It appears frustration is boiling over in the Buffalo Sabres dressing room.
According to the Buffalo News, some Sabres players voiced their displeasure after Monday night's 5-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
"It's embarrassing," said goaltender and Michigan native Ryan Miller, whose brother Drew plays for the Red Wings. "I got family and friends here. Everybody came to watch Drew and I play. At least they got to watch Drew perform."
Miller surrendered five goals on 14 shots before being replaced by Jhonas Enroth in the second period. With the loss, Miller record dropped to 11-13-2 with a save percentage below .900.
"It's not good hockey. It's not good from top down," Miller said. "I need to be better. I can't seem to find a night where I can get in a groove."
And Miller dismissed the notion that making a major trade would result in a reversal of fortune for the Sabres.
"If you guys really think there's going to be any kind of trade made anywhere that's going to affect this team any more than we can affect it in this locker room, you guys are just ... I don't know," said Miller. "I don't know what to think because there's no such trade.
"There's not ever going to be a trade in the history of the NHL that's going to affect anything like that. There's no chance anybody comes into this team and just shakes it up or we can even move multiple players and get any kind of return.
"If you want to just destroy a team and go out and be reckless and do something, yeah. Then there's going to be new guys in here... You can't sit and wait for somebody else to [bleeping] do it."
Sabres captain Jason Pominville reiterated Miller's frustration and refused to point to injuries as a cause for being seven points out of a playoff spot.
"The injury excuse isn't what this team is about," said Pominville. "We have enough guys in the lineup to win games and we're not doing it right now. We have to find a way."
With Sabres owner Terry Pegula in attendance at Monday's loss, Pominville explained the players have a responsibility to reward him with better results.
"He's done more than his part," Pominville said. "He's given everything to us to have success. He remodeled the whole arena basically. He went out and has been really good with our families, really good with the players. It's up to us to give back. Right now, we're just not doing a good enough job."
