Flanked by Managing General Partner Larry Quinn and General Manager Darcy Regier, an ebullient Ryan Miller met with the media this morning at HSBC Arena to discuss his new contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Miller is now locked up with the Sabres through the 2013-2014 season.

Quinn pointed out that Miller has been part of the Sabres family for about 10 years, and stated that by signing with the Sabres, he was leaving a significant of money on the table in comparison to the marketplace. “I love the buy-in that he’s giving to the organization.”

“It’s a very good time for the Sabres” added Regier. “When we look at where we are we’re in a good place and we’ll go on from here.” Regier stated that he is now working to lock Jason Pominville to a new contract, and had done some work on this project just earlier this day.

When Miller spoke, he said “I chose Buffalo. It is a bit of a buy-in. I buy into what they are all about. I have a great relationship with everyone in this organization, so it made a lot of sense to stay here… I didn’t want to leave. I like the community I like everything about it.” Miller dismissed any notion that his boyhood team the Detroit Red Wings was ever a really serious consideration. “There was no point where I was thinking to leave. I grew up about an hour and fifteen from Joe Louis Arena, but to be honest I was just a big fan of hockey growing up. But my goal is to be with an organization that backs me up and respects me and I have all that here.”

I asked Miller what his thoughts were about pairing up with new backup goaltender Patrick Lalime. “I haven’t had a chance to meet him but I hear great things. I’ve watched him his entire career. He was an inspiration to me when he was a rookie in Pittsburgh and it was lights out. I look forward to meeting him and having some fun.”

It was a pretty packed house in the media room, which even had Darcy saying “wow” as he entered the room. Quite a difference from a year ago, when “Maybe I know something you don’t” was the signature of the event as the brass tried to explain the Drury and Briere departures.

You’ve gotta get the feeling that the Sabres are back - their valuable assets are getting signed up long term, the pipeline is being restocked with blue chip prospects, season ticket holders are resigning in droves. All good stuff. Bring on training camp!!!

It never gets old.

The Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs clashing at HSBC Arena. Thousands of fans of the Leaves making the trip down the QEW, clad in their blue and white, some waving those tin foil Stanley Cups. Ahh those Stanley Cups. How many of these people were actually alive last time the Leaves won it all?

Tonight at HSBC Arena, both teams engaged in a sultry snoozefest. Plenty of missed opportunities but a scant few scoring chances. Both goaltenders, Toronto’s Vesa Toskala and Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, came up when they had to. But in the end it was Miller coming out on top, stopping all 35 shots he faced as the Sabres beat Toronto 1-0. The win now places Buffalo as 7th seed in the east standings, a point ahead of the idle New York Rangers.

Buffalo finally broke open the scoring almost midway through the third, when Paul Gaustad took a feed pass from behind the Toronto net from Dan Paille to stuff the puck through Toskala. “I was so glad to see Gaus get one tonight” said a smiling Ryan Miller. “He’s been having a tough time of late and this one had to feel good.”

Forward Jason Pominville said that fatigue might have become a factor late in the game, as the Sabres were coming off back to back games, but the key was to play smart. “We tried not to make any dumb mistakes late in the contest, but really there was some fatigue but nobody wanted to show it.” A tired but happy Paul Gaustad added “We’ve got two days off now? That’s going to seem like a vacation.”

Lindy Ruff stated that he was not too concerned about fatigue, but rather that Buffalo minimize mistakes. “We didn’t give a lot of scoring situations, we didn’t give up odd numbers, we even managed to control a good part of the play, even in the third period.”

Toronto got a late power play opportunity thanks to a tripping call on Brian Campbell at the 17:23 mark, and with the goalie then pulled a 6 on 4 skater advantage. When asked what a team does to counter such an attack in that game situation, Ruff replied “Pray”, drawing a hearty laugh. “You get a bounce. You can’t be as aggressive up top. You just sit in the shot lanes and make the guys shoot around you. It almost becomes like a 5 on 3 situation.”

The Sabres now head to New York for a huge showdown game against the Rangers (at this point with the standings as tight as they are, what game isn’t huge?). The Leaves head home and now get to enjoy a five game homestand.

As I headed home, I popped my head into Washington Square Lounge, our favorite postgame hangout, and Bob the owner was busy serving up the suds and platters of wings to plenty of hungry and thirsty Leaves fans. Hey Toronto Nation! We hope y’all had fun here in B-Lo! Come back again on March 21 and spend your loonies on steroids… and hope your ride back up the QEW is as somber then as it is tonight.