Rangers hold on late for shutout of Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The big story going into Tuesday’s game between the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks was the return of J.T. Miller to the city where he’d blossomed into a star over his 5 1⁄2 seasons here.

But while Miller admitted before the game he’d been enjoying his first trip back to the Pacific Northwest since he was traded to the Rangers in the middle of last season, the Rangers captain said his sole concern was to get his team off to a better start and get a win.

Done, and done. Mika Zibanejad’s goal late in the first period gave the Rangers the early lead and backup goaltender Jonathan Quick made 23 saves to post his 64th career shutout as the Rangers beat the Canucks, 2-0, at Rogers Arena, to snap their three-game losing streak and even their four-game Western Canada/Seattle trip at 1-1.

“We’ve got two unbelievable goalies that we put total faith in every single game,’’ Miller said afterward. “I’m super happy for [Quick]. He’s been doing this forever, and he played unreal again today.’’

Quick needed to make 12 saves in the third period as the Rangers tried desperately to hang on before Sam Carrick’s empty-net goal with 1:33 remaining gave them insurance.

After having allowed a goal within the first two minutes in three of their previous four games, the Rangers did have a much better start Tuesday. Part of the reason was because Quick made a great glove save on a shot by Lukas Reichel 40 seconds into the game, to give them a chance to withstand the Canucks’ early push.

“Obviously a huge save by Quickie,’’ Zibanejad said. “But I think, honestly, I feel like that’s about it. That’s all [the threat] they have in the first. And then we get going and simplify our game in the first coming out of that first [period] with the lead is huge for us.’’

It certainly helped the Rangers that the Canucks (5-6) were playing without their best player, defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was out with a lower-body injury. Vancouver was also without Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini, who were part of the return they got from the Rangers for Miller. Both players are on injured reserve.

But of course, the Rangers (4-5-2) could not care less about that. They were down bodies of their own. Center Vincent Trocheck missed his ninth straight game, though coach Mike Sullivan said at the morning skate that Trocheck skated Monday for the first time since leaving the second game of the season with an upper-body injury, and skated again Tuesday. And fourth-line forward Matt Rempe missed his second game with an upper-body injury, and Sullivan said Rempe would be out “longer term.’’

At the morning skate, Miller spoke about how much he loved his time in Vancouver, and said his wife and two daughters had come on the trip, to visit with friends they’d made during their stay.

“I’ve got a lot of good memories here,’’ he said. “Some of my best friends still play on the other side. The way this city treated myself and my family is something we’ll never forget.’’

The Canucks acknowledged the return of another former Canuck, defenseman Carson Soucy, and played a highlight video tribute for Miller during a television timeout in the first period.

The Rangers played much better defense in their own zone than they had in the previous three games and eventually took the lead on Zibanejad’s goal at 17:27 of the first. Zibanejad crashed the back post to redirect a pass from Will Cuylle.

In trying to find a way to shake out of the three-game losing streak they brought into the game, Sullivan changed up his lineup and his lines. Rookie Brennan Othmann, who made a couple of mistakes in Sunday’s 5-1 loss at Calgary after being called up from AHL Hartford when Rempe couldn’t make the trip, was scratched, as was defenseman Matthew Robertson. Jonny Brodzinski and Urho Vaakanainen took their place.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.