J.T. Miller impact on Rangers ‘exactly what we needed’
J.T. Miller’s hot start to his second New York Rangers tenure continued in their back-to-back wins on consecutive nights Sunday and Monday at Madison Square Garden. More importantly, his contagious work ethic on the ice is having a massive effect on the rest of the team.
“He does everything the right way,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Sunday.
Miller had consecutive two-point games when the Rangers skated a to a pair of 4-0 victories, Sunday against the Nashville Predators and Monday over the Islanders. He now has six multi-point games in 11 contests with the Rangers since he was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. He’s scored seven goals and totaled 14 points with the Rangers and is currently riding a six-game point streak.
However, point production is just one part of the package with Miller. The 31-year-old forward often makes his presence felt physically, playing hard at all times to win battles for loose pucks or lay a hit on an opponent – which has resonated with the rest of the Rangers.
“I don’t know a lot of games where we were putting up that many hits or creating that many loose puck battles that were winning,” forward Jonny Brodzinski said in reference to how the team was playing before Miller arrived.
“When we have a chance to play physical, we do,” Mika Zibanejad added after the 4-0 win over the Islanders, when the Rangers blocked 22 shots and delivered 24 hits.
After turning their season around with an 8-3-3 record in January, the Rangers acquired Miller, whose “whatever it takes” mindset has already spread through the locker room. New York is 7-4-0 since the trade and now has 66 points, the same as the Detroit Red Wings, who currently occupy the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I think it’s awesome, it’s exactly what we needed. He brings that level of bite that I think we needed,” said Brodzinski. “You can see that these last couple of games, collectively as a team, if we bring that sort of edge to our game, it kind of makes teams shut down a little bit.”
Miller is at the heart of a Rangers renaissance and push toward the postseason. He buried the Islanders with a goal early in the third period that made it 3-0 Monday. And the night before scored a power-play goal off a neat feed from Artemi Panarin.
He plays in every game situation and each of the special teams. Miller’s formed a quick bond with linemates Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle. Zibanejad is playing his best hockey of the season and just had a six-game point streak end Monday. Cuylle has six points (four goals, two assists) in seven games, including a goal and assist against the Islanders.
“He’s come in and fit really well,” Laviolette noted. “I think he’s come in and added something to [Cuylle] and [Zibanejad] as well, and the line has played really well. I think his impact is not only from just himself, but what else he’s brought to the team.”
Related: Winners, losers from Rangers 4-0 win against Islanders
J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad form quick Rangers bond: ‘Our chemistry is getting there’
Zibanejad is one of the main beneficiaries of Miller’s impact. Before the trade, Zibanejad was having one of his least productive seasons with the Rangers, but has swiftly turned it around.
In New York’s first 50 games of the season – where they started 24-22-4 – Zibanejad tallied 29 points and scored nine goals.
“Typically with high-end players like that, confidence goes a long way. He’s a hell of a player. He’s been a top player in the League for as long as I’ve known him,” Miller explained. “He’s been playing great recently.”
In the 11 games since the Miller trade, Zibanejad has scored four goals and added 11 assists; Miller believes that this is a sign of things to come for the linemates.
“I think I’ve been with Mika almost every game, so I think our chemistry is getting there,” he said. “It’s going to get better and better as we go, but it’s nice to contribute.”
As the Rangers – who have picked up eight points in their past five games – keep stacking wins, the confidence in the locker room continues to grow. In early January, playing their way into the playoffs seemed improbable, but now it is very much within reach.
“Getting wins, that just builds confidence in the room as well,” said Zibanejad. “It doesn’t hurt to have two elite goalies back there, too.”
Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin’s consecutive shutouts highlighted New York’s two most recent wins, but gritty play inspired by Miller has been a catalyst for the Blueshirts’ overall success recently.
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