"Two standing ovations weren't enough. The Buffalo crowd had been awed to the point where mere applause seemed insignificant.

So, during a television timeout with 5:03 remaining Wednesday, the crazed folks in HSBC Arena starting chanting at the top of their lungs, the foot of Washington Street shaking as it hadn't all season.

"Ry-an Mill-er! Ry-an Mill-er! Ry-an Mill-er!"

The Sabres' goaltender deserved it. For the second time in four games, Miller blanked the Philadelphia Flyers, backstopping the Sabres to another 1-0 victory. He made 32 saves and sent the teams to the City of Brotherly Hate for Friday's Game Five all tied at 2-2.

Miller provided a resounding answer to anyone who questioned his worth to the Sabres' organization.

"It's good to be appreciated," Miller said. "I'm happy to help the team get a win. I'm not going to pay too much attention to anybody who's talking about my game right now. I really don't care. It's the furthest thing from my mind. I want to contribute and help the guys.

"I don't need to listen to all of the BS that's out there from people who don't know how to play goalie. I really don't give an (expletive)."

Miller's top save and Philadelphia's best scoring chance surely left Danny Briere muttering a profanity or two. It was a Buffalo fan's dream.

A turnover led to Briere getting the puck alone in front with 8:50 left, no one around but the former Sabres co-captain and his old netminder. Briere avoided Miller's poke check and moved to the goalie's gloveside. The glove won, snaring Briere's attempt as the 18,690 fans rose in unison to salute the goalie's excellence.

"I was happy to be there to make the save," Miller said. "I kind of recognized he didn't have a lot of speed, obviously, because of where he received the puck. He was just trying to get me to open up, and I just wanted to get my glove as close to his blade as I could. It wasn't so much a reaction as it was anticipation that he was going to try and get it over me."

Miller's second standing ovation led to the chant, immediately after he put his stick along the goal line to prevent Mike Richards from tying the game."