Should Ryan Miller Be The Starting Goaltender For Team USA...?

An answer mentioned Miller being snubbed back in 2006 but if you remember that was because at the time of the selections Miller was injured with a broken thumb(Biron was playing phenomenally for the Sabres during that streak). He did come back before the Olympics but Team USA decided it was too late.

Possible Goaltending alternatives:

Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas. Craig Anderson, Ty Conklin, Rick Dipietro, maybe Scott Clemmenson.

I don't think any of these goalies can push Miller off that starting spot. Why?:

Thomas: Off to a rough start this season, everyone must admit he won the Vezina last season, but the real question is; how much of an impact did Boston's defensive team have on his numbers? Wins: 4 GAA: 2.60 SV% .912 SO: 1. Still solid numbers even with Boston off to a slow start. With the experience factored in he will be a close backup to Miller.

Dipietro: Injured, might not be back, unproven if he can come back to his previous form, and regardless, not as good as Miller.

Anderson: Best chance at pushing Miller off, but Miller has the edge in NHL experience, this is Anderson's first year as a starter. He should make the team though in my opinion. Also note his numbers: Wins:10 GAA: 2.11 SV% .936 SO: 2. Definitely the most comparable to Miller's start.

Quick: Great start to the season. GAA 2.62 SV% .901 and 9 wins playing for a young L.A. squad, very solid. Still lacking experience.

Conklin: No. I have nothing else to say on him.

Bottom line, Miller has the perfect mix of experience, consistency, hot start to the season and overall ability to beat out any possible competition. He has shown over the past 3-4 seasons that he is a legitimate star goaltender.

You won't have Laviolette as your coach in Vancouver, which is a step forward. With Ron Wilson as the coach, he'll at least be very familiar with both Thomas and Miller given that they're in the same division. My semi-educated guess (and it's only September) is this: Unless one of them has completely gone to pot or is injured, they'll probably each get one game during the preliminary round and then take the hot hand from there. The camp/practices are more about getting line combinations than anything. I agree though-Miller was playing out of his skin in 2005-06 and I've never rated DiPietro. Miller should have at least been on the 23-man roster for Torino. Not sure it'll matter though; barring something truly freaking it'll be Canada, Russia, and Sweden fighting for medals. The Americans should play their kids and hope they get a kick at the can in 2014.

Miller is start in net for team USA. he's having an amazing season. the only thing that can slow him down is fatigue if the coaching staff doesn't want to depend on lalime and enroth as much.

their other choices are tim thomas who's off to a terrible start in boston. diepitro, who hasn't played in the past year, who I also think is overrated when he is healthy. or anderson, and although he's playing amazing, I think sitting behind vokoun in florida last year cost him the starting spot.

#30 from the Buffalo Sabres will be in the pipes

Miller should have been the US goalie at the last olympics and he's hands down the goalie for this one.

I still remember the Islanders-Sabres game after the last winter olympics where the Sabres pounded Dipietro and everyone chanted U-S-A! Classic.

As of right now yeah he should be the starter, but there is still 99 days left, in those 99 days he could get injured, start sucking, get hit by a car and end his career, and even the possibility of John Quick, Craig Anderson, and Tim Thomas just completely outplaying him. Give it time.

Right now if it were me, I'd pick Miller (the dynamic of having Burke and Wilson in the division (meaning they're seeing Miller and Thomas quite a bit compared to Anderson or...god help the Americans...DiPietro)).

Miller was harshly done by in 2006.

Ryan Miller is on fire and I have always thought of him as the best goalie USA has to offer. The other candidates (Thomas, Quick, Anderson) are too streaky. Either really hot or really cold with them. Anyway...Miller, when healthy mind you, has always been solid.

I can't remember who the other two goalies are...Thomas and DiPietro? Yeah...DiPietro can't stay in shape if his life depended on it, but i haven't seen Thomas play a full game. If it is these three going for top dog for Team USA, it'll be Miller.

I don't agree at all. He's a great goalie and he's doing very good this season, but he's been very streaky throughout his career. Last season was less than impressive. He probably won't continue on the current path he's on. There are lots of great goalies in the NHL this year so it's hard to say for sure. No team has a bad goalie.

He is doing well, but what about Craig Anderson on the Avalanche.

ps Bring back the Expos eh .. they have been effin pathetic in DC