Rangers Welcomes Back Captain JT Miller Against Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers saw the return of their captain, JT Miller, for Wednesday night’s game against the Hurricanes after he missed two games due to an upper-body injury.
Miller took the right wing position alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, completing the top six with Will Quill, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafreniere as the primary unit.
“It felt pretty good,” Miller remarked after assisting on Panarin’s go-ahead goal in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory. “Of course, I tried to avoid certain situations, but overall, I think I contributed without sacrificing too much of my game.”
With Miller back, Connor Sheary was out of the lineup as a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Sheary has only managed five assists in 24 games so far and is still searching for his first goal this season.
The third line now featured Brett Berard, Noah Laba, and Johnny Brodzinski, while Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick, and Taylor Radish made up the fourth unit.
Defenseman Will Borgen remains sidelined for the sixth time in seven games due to an upper-body injury, even though he participated in Wednesday’s optional morning skate. He remains on injured reserve.
Juuso Parsinen cleared waivers and was assigned to AHL Hartford on Wednesday. Given the uncertainty surrounding Borgen’s condition, the Rangers called up defenseman Connor McKee from the Wolfpack.
New rules in the CBA prevented the Rangers from recalling Scott Morrow, who had struggled in his last three games from Nov. 16 to Nov. 22. Players must now compete in at least one AHL game before being brought back to the NHL to avoid paperwork issues.
After being dropped by the Rangers following Sunday’s game against Utah, the Wolfpack didn’t have another matchup scheduled until Wednesday night.
By sending Parsinen, who has an average annual value of $1.25 million, to the minors, the Rangers will need to account for a $100,000 difference in their cap space.
In the game, goaltender Igor Shesterkin recorded 36 saves from 38 shots, marking his ninth win of the season.
Backup Jonathan Quick, who was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, didn’t accompany the team for their two upcoming road games. Sources indicate that all tests returned normal, and there’s hope for Quick’s recovery by next week.
The Rangers’ scratches are prepared to skate on Thanksgiving in Boston, where they will face the Bruins on Friday afternoon. The following day, they’re set to take on the Lightning at Madison Square Garden.
