2013 World Junior Championships: J.T. Miller's Performance Against Germany
Team USA's 2013 World Junior Championships roster boasts one Rangers prospect, J.T. Miller.
The Rangers' first round pick in the 2011 Draft is one of three players on the roster who also represented Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships.
In Team USA's 8-0 victory over Germany in the tournament opener, Miller excelled in all facets of the game. The 19-year-old centered a line with Boston College's John Gaudreau on the left wing and the University of North Dakota's Rocco Grimaldi on the right wing.
Flanked by two fast, but smaller wingers (Gaudreau is 5-8, Grimaldi is 5-6), the 6-2, 212-pound Miller adds size to the line.
In the face-off circle, Miller won nine draws and only lost four. In addition, he played a key role in two of USA's goals against Germany.
In the second period, Miller drew a penalty against Germany when he was tripped to the right of the Germany's net. On the ensuing man advantage, the center provided a screen in front of Marvin Cupper as defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere fired a one-timer into the net for a power play goal.
Miller's most memorable play of the contest came in the third period. After applying pressure on the forecheck, the East Palestine, Ohio native forced a turnover inside the German zone, and picked up the loose puck for a breakaway.
The forward deked Cupper, and slid the puck under the goalie's right pad for his first goal of the tournament.
Although Miller scored a goal in the contest, his line was not consistently strong offensively in the opener as had been hoped. The trio didn't spend a whole lot of time in the offensive zone, and Miller only registered one shot in addition to his breakaway tally.
USA's next game is this morning against Russia at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
