Pro-Reads with Ryan Miller
With Ryan Miller
Reading shot versus pass on odd-man rush
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Ryan Miller will have his number retired by the Buffalo Sabres next season, an announcement made by the team over social media during a visit by Miller and his family to the city he called home for the first 11 seasons of his remarkable NHL career. It was a great moment, and it also gave us a perfect excuse to have the forward Vezina Trophy winner back for Pro Reads.
THE SEQUENCE
Miller is facing an odd-man rush against the Los Angeles Kings, so as this play hits the blue line in the freeze frame below, what information do you think he is looking for?
What would you be looking for at this point?
As the play reaches the top of the face-off circle (below), what do you make of Miller’s positioning relative to the top of the crease? Is there anything at this point that might indicate the puck carrier is thinking shot or pass? What about the way the defenseman is playing it?
Lastly, let’s take a look from Miller’s perspective and see if you can spot any tells:
Are you thinking shot or pass at this point?
THE SAVE
Now let’s take at the entire sequence to see if you got it right:
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- Miller breaks down his save on an odd-man rush against the Los Angeles Kings, walking through what information he was gathering as the play developed from the blue line to the top of the face-off circle.
- Miller identifies specific tells from the puck carrier and the defenseman's positioning that indicated whether a shot or pass was coming — informing his read before the play reached its critical moment.
- Watch for how Miller's head movement triggers his positional adjustments — a technical pattern highlighted across his Pro Reads sessions and noted as a defining characteristic of his footwork and tracking.
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