The New York Rangers fanbase was hoping this season would be different from last's. Instead, the bad vibes remain on the Rangers, as they are in the midst of a dreadful slump, losing six of their last seven games. Their last two losses came against teams that were in last place at the time of puck drop — the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. The Sharks hadn't won a game before until beating the Rangers 6-5 in overtime. The Flames, meanwhile, were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and averaging just 1.67 goals per game, the lowest in hockey, before defeating the Rangers 5-1.
The Rangers have just begun a road trip and are hoping they can snap out of their funk, win some games, and finally score some goals.
On Tuesday night, the Rangers are taking on the Vancouver Canucks. This could be the perfect opportunity for team captain J.T. Miller to help the Rangers break out of their slump. After all, he is facing off against his former team, considering how messy his exit was.
J.T. Miller has perfect opportunity for Rangers to break out of slump against former team
A well-timed revenge game could be just what the Rangers needed to snap out of it.
Miller really turned his career around after he was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Canucks in 2019. He shifted from a role player into a star for the Canucks. Look no further than his stretch from the start of the 2021-22 season until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, where he scored 101 goals and 183 assists for a total of 284 points. It was an incredible stretch for Miller, one that earned him his first All-Star Game nomination during the 2023-24 season, where he put up a career-high 103 points.
But after the aforementioned season, Miller's time in Vancouver was speeding towards an end. Reports had indicated that Miller and teammate Elias Pettersson were not getting along. Miller is a demanding, passionate player, while Pettersson is quieter. Even Canucks team president Jim Rutherford said that the relationship between both players was so strained that the only solution would be to make trades involving one or both players.
Ultimately, Miller was the only one dealt from Vancouver, as the Rangers, the team he began his career with, were willing to bring him back. In 32 games with the Rangers last season after the trade, Miller recorded 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points.
So far this season, Miller has gotten off to a slow start, as he has six points in 10 games. Miller notably suffered an injury during training camp that limited him in the preseason. Miller even admitted not receiving enough reps affected his performance in the team's season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Rangers desperately need a spark. Maybe Miller getting some revenge against his former team could help provide it.