Feb 2, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images Danny Wild-Imagn Images

J.T. Miller's Canucks Revenge Game Has Huge Playoff Implications

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 9:23 AM ET

The race for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is heating up around the NHL, and while the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers may not share a conference, their meeting is crucial for both teams.

The Canucks and Rangers are both just outside of their respective wild card races, but have a golden opportunity to jump back into the playoff picture.

Not only will the meeting between the Canucks and Rangers be full of playoff implications, it’s also the first meeting between the two teams since star forward J.T. Miller was traded from Vancouver to New York.

The Miller saga was all anyone could talk about in Vancouver for a while, and now that it’s in the rearview, everyone is looking forward to a push for the playoffs.

“It’s going to be a war,” Miller said.

Eyes on tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VVLjHfvFo5
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 21, 2025

While there are sure to be some friendly moments between Miller and his former teammates ahead of the meeting, friendships and good feelings will be put to the side when the puck drops.

The Canucks are visiting New York with a 32-25-12 record through 69 games, just one point back of the St. Louis Blues, who hold the Western Conference’s second wild card spot. A win against the Rangers will give the Canucks a 9.4% boost in chances of making the playoffs, according to moneypuck.com.

Currently holding a 26.7% chance, a loss to the Rangers would see their odds dip by 7.5% to 19.2%.

As for the Rangers, their 33-31-6 record has them two points behind the Eastern Conference’s second wild card team, the Montreal Canadiens. A win over the Canucks will see the Rangers’ odds to make the playoffs improve to 25.5%.

It may not be Miller’s first game back in Vancouver, which is reserved for next season, but it’s a massively important meeting for both teams. Not just for Miller to see some familiar faces, but there are huge playoff implications on the line at Madison Square Garden.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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