Congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings. They had a great playoff and deserved the victory. The brand of hockey that they brought to the rink each night was impressive. Detroit is a team of complete players. They have a great deal of talent throughout the lineup, but the difference was their ability to play on each side of the puck and the desire to gain control of it. It takes a special kind of commitment to play such a tight game and still create offense. Henrik Zetterberg exemplifies those characteristics, and I feel it was that style that helped him win the Conn Smythe. He was outstanding every night and a lot of his offense came from capitalizing off turnovers created by hard work.

The Penguins deserve a lot of praise as well. They had a lot of players come of age and show they could not only be an exciting team but also an effective team. I expect many of the young players to be even tougher to play against in the coming season. The experience they gained in the playoffs is immeasurable as it pertains to training great young players. The poise and mental toughness needed to win night in and night out in the playoffs is not something found in many players who haven’t been through it. That is why I have faith in my Sabres team next year; we have some battle-hardened playoff veterans from two seasons going to the conference finals, and on top of that we have a lot to prove to the hockey world after missing out on the postseason.

With the hockey season complete, I feel like I can relax just a little more. It is hard to feel good when hockey is being played at the highest level and I am not on the ice. Not that I am in a state of depression, it is just good to know that everyone is done and it all starts again soon. I was watching the game at my brother’s cabin in western Michigan and we both were talking about how frustrating it can be to watch. I will be at meetings in Toronto next week and then I can tune out hockey for a little while; take a little vacation from watching, playing and thinking about hockey, recharge and try to be at an even higher level for next season.

This will be my last entry for Maxim.com this season. Thanks for reading. It was fun to give blogging a try after reading so many on the Internet. I am thinking about considering the possibility that I may continue blogging on my own website, MillerTime30.com. It may not be updated much this summer, but as hockey starts up again I will see how it goes. Have a great summer!

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I thought the Cup would be staying in Detroit Tuesday night, but those pesky Penguins found a way... What a great game. It had scoring during regulation and it had suspense during overtime. Couldn't script a better hockey game from a fan's perspective. Of course if I were a die-hard Wings fan, I might be a little rattled. Thirty seconds away from the cup and then... BANG. Overtime. And not just a quick overtime. A marathon that ended with the youthful Penguins gaining a win and perhaps the belief that maybe they can pull off a miracle.

I was among Red Wing faithful at the Riv in downtown East Lansing, MI. The Riv is a great spot with a lot of history and a pretty loyal group of regulars. Great spot to just walk in without worrying about what you're wearing or what kind of crowd to hang with. I was there with a group of friends and my brother, Bryce, came down to hang. For a Monday night, there were a lot of people willing to put their jobs at risk by drinking straight through triple overtime. Have to love hockey fans.

It ended up being a lot of fun to have everyone on the edge of their seat or barstool for such a long evening. Every shot on goal seemed like it was going into the net according to the crowd in the bar. Made me smile. I was happy to be in a place that was so tuned in to the game. Most of the bar was wearing red and chanting whenever something went well for their team. When Petr Sykora hit the twine halfway through the third overtime, the rowdy crowd just turned their attention to the bar. A couple of groans and a few sighs. But Game 6 does offer fans of hockey another night (or two) of before we all turn our attention to summer...

Tune in to Stretch on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio each Wednesday morning at 11am ET for NHL All-Star goalie Ryan Miller's weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs report.

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Hi, Ryan :) LOVE the blog! Thanks for doing this. I hope you'll continue it on your site once you're done here at Maxim. So here is my question: Johnny Liles: UFA. Drew Miller: UFA. is there a possibility of seeing both your boys in blue and gold next season? it might be the greatest thing ever! – Maal

Thanks for the note... I am planning on blogging on my site a little bit to see how it goes once we get it up and running at 100 percent, but I don’t know if I have it in me to be a full time blogger. As for playing alongside my brother and JM Liles, my brother is actually an RFA (Restricted Free Agent), which means Anaheim would only have to give him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. I expect that the Ducks will keep him around. He is way too good and way too smart a  player to let slip away at 24 years old. John Michael is free to do as he pleases come July 1, and he would fit in great where we once had Brian Campbell. JM is a great skater and power play guy, just like Brian. We will see. John is in a great position to make a decision for himself and he has earned that right. We will have to wait to see how it plays out. A new coach in Colorado is a factor now.


