Is Ryan Miller Not What The Canucks Were Hoping For?

Oct 21, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and left wing Jamie Benn (14) celebrate Benns goal against Vancouver Canucks goalie Ryan Miller (30) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Miller may not be what the Vancouver Canucks were hoping for

I made a jab back in September, when the Vancouver Canucks barely scraped out a win against the Calgary Flames during pre-season play.

“Hey, look!” I quipped. “The Canucks skaters are as good as the Flames goalie… and vice versa!”

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What I was getting at, obviously, was how terrible Ryan Miller looked. Formerly an elite netminder, some (including myself) have questioned Vancouver giving the 34-year-old goalie a clear starting role for the season.

While he still has his nights of brilliance, there’s no doubt that Ryan Miller might be to the Canucks this season what Martin Brodeur was to the New Jersey Devils last year- and that’s an inconsistent former star who hurts the team more than he helps. During the Canucks-Stars game Tuesday night, the team had to yank Miller after only thirteen shots on net- because he let five of those go in.

The Canucks aren’t the only team by far who are dealing with this kind of problem in net. The Arizona Coyotes have been struggling with starting netminder Mike Smith, who has over 5GAA to start off his season. In addition, the Boston Bruins haven’t seen the Tuukka Rask they’re used to… and the New York Rangers are a little concerned about Henrik Lundqvist.

Is it too early to be worried about these guys? Maybe… but Vancouver may not be able to afford a luxurious adjustment period. Eddie Lack has been a consistent backup, but there’s no guarantee that he can carry the team. Miller must get his game back, or Vancouver could watch the post-season from the sidelines once again.

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