Canucks Daily: Former Canucks Goalie Honoured, Tampa Time!

Pretty cool stuff in Buff’. The Buffalo Sabres revealed a nifty little video on Friday revealing their plans to retire the jersey of longtime netminder Ryan Miller, a stalwart who spent three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks during his almost two-decade NHL career.

Heartwarming would be a fair description …

It’s Miller’s time.

Next season, number 30 will take its rightful place in the rafters. pic.twitter.com/3Z2Mos4kso

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 10, 2022

Miller backstopped the Sabres to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007, losing in Game-7 to the Carolina Hurricanes the first year and losing four defencemen to injury and getting bounced by the Ottawa Senators in the latter.

Miller’s record was 64-68-and-16 with the Vancouver Canucks, posting statistics similar to his career averages of a 2.64 goals against average and a .916 save percentage from 2014 to 2017.

Of course, he’s also famous in Vancouver for being the netminder who gave up Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal in overtime of Canada vs. USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Tide Turns to Tampa

Wow. Pesky, doesn’t quite describe it. How about inevitable? The talent and experience, call it the savvy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has muscled its way to the forefront of the Eastern Conference Final. After winning two home games to even the series, the Lightning took care of business at Madison Square Garden Thursday night with a come from behind 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers.

Tampa has this annoying habit of shocking teams late in games and they did it again in Game-5, the omnipresent Ondrej Palat scoring the game winner and stunning the MSG crowd with just 1:50 remaining in the third period. An empty netter from the emerging Brandon Hagel finished it.

The Lightning can finish off the Rangers in Tampa in Game-6 on Saturday.

We’ll open up prediction opportunities on social media to Vancouver Canucks fans once the Stanley Cup Final is set. I’m very much liking the Colorado Avalanche’s chances either way.

Tidbits

— What about Claude Giroux re-signing in Florida? And what about Johnny Gaudreau’s future with the Flames? TSN’s Pierre LeBrun dives into the growing NHL rumours around Giroux and “Johnny Hockey.”

Calgary Hockey Now’s Steve Macfarlane writes that the deal with Gaudreau may not happen until the 11th hour. Calgary Flames coverage.

— Sources tell our colleagues that the Montreal Canadiens may have circled St. Louis Blues goalie Ville Husso to replace Carey Price, and the Canadiens have already done some heavy scouting. Montreal Canadiens news.

— A Vancouver Canucks Roll Call coming later Friday. Here’s a sampling of the previous in case you missed.

JT Miller

Thatcher Demko

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Enjoy the playoff day-off.