J.T. Miller didn’t get one of the three stars after the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, but his imprint was all over the result.
New York needed that one. After four straight losses, at home, and against a Blues team that was solid without being overwhelming, the Rangers got the kind of response they had to have. Miller, their 33-year-old center, drove a lot of it with a complete 200-foot effort.
His biggest impact showed up on the scoreboard. Miller picked up two assists, including the breakout pass that set up Adam Fox’s first goal of the night at 1:49 of the second period. Later, he helped spring the puck out of his own end and fed Eeli Tolvanen for an empty-net goal.
The stat sheet kept getting better from there. Miller led the Rangers with four shots on goal, blocked two shots and won 70 percent of his face-offs, going 14 for 20.
He also helped energize the second power-play unit with Tye Kartye, as New York piled up 11 shots on goal across three power-play chances. On the penalty kill, he was part of a perfect night, with the Rangers going 6-for-6 against the Blues.
That kind of night has become a theme over the first 16 games of the season. Miller has looked healthier than he did a year ago, and he’s playing with the kind of edge that shows up in all the little places that matter. That intensity clearly has an effect on the rest of the group.
At the same time, the Rangers are 8-7-1 for a reason, and Miller’s role is part of that conversation too. At 33, he looks like an excellent third-line center on a true contender. In New York, though, he’s being asked to function as a second-line center, and that comes with a much bigger offensive burden than his current spot on the roster really suggests.
So, two things can be true. Miller has been excellent and deserves credit for the way he’s played every night. He’s also not ideally slotted as a consistent top-six center at this stage of his career.
For now, though, the Rangers can live with the production. And Miller can live with not being named one of the three stars. He earned plenty of recognition in the way he helped deliver a much-needed win.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Took An Important Step Toward Goalie Relief
The Rangers have taken a meaningful step toward easing their goaltending squeeze by sending Joonas Korpisalo to the AHLs Hartford Wolf Pack on a conditioning loan as he works back from a lower-body injury and foot infection. The move is designed to get him back into game shape without taking him off the NHL roster, a small but important bit of roster management for a team that has been navigating life without Igor Shesterkin.
Under the NHL collective bargaining agreement, the loan can run for as long as 14 days while Korpisalo remains on the NHL payroll, giving the Rangers a short window to evaluate where he stands physically. His eventual return would offer some relief in net, but for now the bigger question is how quickly he can regain the form and availability New York needs from him. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Trade Search Just Zeroed In On A Crucial Need
The Rangers search for help down the middle is starting to look like one of the more important items on their list as the season unfolds. Will Cuylle has been asked to bridge a gap at center, but that arrangement is viewed more as a stopgap than a long-term answer, which is why the front office is believed to be keeping a close eye on the market for younger options who could fit the roster better over time.
Among the names being floated are Ryan Hartman, Josh Norris and Cole Sillinger, a mix that reflects both the need and the uncertainty around what might actually be available. The Rangers are clearly trying to solve a real roster issue, but the challenge is finding a center who fits their timeline and can be pried loose without overpaying, which makes this one of those trade searches that could linger for a while before anything concrete happens. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Have Found An Unexpected Answer To Their Center Problem
The Rangers have spent much of the season searching for stability down the middle, and injuries forced them to try something a little off the board against the Blues. Will Cuylle was shifted to center for the first time in his professional career, a move born more out of necessity than design, with Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand flanking him on the wings.
The results were encouraging enough to keep the idea in the conversation. Cuylles line drove play well, posted strong expected goal numbers and helped the Rangers control key stretches in a 3-1 win over St. Louis, giving the club at least one plausible answer in a spot that has been a problem for much of the year. Whether the look sticks beyond one game is still the bigger question. [Read more 🡒]