A goalie can definitely steal a series, but can a goalie steal a Stanley Cup? That’s the question being asked about Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. Facing the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2010 NHL Playoffs, Buffalo will be putting a lot of weight on their Olympic goaltender in their first playoff appearance in three years. But Miller isn’t looking at the past. His full attention is on the series against Boston, and he looked pretty good in his first game.

Miller stole the show in Thursday’s Game 1 victory. He stopped 38 shots in a 2-1 Buffalo win, including a 24-shot onslaught in the second period. Miller looked just as solid as he did during the Olympics when he won a silver medal for the US and was voted MVP of the tournament. He also set a franchise record with 41 regular season wins and is a strong candidate to win the Vezina Trophy with a season goals-against average of 2.22 and save percentage of 92.9.

Buffalo’s offense was spread out among a number of players. A dozen shooters scored 10 or more times for the team on their way to clinching the Northeast Division. That bodes well for the team as if they do make it deep into the playoffs. As some of their snipers wear down, others will be ready to plug the holes. Boston doesn’t quite have that luxury, as they’ve been plagued by injuries all season long as they battled their way into a playoff spot.

Miller’s opponent is Boston’s Tuukka Rask, but while the rookie had better season numbers than Miller, the team in front of Miller has performed much better overall throughout the season. However, Boston did win the season series 4-2, so trying to predict who will come out of this series is awfully tough to guess. Regardless who it is, their opponent in the next round may have it tough. That is of course if Boston doesn’t fall apart from injuries.