Originally Posted by
generaladm
I guess we have different definitions of what makes a "great goal". Sure, to the fans of the winning team, a championship winning goal is great, especially when it's last second or OT. For the losing side, not so much.
I was talking about the quality of the play itself. Not a very good shot, fundamentally unsound goaltending. If that same play happens in the 1st, it's considered a soft goal. A shot taken from below the circle on the stick side is by far the easiest to defend for a goalie. Especially from a righty on that wing. The angle to beat the goalie far side is all but non-existent. The puck had been to the right of the goal for several seconds, so it's not like Miller had to move to get in position. If he has his right leg to the post with pads together and the stick blade covering the 5 hole, only a one-in-a-billion fluke shot makes it through. As it was, Miller got caught not squared to the shooter, not sure what he was supposed to do, and shuffled his feet enough for a low shot to get by him. Just a momentary lapse of focus, but surprising at that level. That's why they call low stick side the "AHL side", because goalies who give up goals there get sent back to the minors.
I'm not trying to dog Miller, he's the best national team goalie I can remember by a good margin, but that was a pretty weak goal.