Canucks: J.T. Miller needed the Connor McDavid take a look at. He obtained it.

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When the Vancouver Canucks’ schedule landed, J.T. Miller noticed the problem instantly.

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Two video games, again to again, towards the very best participant on the earth.

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The problem offered to Miller and the Canucks by Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers could be huge.

Miller and his teammates have been speaking lots about how vital their begin to this season might be: there’s the apparent — in case you’re severe about yourselves, you clearly want to start out your season effectively — however there’s additionally a cause Canucks followers can perceive.

It’s that the Canucks have had terrible begins two seasons operating, begins so dangerous they ended up conserving them out of the playoffs on the finish of the season.

And there was a bit of private motivation for Miller too.

He’s now at the start of a large eight-year, US$64 million contract. It’s a deal that inherently units a degree of expectation, one which Miller himself is keenly conscious of. There’s the truth that even when he thought he was enjoying superb in the beginning final season, he was on the ice for the primary eight objectives scored towards his workforce.

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And there was the truth that he needed to cease the world’s finest participant. He desires to be a robust two-way participant, he’s stated greater than as soon as.

After Wednesday’s 8-1 trouncing of the Oilers, Miller was beaming about how effectively his line had performed. Together with wingers Phil DiGiuseppe and Brock Boeser, he’d shut down McDavid. In 9 minutes of ice time up towards McDavid, the Miller line gained the face to face matchup decisively.

Not solely did they rating three objectives, however they saved McDavid from getting near the Canucks’ web.

Boeser ended the night time with 4 objectives, Miller with 4 factors, however the scoring didn’t matter. The dominance of McDavid did, Miller admitted post-game.

“I assume there’s a little bit little bit of you understand, a little bit little bit of F-U in our recreation about how final 12 months began,” he stated. Miller needed to get the hassle and the consequence.

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“I take a variety of pleasure in that,” he stated of taking in regards to the different workforce’s finest gamers. A part of the explanation he signed the extension in Vancouver was the possibility to be the man.

When he was youthful, enjoying for the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, he by no means actually obtained the chance to be the man munching the large minutes.

“Final 12 months within the final 20, 30 video games, we took a variety of pleasure about shutting down a few of the finest traces within the league and we must be proud about that. So I assume to maintain that going a little bit bit, feels good,” he stated.

Head coach Rick Tocchet has spoken usually about realizing his function in serving to Miller focus in on his recreation. Miller is a passionate participant, who himself has acknowledged his feelings are central to his recreation, however that additionally means there have to be some quantity of self-measuring on occasion.

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“I don’t play relaxed. Tried that,” Miller advised Postmedia final 12 months.

Tocchet stated Miller’s want for suggestions is insatiable.

“He’s the kind of man that desires data, and he desires stuff,” the coach stated. “We watched clips collectively the opposite day; he needed to ask some questions on McDavid in these conditions, he’s a scholar of the sport.”

How the sport occurs is most vital to Miller, Tocchet has discovered.

“He by no means talks about factors. That’s what I really like about (him). He talks a few 200-foot recreation. He welcomes that and I believe that’s the place, if he continues on this development, he may very well be one of many high 200-foot (guys within the league).”

DEMKO STILL DOWN — With Thatcher Demko nonetheless feeling a few of the results of the sickness that knocked him out of the sport Wednesday, Tocchet selected to start out backup Casey DeSmith on Saturday versus Edmonton. The pinnacle coach stated he’d deliberate to offer DeSmith his first begin of the season both on Saturday or Tuesday in Philadelphia. … Defenceman Carson Soucy skated once more together with his teammates throughout Saturday’s morning skate in Edmonton. Tocchet stated he was now day-to-day. Soucy harm his knee within the ultimate pre-season recreation Oct. 6 versus Calgary and was initially listed as week-to-week.

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