SCORE 2 FOR THE PROCESS

Committed Miller, Hayes have Rangers getting goals in bunches

Alain Vigneault often talks in obtuse terms, like the “process” of young players, and the “mentality” of his fast, counterpunching system.

Well, the tangible results of those processes and that system have produced an offensive output that is on a historically fast past. The Rangers are scoring 4.24 goals per game, by far the most in the league. They’ve scored 72 goals on 494 shots, the 14. 57 shooting percentage again the best in the league — and entirely unsustainable.

The Blueshirts aren’t naive to that fact, knowing another ambiguous entity, “puck luck,” is something that comes and goes. But how they’re getting there, how they took the first three games of this four-game trip and how they’ve accumulated a 13-4-0 record, is something that is entirely comforting.

“I think a big part of it’ s just the team’s success right now,” J.T. Miller said about his two goals and continued production that came in Tuesday night’s 7-2 win over the Canucks in Vancouver. “When the team’s winning, it’s easy.”

Miller has seven goals and leads the team with 17 points, and right behind him is Kevin Hayes, who also scored twice on Tuesday, with 16 points and eight goals. They are two sterling, concrete examples of what Vigneault means when he speaks of the process.

Both are brimming with confidence. The team used Wednesday as a travel day before a practice in Ohio on Thursday and Friday night’s trip finale in Columbus against old chum John Tortorella and hi s Blue Jackets. The hope is of returning home with an emphatic sweep, one that should put to rest any doubts the Rangers can’t take their high-flying act off Broadway, where they had played 10 of their first 14 games.

Yet it hasn’t been all roses on this trip, as the wins in Calgary and Edmonton on consecutive nights last weekend were more about getting a lead and then hanging on for dear life. Against the Canucks, the Rangers played an awful first period and managed to escape up 1- 0 behind Henrik Lundqvist’s brilliance and gritty defensive play. It allowed for them to find their legs and become terrific ally opportunistic from there on out, scoring four goals in the third period to bury Vancouver.

“There’s no doubt we’re scoring a lot of goals right now,” Vigneault said. “Most of the nights we’re playing with a lead. For us, it feels good to come out in Canada and win three in four nights. We’ re going to heal our wounds a little bit, because we’re a little banged up, and we’re going to get ready for Columbus on Friday.”

Miller was adamant after the game about the forwards’ commitment to playing defense, and it has shown. Both he and Hayes have begun getting big minutes on the penalty kill, and they’re both being trusted in defensive situations when they weren’t in the past.

“We’re finding a way to put a lot of pucks in right now, and that’s pretty much all it is. But a lot of it is coming from our team systems,” Miller said. “We’re not just waiting at the far blue line and getting 2-on-1’s. We’re making our plays and getting pucks and bodies to the net, and it’s going well.”

The Rangers needed progression from the 23-year-old Miller and the 24- year-old Hayes. Both are in the first year of two-year deals, Miller’s worth $2.75 million per and Hayes’ worth $2.6 million per. With a bunch of new faces coming in this season, Vigneault was leaning on them to be rocks of reliability, and they have embraced t he expanded roles in all situations.

“He’s working real hard,” Vigneault said of Miller. “He’s working hard at both ends, and it’s working out for him.”

It’s working out for the whole team, with the added depth being their biggest strength. The Rangers are getting production from up and down the lineup, and it’s the two young guys at the top who have been so impressive.

“We’ re playing great as a team, and that’s all I can say,” Miller said. “Pucks are going in, but every line is playing well. It wears on the other team and it gives, maybe whoever it is, more chances. More pucks are going in right now than last year, and that’s been a big part of the team’s success.”