“I think our players are too talented,” Mike Sullivan, the New York Rangers’ head coach, said, after the tough 2-0 loss at home at the hands of Edmonton. But while the coach obviously didn’t want to dampen the players’ morale, concerns can’t be kept under the rug. With today’s sordid defeat, the Rangers extended their goalless home streak to 3 matches this season. However, team captain J.T. Miller isn’t looking to drop the ball right now.

After the Oilers-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, Miller faced reporters to share his thoughts on the situation at hand. When asked if the fans should be worried about how the team is constantly failing to find the back of the net in their own backyard, Miller dismissed the line of thought tersely. “First of all, let’s not make this bigger than it is,” Miller sought to shut down the reporters right off the bat.

Noting how this was only the fifth game of the situation, J.T. further added, “A lot to like about our game. It’s a unique situation but let’s not blow this out of proportion here.” The look on his face wasn’t hard to read: the captain is confident that it’s only a matter of time before the Rangers find their footing. Not a baseless hope, either. Sullivan’s boys have won both road matches so far, that too with hefty margins (4-0 vs the Sabres, 6-1 vs the Penguins), and it’s understandable why Miller thinks like this.

The last time an NHL team went through such a goalless streak at home was the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1928-29 season. And still, Miller, knowing the team and the talent they have, knows things will soon start looking bright. “This is a unique start to a season, and it [stinks] that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded. … Over time, results will come,” he said with conviction.

Miller returned to the Big Apple for his second run with the Rangers, following six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. While his presence made an instant impact, Miller scored twice in his first game for the Rangers in February, but J.T. couldn’t help the team reach the playoffs despite his best efforts. That was definitely a tough thing for the fans to come to terms with. But their agitation was only waiting to intensify.

Last month, J.T. Miller was announced as the captain for the Rangers. Chris Drury, the New York Rangers GM, said in his announcement for the news, “He’s viewed internally as the embodiment of how the team wants to conduct its business, on and off the ice. Since his arrival last season, J.T. immediately became a leader for our group and exemplifies how we want to conduct ourselves both on and off the ice.” The fans made it a point to note their dissatisfaction with the move.

The goalless streak would be the perfect excuse for the fans to come after Miller’s case once again. To make matters worse, the Rangers also lost all three preseason home games. Quite the soup to be in. But while Madison Square is proving to be quite the heartbreaking place for New York’s NHL giants, the very same venue turned out to be where one Oilers’ star finally found his mojo.

An Oilers’ star rises on the day J.T. Miller’s teammates fumble

The Oilers lost two straight Stanley Cup championship series to the Panthers. In both cases, goalie Stuart Skinner had to face the fans’ ire. Irrespective of how well he did in the regular seasons those two years, his postseason performances tanked. “There was times where security had to be involved,” Stuart’s wife, Chloe, said later about how the fans made the family’s life difficult following the Oilers’ goalie’s back-to-back fumbles. The frustration only amplified after Edmonton dropped the season-opener to the Flames. But against the Rangers, the 26-year-old stepped up in style.

Skinner stopped all 30 shots he faced from J.T. Miller & Co., tying Devan Dubnyk and Bill Ranford for the fifth-most shutouts in Edmonton’s history. The fans were elated, and head coach Kris Knoblauch was all applause for his netminder. “I thought [Skinner] moved really well. There was definitely a lot of scoring chances against us, more than we would have liked to give up, but he played a really strong game. Not easy saves,” Knoblauch was visibly feeling the rush following Skinner’s scintillating display under the poles.

But the fact remains: the Rangers need to find a solution to their miseries, pronto! How do you think Captain J.T. Miller can guide his team through the bumpy road before being able to set sail on smoother waters? Share your take in a comment!