J.T. Miller Showcasing Ability to Generate Offense for Rangers

[Johnnydollaz89]

J.T. Miller's overtime winner against Vancouver last night was just another highlight in what is becoming a breakout season for the 2011 first-round pick. His first three seasons of pro hockey, rightly or wrongly, featured inconsistent playing time at the NHL level and multiple demotions to the American Hockey League. Now, he has not only cemented his spot on the NHL roster, but at least for now has turned into one of the most important forwards on the team.

Indeed, the 22-year-old has registered 10 goals and 12 assists in 46 games, which are solid numbers all-around. In particular, he has picked up his offensive production in the last few months. After averaging close to 13 minutes-per-game in bottom-six duty for the first quarter of the season, it is logical that Miller's production has improved - 10 points in his last 16 games - ever since receiving both a bump in ice time and more offensively apt linemates. It creates the chicken and egg argument; is Vigneault giving Miller an improved role because he's playing well? Or is Miller playing well because, after spending all of last season and parts of this one rotating between the press box and grinding duty, Vigneault is finally giving him a legitimate chance to play big minutes alongside skilled players?

In any case, Miller is producing. And credit to Vigneault for putting him in a position to do so. Of course, it's one thing to have a good stretch of offensive output, while another to make such play routine. Fortunately, the underlying numbers on Miller look good. He's not going to continue to score on 21.4% of his shots, like he has been dating back to mid-December. But the long stretches without goals early in the season were similarly unsustainable and not a fair reflection of Miller's play. The major indicator of Miller's performance this season is that he leads all Rangers forwards in 5v5 score-adjusted shot attempts, at 51.1%. That is, while adjusting for score, the Rangers have the puck more during J.T. Miller's shifts than they do for those of any other forward. In fact, Miller's relative shot attempts - how much more the Rangers have the puck with Miller on the ice compared to without him - is 66th among the 358 NHL forwards who have played at least 300 minutes at 5v5 this season.

http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2016/...se-for-rangers

Been one of the lone bright spots of this roster for most of the season. Outside of some of the turnovers he's committed, like the bad one the other night, he;s been one of the best forwards on the team. This pick finally seems to be paying dividends. He always seems to be willing to shoot, which most of the forwards on this team, do not.