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Miller brothers will battle it out on the ice

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The Millers come from a big hockey family - so big that 10 members played hockey at Michigan State.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2009

Updated: 10/24/2009 12:22 am

BRANDON - The odds of left wing Drew Miller scoring on his brother, goalie Ryan Miller, tonight when the Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres aren't great.

But if he does?

"I'll be one up on him," Drew Miller said with a smile Friday. "It's exciting to play against him. I've done it once already, and no big chances in that game - just a couple of rebounds and jamming at him with my stick.

"Hopefully, (tonight) will change and I'll get a couple of good shots on him and try to get one by him."

Drew Miller, whom Tampa Bay acquired from Anaheim in August, doesn't have a point through eight games. Ryan Miller, on the other hand, ranked second in the NHL among No. 1 goalies with a 1.65 goals-against average entering Friday's play.

But Drew will punch one through once in a while. He scored six goals in his two seasons with the Ducks, and he has something his brother doesn't have: a Stanley Cup championship (2006-2007).

"I think it's definitely a situation that's pretty rare," Ryan Miller said of playing against his brother. "It's something that when you're growing up, you dream about playing at the highest possible level. To realize your dream and play against each other is great."

Several brothers have competed against each other in the NHL, but it's fairly uncommon.

For example, last year's postseason matchup between Carolina's Eric Staal and Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal marked the first conference final to match brothers since Phil and Tony Esposito went at it in 1974.

Also in recent history, Montreal's Saku Koivu and Minnesota's Mikko Koivu have faced each other as captains of their respective teams.

Lightning coach Rick Tocchet recalled playing for the Flyers when Keith Primeau, an All-Star center for the Flyers, battled his brother, Wayne, who has played for several teams, including Tampa Bay.

"They actually went at it pretty good," Tocchet said. "It kind of gets you, where you go, 'wow, I'd better be ready for that when two brothers are going at it.' So it's pretty interesting dynamics."

The Miller brothers - Drew is 25 and Ryan 29 - are competitive but close. They talk "at least three or four times a week," Drew said, and they had plans to have dinner together Friday night.

They come from a big hockey family - so big that 10 members played hockey at Michigan State, including the brothers' father, Dean.

At MSU, Ryan set an NCAA record with 26 shutouts and won the 2001 Hobey Baker Award (hockey's Heisman). Drew was a team captain and MVP.

Cousins Kip, Kevin and Kelly also played in the NHL.

"Every summer, my cousins would come back, and that was when I was young," said Drew, who grew up in Dover, N.J. "They were all playing in the NHL. To be around them in the summer, just kind of hang out and see how they trained and worked helped form my work ethic."

In that only previous meeting between Drew and Ryan, on Dec. 5, 2007, Drew's Ducks beat big brother's Sabres 4-1. Drew had a couple of shots; Ryan stopped 29 of 33 shots.

This year, though, Ryan is playing some of the best hockey since he was voted in as the Eastern Conference's starting goalie in the 2007 All-Star Game.

"He might be a small skinny guy like I am off the ice," Drew said of Ryan, "but he makes himself so big in the net. He's smart, he's fast, and we've got to get him moving a little bit.

"(As with) any pro goalie, you've got to make a good shot, or you've got to be able to move him. So we'll try to get him moving and get some (shots) by him."

NUTS AND BOLTS: Tocchet said he's sticking with the lineup that beat San Jose 5-2 Thursday night. Mike Smith is back in net after getting his first win of the season, rookie James Wright gets another shot on the No. 1 line and defenseman David Hale will get the nod over Kurtis Foster.

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