The addition of J.T. Miller is beginning to shift the identity of the New York Rangers as the Blueshirts were able to come away with a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
About 48 hours ago, the Rangers acquired Miller from the Vancouver Canucks and while the veteran forward scored two goals in his first game, New York still lost 6-3 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
The latter-half exhaustion of the back-to-back was evident through the first two periods of this game.
Vegas had the Rangers on their heels, dominating offensive possession time while the Blueshirts gave up a multitude of high-quality scoring chances.
However, down 2-1 going into the third period, everything seemed to change.
Both the Rangers’ play and mentality suddenly shifted. There was a sense of urgency from the Blueshirts we hadn’t seen all night and they were playing with toughness that threw the Golden Knights off balance.
Led by Miller, the Rangers were finishing their hits, fighting hard for every loose puck and displayed almost a bully-type mentality that fans have been craving for all season long.
The Rangers went on to score three unanswered goals in the third, two coming on the power play to strom back and secure a much-needed win.
It may be subtle, but it’s clear that Miller’s presence has provided a new element to the team, something the Rangers have desperately been searching for, and now have.
“Sometimes you gotta get dragged in their a little bit and he’s really good at that,” Peter Laviolette said about Miller. “He’s been a real positive impact since he’s gotten here. I know it’s early, but that’s exactly what we were looking for, exactly what we needed.”
The 31-year-old forward has recorded two goals, two assists and four points in his two games with the Rangers.
Miller brings a gritty energy that is needed in every playoff-caliber team. He’s already starting to instill those critical traits into the Rangers.
He also sees the potential in the Blueshirts and has been enjoying every moment with his new team thus far.
“I could tell it’s a good group of guys here, hungry hockey team,” Miller said. “That was a pretty good character third period by the guys… Trying to learn on the fly at the rink right now, but everyone has been really helpful, the coach has done a really good job of filling me in. Also they are just letting me play a little bit. It’s fun learning the guys’ tendencies.”
Jonathan Quick was able to capture his 400th career NHL victory. Over the first 40 minutes of the contest, Quick kept the Rangers in the game, making countless remarkable stops.
“It means I’ve been lucky enough to play with a lot of great hockey players that value winning and put that above all else”
– Jonathan Quick on his 400th victory pic.twitter.com/TcH4Bosw2j
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 3, 2025
The 39-year-old goalie finished the night with 34 saves and his coach had a lot of positive things to say about him postgame.
“It means he’s been really good for a long time. 400 wins, I think it’s 15 goalies have done it, first American goaltender, there’s been a lot of great goaltenders,” Laviolette said. “If you watch him on a daily basis, it’s not hard to figure out why he’s reached that number. It’s his work ethic, it’s the teammate that we get to see on a daily basis. He’s a great person, works hard, total professional.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins.
