‘Grown up’ Rangers captain set tone for key bounce-back win over Canucks
Amid all the hype, noise, and emotion that came with his return to Vancouver on Tuesday, New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller remained focused on what was most important. That was leading his current team to a much-needed victory against the one that traded him away nine months ago.
Consider it mission accomplished. Coming off their two worst losses of the season, the Rangers righted themselves with a 2-0 win over the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
And though Miller didn’t record a point, his fingerprints were all over this victory.
“For me, his example is his best form of leadership,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said postgame. “I thought tonight it was on display. He played a 200-foot game all night long. He was on the ice late when we were defending the lead. He was dominant in the face-off circle. … But he’s leading by example first and foremost, and I think that’s a huge part of his leadership quality.”
Miller admitted before and after his first game back in Vancouver since the Canucks traded him to the Rangers on Jan. 31 that this was an emotional day for him. He came of age as an NHL player after the Canucks picked him up from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 offseason. Miller totaled 437 points in 404 games with the Canucks; Brock Boeser just passed him for 11th place on Vancouver’s all-time scoring list.
He made his mark in this city, and became an NHL star with seasons of 103 points in 2023-24 and 99 two years earlier among the highlights. There was also the ugly dispute with Elias Pettersson that went public and led to the Canucks trading Miller last season.
So, yes, plenty of memories and emotions. But Miller didn’t overlook the task at hand Tuesday. And that stood out to his coach.
“I thought J.T. did a great job. He has a certain perspective on the game right now. He’s grown up a lot over the years and I think he’s got a maturity level to him right now that’s admirable,” Sullivan stated.
J.T. Miller’s ‘honest game’ set tone for Rangers in win against Canucks
The Rangers held a decisive edge in scoring chances (8-2) and high-danger chances (6-1) when Miller’s line with Alexis Lafreniere and Conor Sheary was on the ice 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. In over 10 minutes TOI together at even strength, that line allowed only one shot on goal against Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick and had a 60.01 percent expected goals share.
There are several reasons for that. First of all, Miller won 11 of 15 face-offs (73 percent) overall, meaning that when he was on the ice (he played 19:24 in all situations), the Rangers started with the puck much more often than not. And when they didn’t, Miller set the tone by backchecking hard and playing a committed game defensively.
“J.T. plays an honest game out there. He plays both sides of the puck. He competes extremely hard. He’s willing to do all the thankless jobs that add up to winning,” Sullivan explained. “I thought he did a great job tonight.”
You can make the argument this was a case of follow the leader. To a man, the Rangers played a smart, disciplined and structured game, and their attention to detail defensively stood out, just as it did earlier in the season, before they allowed 11 goals over their previous two games.
“That’s the game we’ve put on the ice for most of this year, and when we play that way we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win every night,” Sullivan said. “Our mindset was in the right place. We defended hard … I just think, from a team structure standpoint and overall team game, I thought we were much better tonight.”
And it really circled back to the 32-year-old wearing the C on his Rangers sweater.
“I had a lot of nerves. I just tried to move my feet and stay focused, and I really liked the way our line played the first two periods. I thought we had a cycle game, an honest game,” Miller explained afterward. “It was an emotional game. It actually went better than I thought. I thought I’d be a little worse, but I made it through.”
Mission accomplished. Now, on to Edmonton for the next challenge against Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Thursday.
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