‘We’ve come a long way and there’s no reason to be thinking about the summer,’ says club’s leading scorer. ‘We should be playing our best hockey and just leave it on the table’
Article content
JT Miller isn’t oblivious.
advertisement 2
Article content
He’s just dialed in on what’s happening here and not elsewhere.
The Vancouver Canucks’ leading scorer wasn’t watching Sunday night when the San Jose Sharks rallied from a 3-1 deficit — including netting the equalizer with 0.9 seconds remaining in regulation — to score a stunning 5-4 shootout road victory over the Vegas Golden knights.
The Vegas loss kept the Canucks hanging from a playoff thread and their game Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken suddenly has meaning.
“I saw it (Vegas result) this morning while I was eating breakfast,” Miller said Monday following practice. “I don’t really have an opinion.”
That’s Miller.
While the fan base went from despair to delight late Sunday, he was in his own zone of preparation to keep performing. No dreading about the Dallas Stars needing one point Tuesday against the Golden Knights to mathematically eliminate the Canucks.
advertisement 3
Article content
NEXT GAME
tuesday
Seattle Kraken vs. Vancouver Canucks
7 pm, Roger’s Arena. TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650.
For Miller, it’s always been about taking care of your own business and letting other chips fall where they may.
It’s why hitting the 30-goal plateau a week ago for the first time in his career, and being four points shy of the 100-point plateau with a run of 23 points (6-17) in his last 16 games, weren’t talking points Monday.
“Nothing really changes from what we were saying in late December after the nice win streak (seven games) we threw together when Bruce (Boudreau) got here,” said Miller. “If we wanted to play in the playoffs, we had to win almost every game, so it’s no different for us.
“We’ve come a long way and there’s no reason to be thinking about the summer. We should be playing our best hockey and just leave it on the table.”
advertisement 4
Article content
That’s never been an issue for Miller.
He’s harder on himself than any coach could be. Those stick slams and occasional F-bombs come with the drive and desire to be an elite player and also reward the club for his faith to bring him to Vancouver and cast him in an important role.
The rewards have far outweighed the risks, even when he makes one of those suicide cross-ice passes that get picked off. The optimism has always been there.
“When it was going crappy early in the year, I was telling you guys it wasn’t as bad as it looked,” recalled Miller. “When you’re not giving up a lot, it says a lot about your team. It was just a matter of time before it would click.
“I’m really proud of our guys. It’s really easy to roll over when you’re 8-15-2 and write the season off. We’ve done everything we can to prove we can play with the best and it’s really exciting no matter what happens.”
advertisement 5
Article content
Maybe Boudreau put it best about what makes Miller stand out.
“It’s his competitiveness,” said the coach. “Sometimes, it rubs people the wrong way, but he plays with pain and he’s an unknown superstar.”
-
Luke Schenn had to reinvent himself en route to Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nomination
-
Canucks Next Game: Time to get Kraken to keep playoff dream alive
-
Canucks prospects tracker: The head of player development weighs in
-
Canucks: What happened in Vegas was felt in Vancouver on Sunday
More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 per week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: Vancouver Sun | The Province.
