LAS VEGAS – The hard truth of professional sports is that athletes are judged on their performance with little regard for what's going on under the helmet.
From that perspective, Quandre Miller's decision to take time off from the Rangers for a few days last month to focus on his mental health was courageous.
“I feel like I can approach the game with the same easy-going flow that I was looking for because it makes life easier for me away from the rink,” the Blueshirt defenseman said during Thursday's morning skate at T-Mobile. He spoke later. Arena. “I kind of forgot about it for a little while. I just wanted to get back to myself. I wasn't feeling like myself and I needed to take time for myself and do what my body was telling me to do. .”
It's hard for fans to see a direct correlation between how he feels and how he plays, but the St. Paul, Minn., native is acutely aware of it.
The challenge is to achieve that balance.
“I didn't have the best season,” he said candidly. “We ran into a little bit of difficulty in the middle stretch here. I think it's just a matter of changing the mood here. Obviously, we didn't do very well. I think it was kind of an eye-opener,” said the group's opener. , it was like they woke us up and put a different kind of fire under the stove. ”
As a team, the Rangers have been in a mid-season lull, essentially splitting their last 20 games and going 10-9-1 in that span. It coincides with a period of ups and downs for Miller.
He hasn't scored in nine consecutive games and has been central to several important goals. As a result, his metrics fell below 50% in several key categories, including xGF (46.14%) and shot share (48.48%), according to Evolving Hockey.
Like many of his teammates, he's trying to walk a fine line between reducing defensive collapse and picking the right spots to be more aggressive offensively.
“When you're talking about those specific mistakes, they usually come from puck decisions going through the neutral zone, or puck decisions in general,” he said. “I think it's a matter of holding the puck for a second too long or just making things a little faster. When we're at our best is when we're playing a quick north-south game. When we're at our best, “Good defense usually leads to good offense. When we're at our best, we play hard on defense, shutting down opponents and killing chances.''
Key points:Kakko, Wheeler provide needed secondary scoring for Rangers
When evaluating Miller's season, you need to consider how he was used.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, he consistently handles the toughest tasks, ranking second on the team behind Adam Fox in average ice time of 22:02 per game. According to Moneypuck.com, he and partner Jacob Trueba have been pretty consistent even in these intense minutes, averaging 2.14 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, a number that increased last season. It has reportedly increased to 2.95.
“He and Jacob handled the important minutes really well for us,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “It's not always a given, but they deal with a lot of first and second lines, lines that are difficult to handle from an offensive standpoint. And as a young defenseman, it's hard to read those situations. “I think he's doing a good job in that regard. I also think he's pushing himself offensively, and both of those areas are things that he needs to get more experience in.” It will continue to grow.”
Growth is the goal for a player who scouts believe has an All-Star ceiling.
Miller, who turns 24 on Sunday, has yet to live up to those lofty expectations, but he'll be the first to admit that.
“I'm very hard on myself,” he said. “It brings out the best in you and I think having that knowledge, the feeling from the last few games, gives you a little bit of a feeling in your stomach and a little bit of motivation to understand what the problem is and give it a try. I think “to get back on track as quickly as possible.'' ”
Striving to be better while avoiding the pitfalls of putting too much pressure on yourself is the hard part.
Miller, like many others struggling with similar vulnerabilities, is still trying to find that happy medium. When he does, it may be the moment to unleash his vast potential.
It's an ongoing and imperfect process, but I salute him for having the means to raise his hand and take a step back when he felt the scales were tipping too far in one direction.
“It was good when I did the hard reset,” he said. “I think mental health is very important. It's something I've been working on for the last few years. Making sure I'm mentally fit to go out on the ice and perform at my best is kind of a challenge. The biggest thing, the thing I was most looking forward to during that brief absence.”
New York Rangers (28 wins, 13 losses, 2 draws) projected lineup: Game 44 vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights (25 wins, 14 losses, 5 draws)
when: Thursday, January 18th 10pm
where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
TV/Radio: MSGSN/10:50am
forward
top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafreniere (RW)
3rd line ⊳ Will Quill (LW) ⋄ Johnny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Blake Wheeler (RW)
4th line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Nick Bonino (C) ⋄ Berkeley Goodrow (RW)
defense personnel
top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (left) ⋄ Adam Fox (right)
second pair ⊳ Kandre Miller (left) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (right)
third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafson (left) ⋄ Braden Schneider (right)
goalkeeper
starter ⊳Igor Shesterkin
backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Long-term injury reserve: F Filip Sitil (upper body)
Injured: Tyler Pitlick (lower body)
Healthy scratch: D Zach Jones
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter. @vzmercogliano.
