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The Rangers may have taken a 3-1 lead and had to settle for a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Penguins on Friday night, but it was a game filled with moments that confirmed that the The future of the franchise was on an upward trajectory.
The Rangers’ three scorers were aged 22 (Adam Fox), 21 (Filip Chytil) and 19 (Kaapo Kakko). Meanwhile, rookie K’Andre Miller, who turned 21 on Thursday, has taken on the workload of a veteran defenseman – and thrived.
Miller’s career in the NHL dates back four games, but there is a serenity about him that quickly won the trust of head coach David Quinn.
Back in the team’s best defensive duo with Jacob Trouba on Friday night, Miller set a career-high 21:17 on the ice. He scored his first point in the NHL, helping Kakko’s second-period tally that put the Rangers ahead 3-1. Oh, and five hits, two hits, one takeout and one blocked shot.
“Obviously he’s a starter,” Miller said of his first point after the loss. “I’ve dreamed of it all my life. You can’t really put it into words, all your hard work as a kid growing up, watching the NHL, watching all these guys and finally going out and playing with them, playing against them. It really means a lot. It was a good experience and happy to have had one.
For a young player who made the immediate jump to the NHL after two seasons in the NCAA, a learning curve was expected, something he certainly experienced during the Rangers’ season opener flop against the Islanders. But it looks like the rapid pace of the NHL has slowed down for Miller with every change he made.
“I wouldn’t say easier, I would just say that the game becomes more natural,” he said. “The guys are generally in the right position so it makes my game a lot easier. On breakouts, in the neutral zone, whatever the case, the guys are always prepared and always open and I always seem to have an outlet.
“The guys make it really easy for me, and I obviously work with Troubs, I kind of have an older mentor who’s been through the game, who’s logged a lot of minutes, a lot of games in the NHL. It has helped me a lot in these last four games.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Miller’s early career in the NHL is the defensive clashes that have been assigned to him.
In Game 2 against the Islands, Miller was mostly deployed against their third row heavyweights Ross Johnston, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and soft-handed Kieffer Bellows. Against the Devils, he was on the ice for 6:57 against Miles Wood, who had one point in each of the last three games for New Jersey.
Miller took on Sidney Crosby for 7:48 and Evgeni Malkin for 6:14 on Friday.
“I think just against some of the [our] the best guys in training have prepared me for some of those other top lines in the NHL, ”Miller said. “Obviously there are good lines in every team. Being prepared and knowing that it’s going to fight in every game is kind of what I’ve tried to focus on and improve on in every game.
Miller may have drawn attention when he was ineligible at pre-play training camp this summer, but he turned out to be a no-brainer to make the official roster despite an abbreviated camp earlier. this month. Now he is already playing a bigger role with heavier responsibilities.
“Four games under my belt,” he said, “trying to be as consistent as possible and help the team in any way possible.”
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