J.T. Miller has been a bolt of lightning for the Rangers.
An electrification of this group was mandatory, and Miller has confirmed able to jolting the Blueshirts’ drive simply by taking part in his recreation on the degree that he has on a nightly foundation since starting his second stint on Broadway 10 video games in the past.
Behind a two-point evening from Miller and a robust exhibiting from his line, the Rangers trounced the Predators 4-0 Sunday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard to tug inside two factors of the second wild card as a part of a three-way tie with the Bruins and Senators.
Miller has turned out to be the precise shock to the Rangers system they wanted for this playoff push.
With a purpose and an help Sunday evening, Miller not solely prolonged his level streak to 5 video games, but additionally upped his level whole to 12 (six objectives, six assists) in his first 10 contests again with the Rangers.
The manufacturing is simple to spotlight, however his physicality and nonstop motor has been infectious.
Mika Zibanejad, who has endured a down season, has collected 4 objectives, 11 assists and posted a plus-six score since Miller’s commerce, together with the 2 assists he recorded Sunday evening.
The Swedish middle, who leads the NHL in factors since Feb. 1 with 15, has skated eight of these 10 video games on the wing of Miller.
Miller was simply one in all a large number of adjustments within the Rangers lineup this season, which continued Sunday evening as newcomers Juuso Parssinen and Calvin de Haan made their Blueshirts debuts after a commerce with the Avalanche despatched Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to Colorado.
With Nashville skating on the second evening of a back-to-back schedule, the Rangers took benefit of a drained Predators group that has misplaced 10 of its previous 13.
Rangers goalie Jonathan Fast was stellar in his 800th NHL recreation, stopping all 35 photographs he confronted to file his third shutout of the season and 63rd of his profession.
The Rangers greater than doubled the Predators photographs on purpose — 15-6 — via the primary interval, from which they emerged with a 1-0 lead.
Physicality steadily elevated till Matt Rempe crunched Nick Blankenburg into the boards main with an elbow.
Blankenburg went down and Andreas Englund instantly sought retribution, dropping his gloves with the Rangers towering fourth-liner and exchanging some heavy blows.
Whereas he was solely referred to as for an elbowing minor and preventing, it’s potential Rempe must face supplemental self-discipline from the NHL Division of Participant Security.
Particularly contemplating he wrapped up an eight-game suspension slightly below two months in the past.
Artemi Panarin later scored his first purpose since Feb. 5 to place the Rangers on the board, winding up and blasting one previous Nashville goalie Justus Annunen off a rush alternative sprung by a pointy outlet move from Alexis Lafrenière.
Nashville took seven of the ten whole penalties referred to as within the recreation, and the Rangers scored on one in all their 4 energy performs.
As a substitute of taking the shot, Panarin dished to Miller crashing the aspect of the web on the final second for the 2-0 lead within the second interval.
It counted as Miller’s ninth power-play level since Jan. 18, which is tied for third within the NHL.
The Rangers had a three-goal benefit slightly below 2 ½ minutes later, when Okay’Andre Miller backhanded one in off the push for his fifth purpose of the season.
Brett Berard made it a 4-0 recreation on the finish of the third interval.
