CHAUTAUQUA STAR
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2014
nationaL sPorts 33
miller not the answer for Blues, out early again
Contributed Article future by Armstrong
when the Miller deal
was made.
Ryan Miller was sup''I don't get into longposed to be the piece
term stuff. That's Doug's
the St. Louis Blues
department,'' Hitchcock
needed to make a deep said. ''He played good
playoff run and perfor us. I'm sure there's
haps at long last win a
some goals that he'd like
first Stanley Cup. The to have back, just like
highly-decorated goalie any goalie would. We
was among those fallwin as a team and lose
ing fall short for a fran- as a team.''
chise smarting from
Asked how he played,
another early exit, and Miller said: ''I'm going
he might not be back.
to sit down and think
The team scheduled
about that. Not good
availabilities for general enough, I guess.''
manager Doug ArmThe Blues were among
strong, coach Ken
the NHL's best before a
Hitchcock and players six-game losing streak
for Tuesday.
to end the regular seaHitchcock deflected
son landed them with
questions about the
a tougher first-round
34-year-old Miller,
draw. For the second
who'll be an unrestrict- straight year they were
ed free agent, after the knocked out in four
Blues were eliminated
straight by the defendSunday in Chicago.
ing Stanley Cup chamThe Blues could opt
pion after taking a 2-0
to go with prospect
series lead. Last season,
Jake Allen, called the
it was the Kings. This
franchise goalie of the
time, it was Chicago.
Associated Press
2
0
1
4
in-law's wedding.''
Miller would like to
stay, but acknowledged
he wasn't sure how the
Blues ''feel about me.''
He had a 2.70 goalsagainst average and
.897 save percentage in
the series.
Hitchcock wasn't pinRyan Miller #39 of the St. Louis Blues stops a wrap- ning the team's failure
on the goalie. He noted
around shot by Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago
Blackhawks in Game Four of the First Round of the the Blackhawks split
2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center the defense on the
on April 23, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by
go-ahead goal and the
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Blues surrendered a
It was small consolation those close games, they
breakaway on the third
that before the Blackdid and we didn't.''
goal, which he called ''a
hawks' four-goal third
back-breaker.''
Miller was acquired
period in Game 6, the from Buffalo on Feb.
Injuries factored into
difference was razor28 along with forward
the early exit.
thin. The first five
Steve Ott in a deal that
Backes missed two
games were decided by cost the Blues goalie
one goal, discounting
Jaroslav Halak, forward games with stiffness in
his neck after an illegal
an empty-netter by the Chris Stewart and a
Blackhawks in the final first-round pick in 2015. hit by Brent Seabrook,
minute of Game 3.
He made $6.25 million who was suspended for
three games. T.J Oshie
''You've got to bring your last season.
also wasn't quite himself
game every night, every ''I've just got to take
coming off a blow to the
shift, every period,'' cap- thing ́