Ryan Miller only ended up facing seven shots on goal -- all in the first period -- before he called it a night after 30:22 minutes of work, but it nevertheless marked the start of what the Vancouver Canucks hope will be three great years.
The 34-year-old netminder took care of what little work came his way, although the result is ultimately of little consequence. This was a tuneup game and just the first of a few he’ll get in before the start of the season. But the lack of work or minimal consequences of the game didn’t detract from what was a special night for Miller.
“I was just looking forward to putting the jersey on and getting in front of the crowd for the first time,” Miller said in his postgame interview. “I was taking a moment to enjoy that. ... Not a lot of work, but (it’s) fun to be back in the game and exciting to be my first one with the Canucks.”
He added that “it was a pretty big thrill.”
Vancouver is no stranger to goaltending controversies, but there’s a chance that this year will break that trend. Miller is an accomplished netminder who is coming in as the clear starter and now that Jacob Markstrom is on waivers, there’s no question that Eddie Lack is the team’s backup.
As far as starting points go, this isn’t a bad one for Vancouver.