I tend to agree.Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 1:29 pmMiller is playing hurt.Topper wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:07 amRicky post game "He wasn't someone I thought could get us back in the game." Asked if being dinged up was a factor in Miller's ice time, a curt "no."Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 9:43 amMiller is playing hurt. He wasn't benched.Lancer wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 7:35 am Tocchet benches Miller in the 3rd. I don't remember seeing him do anything egregious in the first two periods. Anybody else pick up what happened? Points aside, something seems off with Miller. At first, I thought it may be health-related - like when he tweaked something and wouldn't take draws earlier - but Tocchet said the benching had nothing to do with health or injuries.
Tocchet pulled Miller's head out of his ass before. I wager he'll do it again in short order.
Most likely, Miller has got something and he's had it since camp, I think. Tockey's "He is doing everything right"; doesn't need pre-season games is a classic limited hangout. He was doing everything right, vets doing everything right don't need pre-season games -- but the conclusion is implied. Or even if stated, a secondary reason is offered as a primary (hidden) reason where if the hidden reason didn't exist, it wouldn't be contemplated.
Similarly, Tockey gave the answer as to why Miller wasn't out there -- he wasn't someone who Tockey thought could help them get back in the game. The follow up "because he was dinged up?" doesn't change the answer because he was already playing the game dinged up -- it was that it became apparent he wasn't going to be helpful that became the reason he was on the bench. It is a little "depends on what "is" is", but I think they are hiding the nature of the condition and want to end the questioning. The audience to press answers are not the media or the fans (alone or sometimes even primarily). They don't want the opposition to know.
In fact, would it be terribly surprising if most of the team doesn't know exactly what's up with Miller? Somewhat surprising, but can't you see Miller being transparent with coaches and maybe a handful of players but not disclosing because he doesn't want "excuses?" And then, wouldn't the coach's phrasing also be to the guys who aren't fully aware of Miller's condition, "anyone can be benched, any time."
I guess it is also possible Miller really F'ed up that broken PP that couldn't gain entry (and I believe was his last shift) -- but I didn't notice him at all and its hard to imagine a couple failed entries where he doesn't have the puck and isn't the trailer leading to benching when it was the first bad power play of the game and it couldn't be that he kept doing the same damn thing.