds is all it took to send New York back to the Isle with an overtime loss. Dahlin made an incredible hail mary pass to Cozens who on this night, you just knew.....you just knew Cuzzy wasn't going to miss on this night. Cozens made a little move on Sorokin and buried it to send the crowd into an absolute frenzy. I for one yelled so loud and hard that I had to sit down for a second because I was dizzy. Then I stood back up and clapped and I yelled and I cried, literally cried. I don't know where this team is going to end up this year but god damn it are they fun to watch. There wasn't a single chance the Islanders were  going to win on this night, something about the arena felt different, almost as though we were untouchable that night. Me being the big Killers fan I am, they played Mr. Brightside right before we went to OT, I looked at my fiance and said "this games over, we got it" and boy we had it for sure. Thank you to the Buffalo Sabres for an amazing night and one I won't forget for a long time. I wish I had more words to say but I still can't put into words how incredible it was to be apart of that crowd. Hope, is the one thing I can take from this team and that night.....Hope, something us Sabres fans haven't felt for a long time now 



Relive it all here: