VANCOUVER – J.T. Miller just isn’t solely the most effective Canucks ahead this season, he’s having the most effective season in Vancouver since Daniel Sedin adopted his brother Henrik because the Nationwide Hockey League’s scoring champion in 2011.
Miller had one other virtuoso efficiency on Wednesday, scoring an enormous objective single-handedly and organising three others because the streaking Canucks halted the Montreal Canadiens’ momentum with a 5-3 win at Rogers Enviornment.
Miller was simply the sport’s finest participant, matching a career-high with 4 factors, and driving the Canucks to their eighth win in 10 video games and inside three factors of the ultimate playoff spot within the Western Convention.
In his final 12 video games, Miller has eight objectives and 15 assists and, with 24 video games remaining, is on tempo for 96 factors.
No Canuck has been near that quantity since Danny Sedin received the Artwork Ross Trophy 11 years in the past with 104 factors in 82 video games. Miller missed two video games in January whereas in COVID protocol.
That is the most effective he has performed, and what makes it particularly outstanding is that Miller has discovered this world-class stage whereas conjecture rages each day about his future with the Canucks, who’ve him below contract at a cut price of $5.25 million by the tip of subsequent season.
The commerce discuss, actual or imagined, is pushed by the concept that the 29-year-old will likely be too outdated and too costly to suit the Canucks on his subsequent contract, and {that a} workforce that has missed the playoffs in 5 of the final six years ought to load up on future expertise by ransoming Miller at his peak.
“They’re all rumours to start with, so I do not actually look into it,” Miller advised reporters Wednesday morning. “We’re simply going about our enterprise. I do not assume I am getting traded. I by no means thought I used to be getting traded. I imply. . . everyone’s speculating. So, I imply, I by no means seemed into that and regarded that they have been even making an attempt to commerce me to start with.”
The Canucks’ three-month chase for a playoff spot stays a longshot, however they’ll haven’t any likelihood in the event that they promote Miller forward of the March 21 buying and selling deadline.
Towards the Canadiens, Miller drew assists on objectives by Travis Hamonic and Brock Boeser, earlier than making the play of the sport to interrupt a 2-2 tie at 3:54 of the third interval. Miller knocked the puck away from Jeff Petry simply exterior the Montreal blue line, burst ahead on a partial breakaway and as he was being closed down lasered a wrist shot from the highest of the faceoff circle previous the glove of goalie Sam Montembeault and into the highest nook.
It was a textbook instance of an incredible participant conjuring an incredible play to resolve a recreation.
Miller then dropped the puck to Elias Pettersson on the fourth objective and watched the Canuck weave at excessive velocity previous three Canadiens earlier than additionally beating Montembeault with a glove-side wrist shot.
Miller’s quad landed him within the high 10 in NHL scoring. And think about the corporate he handed: Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Kyle Connor, Cale Makar and Matthew Tkachuk. With 67 factors in 56 video games, Miller is tied for ninth with Mikko Rantanen.
CANUCKS GIVE GOALIE A BREAK
Canuck starter Thatcher Demko, the one Canuck who’s having a season nearly as good as Miller’s, performed for the 13th straight recreation – 11 of them begins. He was outplayed early by Montembeault, however nonetheless earned his sixth straight win as Vancouver performed effectively sufficient that it didn’t want its MVP goalie to be good.
Demko is now third within the NHL in time-on-ice amongst goalies. The Canucks have 24 video games remaining and must win the good majority of them to have an opportunity at pulling off their playoff race miracle.
How can Demko survive?
“We’ll have obligatory rests,” Boudreau stated earlier than the sport. “After I went to Anaheim (to teach in 2011), we performed (Jonas) Hiller 31 straight video games, and after about 12, we stopped practising him. We have been taking part in each second day anyway. I feel one thing like that might most likely occur with (Demko).
“I’ve by no means had a goalie that wishes to place in as a lot work as he does. I imply, to return out each morning half an hour earlier than (apply), it is unprecedented for me.”
COOL LUKE
Amid all of the flashier Canucks on high of their recreation Wednesday, stay-at-home defenceman Luke Schenn quietly had one in all his finest nights. He logged solely 16:26 of ice time, however 4:08 was with a shorthanded unit that killed all 4 Montreal energy performs. Schenn had three photographs on internet, seven makes an attempt, led the Canucks with six hits and three blocks, and posted a Corsi-for of 64.7 per cent and anticipated objectives of 78.4.
No marvel Schenn is a key depth piece that some groups will likely be making an attempt to persuade the Canucks to half with earlier than the March 21 deadline.
TOO MANY LEADERS?
Solely in Vancouver might the optimistic of Miller’s evolution as a frontrunner on the Canucks be considered by some as a adverse. Like, what does this imply for captain Bo Horvat and who’s going to inform him he ought to hand over the ‘C’ to his teammate?
The event in Miller’s management really helps Horvat, who felt greater than most the loss from the Canucks management group earlier than final season of Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom and the indefinite (and certain everlasting) absence of COVID long-hauler Brandon Sutter.
In some respects, Canuck management has been in transition because the Sedins retired in 2018. Horvat, 26, was named Henrik’s successor as captain a yr later and, like his mentor, has led by instance since then.
Miller has been a terrific participant since arriving in Vancouver by commerce in 2019. However he has labored to channel his fierce feelings extra positively, limiting what even final season have been frequent shows of overt frustration, and turning into a supportive and compelling chief for most of the Canucks’ younger gamers.
The extent of Miller’s influence was mirrored in coach Boudreau’s reward final weekend that the American centre is “our chief offensively, and he is our chief as a spokesperson.”
The phrases had barely tumbled out of Boudreau’s mouth, as most phrases do from the sincere, folksy coach, once they have been parsed as an indictment of Horvat, who has struggled at occasions this season however remains to be producing one objective and two factors each three video games whereas persevering with his heavy lifting defensively. Horvat scored an empty-netter Wednesday, had an help and went 11-6 on faceoffs.
Requested after the morning skate about Miller’s management, Horvat stated: “Guys hearken to him and guys respect him and he is clearly, you understand, been one in all our greatest if not our greatest gamers this yr. So (teammates) are going to hearken to what he has to say. He is been on successful groups earlier than so he is aware of what it takes to win. For me to have a voice like that, an additional voice, positively helps. Dropping Tanny and Marky and people guys. . . and clearly Brandon being damage, you want guys like that to step up and say issues at completely different occasions, and he does that.”
The one means the evolution of Miller is an issue for Horvat is that if both is envious of the opposite or they don’t get alongside. Neither is the case. They’re associates. The Canucks’ solely management drawback is that they don’t have sufficient gamers like Horvat and Miller.
