Boston – It was not quite a rehearsal of Jarumir Jagr’s sad beginnings as a Ranger in Ottawa on January 24, 2004, in which the bloehirts were hammered 9-1, which prompted Bobby Holik to declare: “I believe, fundamentally, we are the worst NHL team. »»
It was not so bad, it was not a performance at the bottom of the bar, but there were shades of memory when the return of JT Miller to the bloehirts was defiled by a 6-3 defeat against the Bruins Saturday after -Midi who also had the souvenir of the bad old days in December.
Miller scored twice, offering tenacity and energy in 18:48 of the time of ice while moving between the center and the right wing on a unit which included Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad in her first match With white, red and blue since February 25, 2018 – the day before, it is returned to the 2018 deadline.
It was a whirlwind for Miller, who arrived here around 3 am on Saturday morning on a flight from Dallas after having recorded in the huntle room before learning that he had been exchanged in exchange for a package With Filip Chytil.
“It was a kind of smuggled but very excited and very happy feeling,” said the now n ° 8. “It was a big match for the team. I realized this when I got here.
Miller authorized that he had been relieved his saga in Vancouver had ended after months being involved in a public quarrel with a (former) teammate Elias Pettersson.
“I would say that it took a team effort to find a different place, but obviously New York is a special place and could not be happier to be here now,” he said. “Just for my family, even outside hockey, there were 1,000 reasons to want to come here with the hockey team which was one of the best teams in the league for three or four years of following.
“I am delighted to be part of it, trying to return to the image of the playoffs.”
Miller achieved six shots out of seven attempts while delivering three strokes. He mixed it in front. The line with Zibanejad and Panarin generated 11 chances of score, five of the high in danger in high danger according to NaturalStrick.
There was an emergency in his game in this competition in which he was urgent for the Rangers to end their unnecessary sequence in two games. Best plans established and all that.
The 31 -year -old man, originally the overall selection n ° 15 of the blases in the 2011 project, was deposited in an emergency situation. There was really no time for him to adapt or relax in the fray.
“I think when I’m on my game, I have a lot of emergency,” said Miller. “I think it’s a good fit for me.”
The image of the elimination series to which Miller has referred is problematic that it has been since the end of December. Maybe even worse because the games remaining on the calendar – 31, now – have been considerably reduced.
The Blushirts, which will face Vegas in the garden on Sunday, left this match at least five points from the place in the playoffs with five teams to pass the results of Saturday evening. Their 7-0-3 race for respectability is one thing in the past.
The club, which was beaten with far too many battles on the ice, failed to defend adequately and received a third consecutive performance from Igor Shesterkin. The rangers are on the edge of backing up in the dark days.
Vincent Tocheck, who has almost torn speaking of “my best friend in the world since childhood”, as a teammate, was provocative, however, when it was asked if the latter slide was worrying.
“I don’t think it’s worrying. I think it’s disappointing, “Trocheck told post. “I’m not going to let the negativity infiltrate this room as it did earlier in the year.
“We know what we have. We have obviously seen it, we did this this year and adding a piece like JT, things only get started. It is a difficult start, but our trajectory will only go up from here. »»
The Rangers competed well in the first, which finished 2-1 on the other side after Miller equaled the 1-1 game with a slit dart. But the blunchhirts were awful during the second period, bringing together only two shots while being constantly outside the difficult areas by a team that had entered the match after losing consecutive matches by the 7-2 and 6 scores and 6 -2.
The combination of Miller and Zibanejad produced positive results, but that meant that Jonny Brodzinski center was a third line between Chris Kreider and Will Cuylle who was sold. The Rangers hunted the game and never particularly came to catch up.
Each game becomes vital. If the Rangers cannot stop this, the season will bleed, whatever Miller’s presence.
“It was a match (for me) and we play again (Sunday),” said Miller, whose goals were his 10th and 11th of the year. “We must be able to turn the page.”
A little less colorful than Holik.
