NHL Playoffs: Miller, Sabres too much for Flyers

Sabres 1, Flyers 0 (Buffalo leads series, 1-0)

What went wrong …

1 Miller time

The word was that Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, who has been slowed this year with injuries, wasn’t up to his Vezina Trophy-winning form. The Flyers will beg to differ, after the 2010 Olympic hero, stoned them in Game 1, making 33 saves. It’s often the rule, rather than the exception, in the playoffs to see the proverbial “hot goalie” steal a game or even the series. Remember, Michael Leighton vs. Montreal last year? The Flyers can only hope Miller proves mortal quickly or they’ll be in big trouble.

2 Fight the power

While the puck movement was much better and good chances were generated, the Flyers’ power play once again failed. The team missed on five tries, including a two-man advantage for 38 seconds. The biggest problem is the Flyers seem to be waiting for the perfect shot, preferring to pass the puck around the zone, rather than blasting away and looking for rebounds.

3 Don’t blame Bob

For nearly 45 minutes Sergei Bobrovsky held up his end of the bargain in his playoff debut in net. And chances are, they’ll be thrilled if he continues to hold the Sabres to just a goal a game, especially when the series shifts to Buffalo. In fairness, it wasn’t as if the Sabres swarmed all over him. But the rookie didn’t look nervous and — other than one rebound that he couldn’t control — he gave his team a chance. Unfortunately, Miller took that chance away.