Ryan Miller made it clear Thursday what he isn't. He's not a savior. He can't lift the Buffalo Sabres into a playoff spot merely by lifting his arms. He can't carry them by himself for all nine of their remaining games.

But it was also clear Thursday what Miller is. He is the leader of the Buffalo Sabres. He says what needs to be said, says what needs to be heard.

It's time to find out if he (and his teammates) can do what needs to be done.

The Sabres' playoff chase continues tonight as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit HSBC Arena. Miller, the franchise goaltender, will man the crease for the first time since suffering an ankle sprain Feb. 21. The Sabres have struggled in his absence, going 4-7-2, and sit seven points out of a postseason spot.

The return of Miller has some fans feeling good times are coming to Sabreland. Miller hopes so, too, but it's not a given.

"No one's made me into a savior," he said after practice. "I'm a goalie. I go out, and I try and stop the puck. If I can help make a difference, I want to do it. I'm by no means a guarantee, and I'm by no means a savior. I can only go out there and give my honest effort and get in the way to stop the puck.

"If I can help boost the guys because I've been through so many battles with them and they're familiar with me, that's great. But I think everybody needs to draw something from themselves at this time of year. But if I can be that added little bump, it's great if guys look at it that way. But for me, I'm just trying to go out there and get in position, get hit with the puck and play hockey."

It may have been by happenstance that Miller conducted his chat in the middle of the Sabres' dressing room, in a spot where every teammate could see and hear him. But it was fitting. Miller is the guy the Sabres revolve around, the guy with the most control over their collective fate.

And in case anyone forgot, he's also the guy with the most interesting things to say. A big part of Thursday's talk centered on appreciating the chance to play, something that obviously was taken away from him for too long.

"You try and just come to the rink and blend in," Miller said of his past five weeks. "I try to stay active, be around the meetings, watch video, work out; do what I could do to contribute. Me staying in shape and me doing the things I need to do, hopefully it sets a good example, shows guys I'm hungry and I want to be playing, even though I can't be.

"They should all feel good that they're on the ice. They should respect the fact they've had a chance to play this time of year. If you're out for any length of time, or you miss a game, or the coach puts you in the stands or turns to another player, it should sting. It should feel terrible, and you should want to be back out there. For me, I just wanted to show that I wasn't going to just coast. I wanted to be doing everything I could do."

What Miller does is win. Despite the time away, he remains in the top 10 in the league in victories with a 29-16-5 record. His save percentage of .919 ranks seventh in the NHL. He clearly gives the Sabres the best chance every night.

"Getting your starting goalie back is a big deal," coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's big for the team. [But it's] understanding that he hasn't played in a long time. He's had some good practices, but playing in game situations and game intensity, you put him in and you wonder where that's going to fall ... although I have a lot of trust that he's ready to play."

Miller also knows it can take time to return to peak form. He's had injuries before, most notably a broken thumb in 2005-06. He missed nearly two months. But he returned to win his first four starts and 13 of 16 games.

A similar comeback would send spirits soaring.

"I'm very realistic about it," Miller said. "I've come off injury before. I know what to expect. The energy's going to be there for me. I'm going to be excited to play. I've got to contain it. I've got to harness it a bit. I've just got to do my job."

Eastern Conference Standing

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No.

Team

GP

W

L

OT

Pts

1

Boston

73

46

17

10

102

2

New Jersey

73

47

23

3

97

3

Washington

75

45

23

7

97

4

Philadelphia

73

40

23

10

90

5

Carolina

76

41

28

7

89

6

Pittsburgh

75

40

27

8

88

7

NY Rangers

75

39

27

9

87

8

Montreal

74

38

27

9

85

9

Florida

75

36

28

11

83

10

Buffalo

73

35

30

8

78

11

Toronto

74

31

30

13

75

12

Ottawa

73

32

31

10

74