TNT crew rips ex-Rangers defenseman after costly gaffe in Game 1 of ECF
K’Andre Miller’s defensive shortcomings were a big reason the New York Rangers were unwilling to make a long-term commitment to him – and instead traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes last July. That side of his game reared its head again in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday, when the Hurricanes lost 6-2 to the Montreal Canadiens. The visitors took control of the game by scoring four times in the first period against the stunned and out of sync Hurricanes.
Miller was to blame on the fourth of Montreal’s goals, with a pretty serious gaffe costing his team. The Hurricanes trailed 3-1 midway through the opening period when Miller skated himself completely out of the play by racing toward the right boards in the neutral zone rather than covering the middle of the ice. That left plenty of space for Montreal rookie Ivan Demidov to take a pass from Alex Newhook, race in alone and beat Frederik Andersen at 11:32, putting the Canadiens up 4-1.
TNT’s broadcast crew, including former Rangers Ed Olczyk, Wayne Gretzky and Henrik Lundqvist, wasted little time illustrating how Miller took himself out of position, allowing Demidov to score on a breakaway. Olczyk, a member of the 1994 Cup-winning Rangers and a lead TNT analyst, was all over Miller’s poor decision-making as soon as the goal was scored. “Where is K’Andre Miller going on that play in the middle of the ice,” he said while watching the replay of the former Rangers defenseman make the wrong decision.
“Look at all the open ice for Demidov. ” The studio crew, which included Hockey Hall of Famers Gretzky and Lundqvist, also pointed out between periods that Miller should have stayed in the middle of the ice rather than going to the boards to leave Demidov wide open. MONTREAL IS ON ABSOLUTE FIRE 🔥 IT IS NOW 4-1 IN THE 1ST OMG 🤯 pic.
twitter. com/IM01WR08fi — TNT Sports U. S.
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