Ryan Miller has never been better and his timing is just about perfect, with an almost

certain starting job for Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics looming just over two months away.

But when the Buffalo Sabres' red-hot goaltender made 38 saves Monday to post a shutout in

the hockey media circus that is Toronto, the plaudits really started flying.

Leafs center Matt Stajan called Miller "one of the best in the world." Marveled Toronto

coach Ron Wilson, who will be leading Team USA: "I hope he plays like that in February."

Saturday night, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff referred to Miller's miraculous save against

Carolina as "Dom-like," a tribute to former Sabres star and Czech Olympic hero Dominik Hasek.

The numbers match the hype.

Miller leads the NHL with a 1.84 goals-against average and an eye-popping .937 save

percentage. Oddly enough, that's the exact figure of Hasek's NHL record set during the Sabres'

1998-99 season that ended in the Stanley Cup finals. Miller has 15 wins, one off the league

lead.

Just past the first quarter of the season, Miller would be a heavy favorite for the Vezina

Trophy given to the league's best goalie. And he'd be in the small circle of discussion for

the Hart Trophy, given to the league's most valuable player.

Best in the world?

"That's nice of them to say but there's a lot of great goalies in the league," Miller said

after Tuesday's optional practice in HSBC Arena. "We're playing a game that really fits our

style. Our system and the way we're playing benefits the way I read plays and how I go out and

play every night. The coaching staff took that into account.

"They built a defensive scheme around that. It's been a few years in the making, what works

good with me. The way we want to block shots or leave it open, if we want to cover back sides.

We're finding a good spot where I feel comfortable in most every situation."

The Sabres are playing more of a puck-possession game this year, are much better on

faceoffs at both ends of the rink and are closing off more back-side opportunities to allow

Miller to be square to second chances. Miller, meanwhile, is showing terrific instincts

anticipating plays before they happen.

"When a goalie is really on, it just seems that everything sticks to him," Ruff said.

"[Miller] is already in good position, he's read the play and not moving when making some of

the saves. And some of them are flat-out, real good hockey reads where he's read where the

puck is going."

The real question is if Miller can keep this up all season, when he could push 100 games

— say 70 in Buffalo, seven in Vancouver and then what the team hopes would be another 20

or more in a playoff run.

"I've done it before when I was a kid," Miller said, grinning. "Just play and play and

play."

Of course, it's not that simple anymore. The NHL's compressed schedule is a huge challenge.

The Sabres will need to give Miller rest and give backup Patrick Lalime some ice time —

sooner rather than later. They have 15 games coming up in 27 days, starting with Montreal's

visit to the arena Thursday. And they are the only team in the league without a single victory

from a backup goalie.

Miller stayed off the ice Tuesday and that might be pretty common on off days as the

schedule continues.

"You look at the bulk of the schedule coming up and he knows his body better than anybody

where he's at," said Ruff. "We'll just stay in close touch with him. This is a very unique

schedule. We're going to have to make some adjustments that maybe we've never made before."

But it's silly to just assume Miller will wear out. Plenty of goalies play 70 or more in a

season. Frankly, that's what the elite names almost all do.

Until he got hurt last year, New Jersey's Martin Broduer had played 70 for 10 straight

years. Miikka Kiprusoff has done it four straight years in Calgary. A groin injury ended

Roberto Luongo's streak of 70-plus games at four years last season in Vancouver. Henrik

Lundqvist has done it the last three years in New York for the Rangers.

Miller played just 59 games last year when he missed 13 with his high ankle sprain. But he

played 76 two years ago (when Ruff had basically no confidence in backup Jocelyn Thibault) and

seemed to wear down at the end of the season.

That was a big learning experience.

"I don't think I was as prepared for that as I am now," Miller said. "My summer training is

a lot different, my diet is a lot different. The way I handle my day-to-day affairs, I'm more

likely to take time off the ice now. Early in my career, I had to practice every day. It was

just in my head as part of my routine. Now I've slowly weaned myself off that where I can do a

lot of work off the ice I feel prepares me for a game as well.

"It's not always about taking shots. It's about working in your head and the things that

keep you on the ice — maintenance for my back, hips, groin, abs. Things a lot of people

don't see but we have to do most days to make sure we're not falling into fatigue or getting

joints gummed up with a lot of tension."

Strangely enough, Hasek only played 70-plus games once for the Sabres (when he started 72

in 1997-98, Ruff's first season).

"We'll probably have to have a little more awareness [of the schedule]," Miller said. "If I

manage myself well off the ice, I can play. It just comes down to the mental side. The players

kind of rag on the goalie, "You just stand there for 60 minutes. Why can't you play every

night like we do?'

"Well, you're tense the night before a game. There's a certain preparation you go through,

start thinking about the game. The next day, the whole day is built around being comfortable."

Miller noted tension can come simply from pucks whizzing by the net or the constant need

for awareness even if he's not in the play.

"That's what a break is for — to be excited about getting in the net," he said.

"Doing that every day can be kind of maddening. I want to play as much as possible. There are

times it's good to step away and recharge and then go back."

. . .

Only about a dozen players skated Tuesday, with goaltending coach Jim Corsi suiting up to

tend one net. Ruff said captain Craig Rivet (ankle, knee) is doing better, but it still seems

unlikely Rivet will be ready by Thursday.