Whether the Rangers are close to a decision -- or have made one already -- they are not revealing their hand just yet. What we do know is that the team likes what they see in the young, physical forward.
“He’s strong underneath the hash marks, both offensively and defensively. He has a ton to learn defensively but I like his willingness, I do,†Tortorella said. “I like his willingness to get to pucks and stay strong on pucks -- that’s a big part of our game we’re working on and concentrating on.â€
In his NHL debut against the Devils last Tuesday, Miller was arguably the team’s most dynamic forward on the ice. In his first game at the Garden just two days later, Miller tallied twice to help the team knock off the Islanders on home ice.
But Tuesday’s performance in the team’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Bruins was not his finest.
“He’s a 19-year-old kid, playing center-ice -- a lot of reads down low, a lot of defensive responsibilities. He’s going to have some bumps,†Tortorella said. “I sill think he had some shifts where he was strong on the puck and did some good things there.â€
