After a thorough shackling in Buffalo on Saturday, J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers responded with a huge come-from-behind win in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Although not the most convincing win against a banged-up Penguins team, the two points were crucial as the regular season nears its finish.
Chris Kreider’s absence hurt the Rangers’ ability to get shots on net
Playing without veteran power forward Chris Kreider, a late scratch due to an upper-body injury, the Rangers were outshot 39-16. The Pens controlled the face-off circle as well, winning 57% of the draws.
J.T. Miller powered the Rangers to victory
Miller, a Pittsburg native netted two, including an empty netter to seal the game, marking his 250th career goal. While recently scrutinized defenseman Adam Fox delivered the game-winner with 11 minutes left in the third period.
Miller has continued to be a spark plug for the Rangers, registering eight points in seven games since his return to NY. He set the tone against Pittsburg leading the team in hits, with five.
Miller was a part of the trio of electric game-opening fights when the USA took on Canada at the 4 Nations Face-off.
His scrap had Rangers teammate Matt Rempe fired up, telling Peter Baugh “I wanted to drill my head against a wall”.
The young enforcer showed that energy on Sunday delivering three hits of his own. Miller’s presence has brought much-needed juice to the entire lineup since his arrival, providing both physicality and scoring from the top down.
Veteran core has invaluable postseason experience
The victory marked the Blueshirts’ fourth win in their last six contests, leaving them just two points out of a wildcard spot. They will be on Long Island on Tuesday night to take on the Islanders in another high-stakes metropolitan division matchup. The Islanders are currently sitting three points behind the Rangers, but hold one game in hand. These in-state rivals have only met once this season when the Rangers won 5-2 at home.
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While the playoffs may have looked like a long shot at times this season, they are not quite out of reach. Although last year’s President trophy winners still find themselves on the outside looking in, they have the ability to control their own destiny down the stretch. Despite their early struggles, this veteran squad has the experience needed to make a deep postseason run.
The Rangers retained most of their roster from last year. So after a historical regular season and a crushing defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the 2024-25 season has been an unexpected disappointment. However, if the group can claw their way into the playoffs and lean on and rally around their veteran core, they are equipped to make some noise in the postseason.