J.T. Miller makes immediate impact, scores two in Rangers’ 6-3 loss to Bruins

The New York Rangers saw an immediate impact from newly re-acquired forward J.T. Miller in his first game with the Rangers since February 25, 2018. Unfortunately, his two-goal performance was not enough to spark a win for New York, who dropped a crucial two points by a score of 6-3 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
On the upside, Miller was one of the best Rangers in the loss to the Bruins. Not only did he score twice, but he brought an element of grit and physicality to the top-six that gives the group a new identity.
It couldn’t have been easy for Miller, who had just a days notice to get from Vancouver to Boston for the Rangers afternoon clash against the Bruins. According to Emily Kaplan of the ESPN broadcast crew, Miller didn’t get to the hotel in Boston until roughly 4:00 am, leaving him with just six hours of sleep until the Rangers’ team meeting at 10:30.
That being said, there was no indication that Miller was tired based on his play. He got off to a quick start with a point blank opportunity on Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, and had multiple shots early on in the opening frame.
J.T. Miller doesn’t miss a beat in first game back with Rangers
Miller started the game centering Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, which was pretty unexpected considering it sent Zibanejad over to the right wing. However, the line was really effective early on. They generated most of the scoring chances for the Rangers in the first period, and defended well at the same time.
At 10:55 of the first period, Miller cashed in with his first goal back in a Rangers sweater. Panarin did a good job forechecking with the puck in Boston’s zone, and he was able to slide the puck over to a wide open Miller who made no mistake of ripping it past Swayman to tie the game at one.
Not only was Miller immediately place on the top line to open the game, but he was also placed on the top power play unit. This gives the Rangers a new look, as Miller is a left-handed shot who likes to play on the left circle, rather than opening up on the right for a one-timer. The top unit consisted of Miller, Panarin, Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Adam Fox.
After a slow second period in which the Rangers only generated a handful of shots and fell behind 4-1, Peter Laviolette decided to switch the lines around. There were several different combinations deployed, especially because the Rangers lost Adam Edstrom to injury, but Miller was mostly on a line with Chris Kreider and Will Cuylle.
Laviolette also tweaked the power play unit, swapping Trocheck for Kreider, which payed off in a big way. Miller scored his second goal of a game after Kreider fed a pass to Zibanejad who took a low shot that Miller was able to redirect in to cut the lead to 4-2.
So, Miller came in on six hours of sleep to a new team, new teammates, and new systems, and was arguably the best player. He helped out with a goal at even strength, and added one on the power play, all while providing an element of grit and physicality to the Rangers lineup that they desperately needed.
Even still, it wasn’t enough to earn a crucial two points. The Rangers have a short turnaround though, as they play the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night at 6:00 where Miller will make his return to Madison Square Garden. He and the Rangers really need to find a win, and stop their current losing streak of three games.
More About:New York Rangers News