VANCOUVER, British Columbia — On a meaningful night for their captain, the Rangers made sure to deliver.
The Blueshirts snapped a three-game losing skid with a 2-0 win over the Canucks on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena, where J.T. Miller was welcomed back with a mixed reception from local fans for the first time since he departed Vancouver via trade on Jan. 31.
This game seemed to have more on the line than just a clash between two middling teams.
After veering away from the defensive prowess they started the season with, the Rangers were structurally sound in this one. They limited Vancouver to just three high-danger shots through the first two periods and seven overall, per Natural Stat Trick.
The Rangers spent a good portion of the third period in their own end, but they hung on for the victory.
Miller was greeted by a chorus of boos from the crowd when he first touched the puck, but they seemed to get quieter and quieter as the game went on.
When the Jumbotron played his video tribute, however, those in attendance were also on their feet clapping.
The 32-year-old Miller saluted the Vancouver fans graciously before refocusing on the task at hand.
The Canucks were without their star defenseman, Quinn Hughes, due to a lower-body injury for a second straight game.
“I’d rather see him yesterday than today,” Miller quipped before the game, referencing how the two former teammates — as well as Canucks head coach Adam Foote — got together on Monday.
Breaking up lots of plays with their sticks and disrupting odd-man rushes, the Rangers didn’t give the home team much to work with offensively. Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick simply did the rest.
Stopping all 23 shots he faced, Quick registered his first shutout of the season and the 64th of his career.
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan made some personnel changes coming off a third consecutive loss. Opting for a couple of veterans over a pair of rookies, Sullivan replaced Brennan Othmann with Jonny Brodzinski and Matthew Robertson with Urho Vaakanainen.
The Rangers pieced together one of their better starts in the last week or so, limiting the Canucks to just four shots on goal through the opening 20 minutes and taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Mika Zibanejad weaved through three Canucks skaters before dishing the puck to Will Cuylle and driving to the net. Batting in his fourth goal of the season off a feed from Cuylle, Zibanejad gave the Rangers the first goal of the game for the first time since the loss to Minnesota last Monday.
Sam Carrick added an empty-net goal with 1:33 left in regulation to send Vancouver fans for the exits.
