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Struggling Miller needs to ‘get through this stretch and be there when it counts’

Kyle Brodziak , Kevin Shattenkirk, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Miller

Minnesota Wild center Kyle Brodziak (21) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, right, watch as a shot by Wild right wing Nino Niederreiter, rear, of Switzerland, gets past Blues goalie Ryan Miller (39) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, April 10, 2014. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

AP

“Ultimately he has to make the big saves. That’s why we brought him here. He has to make the saves you’re not supposed to make.”

-- Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, on why he acquired goalie Ryan Miller prior to the trade deadline (Canadian Press)

“I’ve got to find a way to make a save. It’s been two weeks of this. I’ve got to find a way out of it myself. It’s a tough stretch of hockey for me as far as goals-against go. I don’t feel like it’s too far away, as far as my game, but it’s got to be better. Just need to get through this stretch and be there when it counts.”

-- Miller, after allowing four goals on just 13 shots last night versus Minnesota, the third straight start he’s allowed four goals and lost in regulation (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Miller’s save percentage in those three starts? A lowly .813. And his overall save percentage in 17 appearances for the Blues is just .903, a significantly lower number than the .923 mark he registered in Buffalo prior to the trade.

So, yes, like he said, he’s “got to find a way to make a save.”

The good news is, the playoffs haven’t started yet, and that’s where the Miller trade will really be judged. “When it counts.”

The potentially bad news is, the Blues’ current slide may end up costing them first place in the Central Division, and that would result in a first-round match-up with the defending champs from Chicago. Who are pretty tough to beat “when it counts.”