Ryan Miller might have shown his nerves while playing for a new team for the first time in 12 years, but he found out quickly that the St. Louis Blues’ offense can pick up their goalie a bit better than the Buffalo Sabres could.
Miller, traded from the Sabres on Friday, made 23 saves in his debut with the Blues on Sunday night as St. Louis defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2.
The game started poorly for Miller, who surrendered a goal to the Coyotes’ Paul Bissonnette just three minutes into the first period and another to Jeff Halpern in the second.
But the Blues recovered in the third, scoring four goals to pull ahead of Phoenix, including two by center Patrik Berglund.
“Once we got that first goal, it was like the weight was lifted off of everybody’s shoulders, and they just took off,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said.
Miller was one of the Sabres’ few bright spots this season, boasting a .923 save percentage despite the team’s unimpressive last-place standing. Before Friday’s trade, he had played all 12 seasons of his NHL career in the Buffalo organization.
“I was pretty anxious and nervous all day,” Miller said, via The Associated Press. “It’s a new group of guys, and you want to show them what you’ve got and let them know you’re there for them.”
Sunday’s win pushed the Blues back into first place in the Central Division. Miller now has a 7-0-0 career record against Phoenix.
Photo via Twitter/@dcmahiban
