Cooler heads have prevailed.
Or maybe in this instance we can just say that a cooler head has prevailed.
J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks has had a career year thus far. With an assist in Tuesday night鈥檚 disappointing 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena, Miller extended his current points streak to six games. In 62 games, the 30-year-old has accumulated 30 goals and 52 assists for 83 points, and is on pace to set career highs in all three categories.
Miller plays with a lot of emotion and passion. There have been examples in the past where that passion and emotion have hurt his game but those outbursts have been kept to a minimum this year.
The overall success of the team has helped. The current 1-5-1 slump notwithstanding, the Canucks have played some great hockey this season and to quote the great John F. Kennedy, a rising tide lifts all boats.
Miller believes that the team鈥檚 success hasn鈥檛 really given him too many opportunities to get emotional.
鈥淚 feel like I carry the same amount (of passion) and I still get just as angry. I just feel like we鈥檙e winning a lot more hockey games. When you鈥檙e losing games, it鈥檚 easy to be more frustrated and we are coming out on the right side of things a lot more nights than we aren鈥檛,鈥� said Miller.
鈥淗onestly, I think that鈥檚 a big reason (why) because the team has come together and we鈥檝e had a lot more success. It allows me to play more level-headed 鈥� especially when we are winning games because you don鈥檛 want to be a distraction but it鈥檚 something that I鈥檓 constantly working at and something that I鈥檓 trying to get better at every day.鈥�
But according to one teammate, there鈥檚 more to Miller controlling his emotions than just team success.
鈥淚鈥檝e been with Millsy since the start. To see him grow not only as a player but the way he鈥檚 matured off the ice in how to handle different situations鈥t鈥檚 great to see. If you look at Millsy right now, it might be the best hockey I鈥檝e seen him play in the last stretch here. He鈥檚 a big driver for our group and when he鈥檚 going the way he鈥檚 going 鈥� when he鈥檚 channeling his energy into the game 鈥� it鈥檚 amazing to watch,鈥� explained defenseman Tyler Myers.
So what鈥檚 changed with Miller鈥檚 approach?
If you ask Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, the answer is simple.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just communicating. If he feels if he鈥檚 going a little sideways or whatever word you want to use, it鈥檚 communication. It鈥檚 getting to Millsy or him getting to me and talking it out. If there鈥檚 something that bothers him, he gets to it in a good way. That鈥檚 what I like. It鈥檚 not negative鈥t鈥檚 not combative鈥t鈥檚 just getting to it. I got to give him a lot of credit because it鈥檚 all him. He鈥檚 done a really good job on working on that,鈥� stated Tocchet.
When asked what has made Miller so successful this season from an X鈥檚 and O鈥檚 perspective, Tocchet believes that Miller has been extremely proactive.
鈥淚 think he demands the puck and he drives the play. You鈥檒l see certain points of the game where we need a little boost and he鈥檒l demand the puck. That鈥檚 the way I want our team to play 鈥� demand the puck. If you wait around for the puck, you鈥檙e gonna be waiting around for the puck,鈥� explained Tocchet.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not waiting. He鈥檚 basically giving the puck or I鈥檓 going to go here 鈥� or whatever the option is for the other guy. He鈥檚 just driving the play and you can just see it.鈥�
OVERTIME
* Brock Boeser scored the lone Canucks goal in the loss 鈥� extending his point streak to six games (5-3-8) as well. The Kings got goals from Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Brandt Clarke and Trevor Moore. Los Angeles netminder Cam Talbot stopped 22 of 23 shots while Vancouver鈥檚 Thatcher Demko gave up five goals on 20 shots.
* The loss to the Kings, coupled with Tuesday鈥檚 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, marked the first time this season the Canucks had lost consecutive games at home.
* 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think we gave them a lot but what we gave them was egregious. I mean look at the goals, we鈥檙e all in, pushing the chips in. So we got to correct it. We鈥檝e got to recharge and we just got to get our mind right,鈥� Tocchet said afterwards.
* The game marked the first time the Canucks and Kings have met this season with three more meetings on tap.
* Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the 鈥淐anucks have made significant progress with superstar Elias Pettersson working on what is believed to be an 8-year contract extension. Not done, but big development, and a new deal could be finalized in the coming days.鈥�
* Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, who has been out of the lineup since Jan. 22 with a hand injury, 鈥榠s fairly close鈥� to returning according to Tocchet. There is a possibility he could draw into the lineup on the upcoming three-game road trip to Anaheim, Los Angeles and Vegas.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 鈥渢he Moj鈥� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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