J.T. Miller has been a huge physical presence for the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. The way he has stepped up his physical game in the first two games has directly impacted the success of the team.
J.T. Miller had a strong regular season for the New York Rangers, posting a career-highs in points (56) and assists (34), as well as tieing his career high in goals (22). Over the last month of the season, Miller was a little less consistent than he had been in the past but in the first two postseason games, he has managed to turn things flip the switch.
Beyond his ability to move the puck up ice and generate opportunity off good passes, Miller’s physical play has made him one of the Rangers most important players in both zones.
Postseason fights are usually few and far between but in Friday’s game against Montreal, Miller dropped the gloves with Shea Weber stepping in after Steve Ott laid a big hit on Mats Zuccarello.
What’s Behind Miller’s Success?
Miller’s play has earned him big minutes on the ice. He has played an average of 18 minutes over the last two games. Miller has been making plays all over, from offensive zone takeaways to big stops in the neutral zone, to blocking shots in the defensive zone.
This season, and especially in these playoffs, Miller has played every game with a lot of intensity. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said that Miller’s focus has been the driving force behind his success this season.
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“I see a young man, a young player that’s trying to put his game together at both ends, that 200-foot game you want any player on your team to play,” Vigneault said. “You want him to be at the right place when he doesn’t have the puck, and you want him to understand what plays need to be made in certain areas… J.T. is working extremely hard at that. He’s improved all year long.”
Miller came off his breakout season playing the most consistent hockey that the Rangers have seen from him in his time on the roster. In this series, Miller seems to have boosted his physical play. His fight on the ice from game-to-game has made him one of the most important pieces of the Rangers’ offense.
He played a physical brand of hockey all season long, but in his performances against Montreal in the last two games, Miller has proven just how much more he can do in that area. Miller is able to be physical in moments when it’s important to be but never is physical for the sake of being physical. Every move he makes has purpose and impactful. You can even see him getting under the skin of opposing players now, which is something to watch for as the series moves on.
Impact on the Roster
Miller’s significance comes not only in the moments when he puts up points, but also comes because of the way he plays all over the ice. His physicality in this series against Montreal especially has effectively made the players around him better. He creates more room for his linemates to roam, and if you give a guy like Michael Grabner any room to work with, he will burn you.
The line that Miller has been playing on with Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner is so successful because the three are able to feed off of the each others’ talents. At just 24-years-old, Miller has great speed, sense and a great passing ability that make him dangerous in all three zones.
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Miller could play on a line with anyone on the roster and he would serve the same role. He has been playing in the important moments because he adds value every time he steps on the ice. Let’s see what he can do as the series heads to game three tonight.