Miller’s higher callin’ is on defense
The Bruins have been waiting all season for Colin Miller to emerge as a consistent offensive defenseman.
He’s used his imposing slap shot to score a few times and yesterday he got his sixth goal in an unusual way for a blueliner — by going to the net.
Miller cashed in from the right side of the slot off a rebound of a Drew Stafford shot at 15:13 of the second period. Miller’s goal tied the score but the Bruins went on to lose 3-1 at the Garden.
“Yeah I just tried to step up and have a good gap,” Miller said. “Then it just really kind of, the puck kind of found me when I was going to the net. I had a wide-open net, got it in.”
The only typical thing about Miller’s goal from a defenseman’s perspective was his play at the Washington blue line that turned the puck over. He poke-checked the puck away from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stafford took the loose puck to the net.
The Bruins are going to need more of those types of reads from the 24-year-old Miller moving forward into the Stanley Cup playoffs. And they’re going to need less of the things he has difficulty with.
“Colin always does some good things,” Bruins interim coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He has the attributes to play, physical attributes. He’s a good skater, he’s willing to battle, can shoot and pass. It’s just a matter of calming his game down in those situations where it’s time to make reads to defend. If a puck doesn’t cooperate with him, just have the composure to settle it down, get it out of trouble and live to fight another day. Again . . . some young players go through that.”
Miller was in the lineup for first time in three games and just the third time in seven games in part because of his growing pains. But an injury to defenseman Torey Krug opened up a lineup spot for Miller yesterday, and Brandon Carlo’s injury might force the Bruins to play Miller when the playoffs begin.
In the AHL, Miller played in 22 postseason games over two seasons, including the Calder Cupwinning season of 2014-15. But he’s about to have his composure and decision-making tested under intensity of the NHL playoffs.
“I think you just play,” Miller said about how he’ll handle it. “To be honest with you, if you’re going to go out there and you’re going to try and change stuff or approach it differently then you’re just going to psych yourself out. I’m not going to approach it any different.”
Miller, who has six goals and seven assists in 61 games, didn’t want to assess his development from this season. There are some things he said he’d change, but the playoffs could be a chance to write a different ending.
With the back end banged up, Miller might get plenty of chances to shine.