I thought the Cup would be staying in Detroit Tuesday night, but those pesky Penguins found a way... What a great game. It had scoring during regulation and it had suspense during overtime. Couldn't script a better hockey game from a fan's perspective. Of course if I were a die-hard Wings fan, I might be a little rattled. Thirty seconds away from the cup and then... BANG. Overtime. And not just a quick overtime. A marathon that ended with the youthful Penguins gaining a win and perhaps the belief that maybe they can pull off a miracle.

I was among Red Wing faithful at the Riv in downtown East Lansing, MI. The Riv is a great spot with a lot of history and a pretty loyal group of regulars. Great spot to just walk in without worrying about what you're wearing or what kind of crowd to hang with. I was there with a group of friends and my brother, Bryce, came down to hang. For a Monday night, there were a lot of people willing to put their jobs at risk by drinking straight through triple overtime. Have to love hockey fans.

It ended up being a lot of fun to have everyone on the edge of their seat or barstool for such a long evening. Every shot on goal seemed like it was going into the net according to the crowd in the bar. Made me smile. I was happy to be in a place that was so tuned in to the game. Most of the bar was wearing red and chanting whenever something went well for their team. When Petr Sykora hit the twine halfway through the third overtime, the rowdy crowd just turned their attention to the bar. A couple of groans and a few sighs. But Game 6 does offer fans of hockey another night (or two) of before we all turn our attention to summer...

Tune in to Stretch on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio each Wednesday morning at 11am ET for NHL All-Star goalie Ryan Miller's weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs report.

Hi, Ryan :) LOVE the blog! Thanks for doing this. I hope you'll continue it on your site once you're done here at Maxim. So here is my question: Johnny Liles: UFA. Drew Miller: UFA. is there a possibility of seeing both your boys in blue and gold next season? it might be the greatest thing ever! – Maal

Thanks for the note... I am planning on blogging on my site a little bit to see how it goes once we get it up and running at 100 percent, but I don’t know if I have it in me to be a full time blogger. As for playing alongside my brother and JM Liles, my brother is actually an RFA (Restricted Free Agent), which means Anaheim would only have to give him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. I expect that the Ducks will keep him around. He is way too good and way too smart a  player to let slip away at 24 years old. John Michael is free to do as he pleases come July 1, and he would fit in great where we once had Brian Campbell. JM is a great skater and power play guy, just like Brian. We will see. John is in a great position to make a decision for himself and he has earned that right. We will have to wait to see how it plays out. A new coach in Colorado is a factor now.


What is your favorite road trip story? Is there one incident (or more) that sticks out from your time on the road? Thanks Ryan—good luck next season! – Allie

Watched a little bit of hockey last night and I have to admit it put me in a very bad mood. It is tough to watch knowing that a season’s worth of work has not offered me a chance at the Stanley Cup. As a pro athlete we always can recover and gain motivation from a failure or a set back, but there really are only so many opportunities to win a championship and that is what really eats at you over a summer.

From my experience in the last two years going to the conference finals I would say that the NHL’s newest ad campaign is the best explanation that anyone can come up with... “the Cup changes everything.” The game itself doesn’t change, it is still about executing a system and playing hockey… but the collective attitude of a team and the focus in a player can increase. I think that is what makes the Playoffs great.

The first night had some exciting games and I have been getting caught up on the highlights but mainly I have been catching up with everyone back home in East Lansing, Michigan. I drove the five hours home from Buffalo yesterday and am settling in to a little down time. I got to hang with my godson, Riley, for the first time in eight months. We played a little basement hockey… the only hockey I will be playing for a few months.

Tune in to Stretch on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio each Wednesday morning at 11am ET for NHL All-Star goalie Ryan Miller's weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs report.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller just wrapped his fifth NHL season. The Michigan native was drafted by the Sabres in 1999. In both his rookie and sophomore seasons he recorded more than 30 wins, the first rookie goalie to do so since 2001-02 and the first Sabre to do so since two-time league MVP Dominik Hasek in 1996-97 and 1997-98. In 2006-07, he set a new Sabres record for wins with 40. In 2007, fans selected him to start in goal for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game in Dallas. Prior to starting his NHL career, Miller won the 2001 Hobey Baker Award reserved for the top collegiate player in the nation while playing for Michigan State University. He is the older brother of Anaheim Ducks forward and 2007 Stanley Cup winner, Drew Miller.

In 2006, Miller established the Steadfast Foundation, an organization dedicated to assisting those afflicted and affected by the consequences of cancer, especially childhood forms of the disease. A business school graduate, Miller opened The Refinery, a clothing retail store featuring an exciting array of leading designer apparel and accessories, in his hometown of East Lansing, Michigan. When he’s not on the ice, Miller enjoys playing the guitar and outdoor photography.