Miller Only Surprised by Timing of Trade

Kip Miller expected to be traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He didn’t think it would happen so quickly and to the team he had played only minutes before the deal was announced.

Congratulations, Kip, you’re a Duck now. Too bad about that 7-1 pasting your new teammates put on your old teammates. That’s hockey.

“Our team is going in the right direction,” Miller said before the Ducks defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-2, Monday. “It seems like this is a pretty good team.”

Miller skated on left wing in his Duck debut, joining center Tony Hrkac and rookie right wing Maxim Balmochnykh. He also saw action on the Ducks’ second power-play unit.

Miller and Hrkac played against each other in the minors. Both also won the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Left wing Paul Kariya also is a Hobey Baker Award winner.

In Pittsburgh, Miller often played alongside Jaromir Jagr, the NHL’s leading scorer with 75 points. But Miller was moved off the Penguins’ top line recently.

TONIGHT

at Buffalo, 4 PST

Fox Sports Net 2

* Site--Marine Midland Arena.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 22-24-6-1, Sabres 20-25-6-1.

* Record vs. Sabres--0-1.

* Update--No one is saying for certain when Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek will return from a groin injury that has sidelined him since October. Hasek has been practicing since last week and wants to play in the All-Star game Sunday at Toronto. The Sabres want him to play at least once for them before he starts in goal for the World All-Star team. Rookie Martin Biron has replaced Hasek, posting an 18-14-2 record and a 2.33 goals-against average. Biron shut out the Ducks, 5-0, Jan. 17 at the Arrowhead Pond.