SNOW TROUBLE AT ALL
Miller nets pair of goals as Rangers storm Hurricanes
RANGERS 4 HURRICANES 1
RALEIGH – J.T. Miller was as cold as ice Friday night, lifting the Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes amid a winter storm so icy the teams could have skated in the parking lot instead.
“We were ready for this,” Miller said after scoring twice to quell a Carolina comeback in front of a sparse pro-Rangers crowd at PNC Arena. “We’ve been playing well enough to deserve backto-back wins.”
The Blueshirts (26-16-5, 57 points) finally won a second straight game for the first time since Nov. 23, seeing their recent results start to match their belief they are playing a higher brand of hockey. Miller, a 2011 Rangers first-round pick, continued to lead the way.
The 22-year-old has been one of the Rangers’ best and hardest-working players all season. He leads the team in road goals (nine) and road points (17). He scored Tuesday night’s overtime winner against Vancouver at the Garden. Then, on Friday night, he scored his 11th and 12th goals 130 seconds apart at 9:41 and 11:51 of the second period to stretch a 2-1 lead to the final margin.
“(Miller) has all the tools to be a really good hockey player – his speed, his skill, his strength,” said Henrik Lundqvist (31 saves), who withstood a 12-1 Hurricanes shot advantage in a turnoverfilled third period. “His shot is probably one of the best shots on the team. I like the way he plays the game. He’s a hard-nosed player but with skill. He can definitely be the difference. “He’s been the difference here already.” The Rangers had to contend with a second opponent after the win: Mother Nature. Instead of flying out immediately to Ottawa as planned, they were snowed in here in North Carolina at least until late Saturday afternoon, meaning they probably won’t practice as scheduled prior to Sunday’s 3 p.m. game at the Senators.
“Let’s hope we’re not here for three days,” joked coach Alain Vigneault, a stickler about his team’s schedule and a homeowner in the Ottawa area.
Miller’s two goals, though, ensured a good feeling heading to Canada after Joakim Nordstrom had drawn Carolina within 2-1 at 3:29 of the second period.
The Blueshirts improved to an astonishing 191-0 in their last 20 meetings with the Hurricanes (21-20-8, 50 points), winning their ninth straight in the series. They won despite playing without Chris Kreider (neck spasms), who had three goals and five points in the last four games.