Rangers' J.T. Miller paying immediate dividends for club after trade
J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers skates against the Vegas Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
You can’t make any real judgment on anything after two games, but the early impressions of J.T. Miller’s impact on the Rangers since they acquired him from Vancouver on Friday have been decidedly positive.
It’s not just that Miller scored two goals on Saturday and added two assists Sunday. It’s more about how he seems to have lifted the team with his energy and personality, something the players in the locker room rave about.
Miller’s teammates have praised his leadership and ability to communicate on the bench and on the ice. Coach Peter Laviolette highlighted how Miller drove to the net with the Rangers trailing the Golden Knights 2-1 early in the third period Sunday and liked how he “just got into some scuffles and just mixed it up. We needed more of that.”
He added, “I know it’s early, but that’s exactly what we were looking for. Exactly what we needed.”
What has been most intriguing and potentially most significant about Miller’s addition is the immediate boost it seems to have given to Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers’ former No. 1 center, who largely has struggled the last two seasons. Zibanejad has looked dynamic in the two games he’s played as a winger on a line with Miller and Artemi Panarin.
Laviolette’s unorthodox choice to play Zibanejad on the wing with Miller and Panarin has looked brilliant. Panarin and Zibanejad have one goal and three assists each, and the analytics site Natural Stat Trick says the line has outshot its opponents 16-13 and created more scoring chances (16-9) while at even strength.
The three also play together on the power play, and adding Miller — a lefthanded shot who can present a one-timer threat from the right wing — to the top unit has helped that group. The Rangers have scored on their last three power plays, with each player recording a goal.
“You know me — I don’t want to say too much good stuff in the beginning,’’ a smiling Panarin said. “But with Mills, you can see that he’s a great player . . . He actually goes pretty hard on the forecheck, battles hard in front of the net, so it’s really important for our team.
“And I don’t want to say it’s more important or not, [but] he has pretty high energy in the locker room. That’s where we need it.”
Zibanejad said he hadn’t played on the wing in 10 or 12 years, but he has played on lines with another center on it and likes to be partnered with someone who can handle the down-low defensive responsibilities of the position.
Plus, with Miller being a lefthander and Zibanejad a righthander, the two have been able to switch off on faceoffs, an advantage for the Rangers.
“I think they’re both comfortable,’’ said Laviolette, who has downplayed the wing-center thing. “It’s early stages . . . but I do think [Miller] has been good for Mika and has been good for Bread [Panarin] on that line. I think it’s been a real, real strong line. They’re generating chances. They’re dangerous. And so far, the early signs are positive for me.’’
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