What is your favorite road trip story? Is there one incident (or more) that sticks out from your time on the road? Thanks Ryan—good luck next season! – Allie

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Hey Ryan, as a die hard Buffalo fan that has unfortunately relocated to Raleigh, NC, I'd like to know how the Sabres dressing room feels about playing the 'Canes. Are you as pumped as the fans are to be there?
–Lucas

Raleigh is a great rink to play in, because it seems like there is an unusually large number of Sabres fans. Wherever we go it seems that there are a handful of Buffalo faithful, but Raleigh gets a lot. It is always fun to see everyone tailgating before the games.

Hey Ryan, don't know if you saw, but Don Cherry said that Mike Keenan should've started Curtis Joseph again to take pressure off of Kipper. He didn't and, as you know, the Flames have lost the last two games. What do you think is the best thing for a coach to do in that situation?
–Jason

I think that situation has worked out for the Flames since you have asked this question, no matter how Game 7 goes. You don’t put your No. 1 on the bench in that situation any longer than needed. He didn’t have a bad game, he was a victim of his team’s slow start and they were very fortunate to recover. Keenan’s move was a team wake up call, not a reflection of his faith in Kiprusoff. I was happy to see a hero of mine (Curtis Joseph) come in and get a win, but it is the right move to go back to the guy who got you there.

Who on the team picks the songs that are played in the warmup for home games? Also I know you are big into music, what is your favorite band?
–Joe

Some of the guys recommend songs, and Andew Peters and I slipped some in toward the end of the year. We were getting a little sick of the songs. I had them use Queens of the Stone Age's "3’s and 7’s” and “The good left undone” by Rise Against When it comes to music I am pretty eclectic, but I usually come back to alternative or rock. I am really into the Raconteur’s new album. I love anything Jack White does.

What do you think about the issue of the size of the net vs. the size of goaltender equipment? I know this is a big issue for the Competition Committee to discuss, which I'd heard you are going to be a part of and, if you are, good luck!
–Anne

I have no problem with discussing the sizing of goalie equipment and a reduction. I definitely think some of it is still a little outrageous. Where I get concerned with the cutting of equipment size is protection. There has to be a method to cutting back and I am happy to give my opinion. I think that equipment sizing coupled with keeping a high standard of refereeing, to give players more room to skate, will increase the chances of a player scoring without making a drastic change to the sport. I don’t really feel like going to soccer camp this summer to learn how to play goal in front of a bigger net.

Ryan, I grew up watching you play Jr. A in the Soo, and was a goalie too, so you have always been an idol of mine. I also went to MSU; I missed you by a couple years, but I did get to see your brother play here. Just wondering, who is your favorite is to bring the cup home this year?
–Steve Brey

I had a lot of fun in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Learned a lot, too. If I were to pick a team, it would be based on friendship and one of my best friends, John Michael Liles is a big part of the Colorado Avalanche. I have a few other buddies that I would pull for, but John pulls rank on this.

What do you think about the league altering the schedule so that each team in the league will play each other at least once each season? Thanks!
–KJ

I think it is a good idea. Fans deserve to have the opportunity to see what the entire league has to offer. It also seems strange that two teams can play for the Stanley Cup and they may never have played against each other.

Tune in to Stretch on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio each Wednesday morning at 11am ET for NHL All-Star goalie Ryan Miller's weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs report.

Have a question for Ryan? Post it in the Comments Section below. 

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Watched a little bit of hockey last night and I have to admit it put me in a very bad mood. It is tough to watch knowing that a season’s worth of work has not offered me a chance at the Stanley Cup. As a pro athlete we always can recover and gain motivation from a failure or a set back, but there really are only so many opportunities to win a championship and that is what really eats at you over a summer.

From my experience in the last two years going to the conference finals I would say that the NHL’s newest ad campaign is the best explanation that anyone can come up with... “the Cup changes everything.” The game itself doesn’t change, it is still about executing a system and playing hockey… but the collective attitude of a team and the focus in a player can increase. I think that is what makes the Playoffs great.

The first night had some exciting games and I have been getting caught up on the highlights but mainly I have been catching up with everyone back home in East Lansing, Michigan. I drove the five hours home from Buffalo yesterday and am settling in to a little down time. I got to hang with my godson, Riley, for the first time in eight months. We played a little basement hockey… the only hockey I will be playing for a few months.

Tune in to Stretch on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio each Wednesday morning at 11am ET for NHL All-Star goalie Ryan Miller's weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs report.

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