Miller's frustration with self becomes magnified after Canucks' latest struggles

VANCOUVER – J.T. Miller didn’t hurt his team when he yelled at Collin Delia to get off the ice for an extra attacker at the end of Thursday’s 4-2 loss in Winnipeg.

He might have hurt Delia’s feelings, although the 28-year-old journeyman goalie told Sportsnet that this wasn’t the case.

“I think things from an outsider's perspective, it looks a lot different than it was perceived by me,” Delia said after Monday’s practice at Rogers Arena, the first since the Vancouver Canucks returned home. “We've had some discourse - very cordial. It's not like there's bad blood between us at all. We're big boys.”

When Miller hurt the Vancouver Canucks was the next game, Saturday in Calgary, where under the Hockey Night in Canada spotlight, he dawdled on the backcheck on one Flames goal and went for a line change on another. Both goals in the 3-2 loss began with Miller losing the puck.

He was roasted by Hockey Night in Canada panelists Kevin Bieksa, Kelly Hrudey and Elliotte Friedman, which is far more significant than the roasting Miller received on social media.

On Monday, the player who last fall signed a $56 million USD extension to lead the team for the next seven seasons, was dropped to the middle of the third line by coach Bruce Boudreau. His wingers were Sheldon Dries and Conor Garland.

That’s where Miller is expected to start Tuesday against the New York Islanders as the Canucks play the third game of a daunting 12-match stretch that Boudreau said could determine their season – assuming it wasn’t already determined when Vancouver started 0-5-2 in October.

The reason Miller’s actions in Calgary were far more damaging than in Winnipeg is because the 29-year-old is being counted on – and paid - by Canucks management to lead by example and set a standard that will help build culture, not undermine it.

“I think his emotions are all about his competitiveness, and when things don't go well for him or when he's trying hard and not getting the results he wants, I think sometimes he's an emotional guy,” Boudreau said Monday.

“I've played with and coached an awful lot of emotional guys, but I'd rather have an emotional guy that cares than a non-emotional guy that doesn't.”

In a brief scrum with reporters, Miller said: “I carry frustration as a player and as I've said before, it's probably not going to change. I try my best to hold it in but sometimes it's hard.”

And when he fails, everyone sees it and many will talk about it.

This isn’t a new experience for Miller or the Canucks.

Remember former Canuck goalie Braden Holtby’s death stare a couple of seasons ago after a feeble backcheck by Miller in Toronto?

Or the infamous overtime in Calgary last January when Miller, frustrated at what he felt was an unpenalized hook that caused him to lose the puck in the offensive zone, made a wide turn and coasted to the bench for a change as the Flames countered and won 1-0 on Johnny Gaudreau’s uncontested shot from the slot?

Miller has even ordered his goalie to the bench before.

His emotions run hot enough to burn the opposition or, occasionally, his own team. But few people were complaining about them last season when Miller posted 99 points and was the Canucks’ best player.

“I don't want to say that it's something that goes unnoticed with me,” Canucks president Jim Rutherford said Monday. “But I believe that we're going through a lot right now. There's a lot of things going on. There's going to be times where guys are going to have missteps. It's fixable. We're talking about a really good player that can bring a lot to our team. I get the reaction within the market. We have a very passionate market that loves the game and has strong opinions, so I get that. But the things that you're talking about are things that can be fixed and changed in the future.”

“I think as a team, we can all control our emotions better,” veteran defenceman Luke Schenn said. “That could be from, like, having the lead and all of a sudden it's tied and guys have their heads down on the bench. Or being up a couple goals and taking your foot off the gas. The emotional part of it between the ears is a big thing. As I always talk about, the top, consistent teams, they don't get rattled or frustrated. Of course, you get rattled or frustrated from time to time, but it doesn't continue. You're able to bury it a lot quicker and move on.”

Schenn said there’s “internal accountability” on the Canucks “for sure.” As Delia said, there is discourse. Miller’s actions will have been addressed.

The Canucks have surrendered a pile of goals from bad line changes this season. Sometimes it is due to players changing at the wrong time, sometimes it’s players being lazy or lackadaisical while changing.

“I think even if you get caught once, it's too often,” Boudreau said. “I mean, it shouldn't happen. And it does, and we try to correct it. Every day we talk about it, and we can only hope it gets better.”

It didn’t get much notice, but captain Bo Horvat also skated slowly to the bench, behind Miller, after the turnover that preceded Calgary’s shorthanded goal on Saturday. With 26 goals, Horvat is having an exceptional season. With 30 points in 36 games, half of them on the power play, and a team-worst minus-13 rating, Miller is struggling under the weight of his new contract. And his performance Saturday came after his outburst Thursday.

“I probably shouldn’t have changed, and he probably shouldn’t have changed,” Horvat said Monday. “It's just something that we have to tighten up and that we've talked about enough that we shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff.”

In his fourth season as captain – and in the middle of a speculation hurricane that he will soon be traded due to an impasse in negotiations over a new contract – Horvat told reporters that Vancouver is a challenging place to play due to pressure and scrutiny and the constant “outside noise.”

Later, he cited as an example the almost singular focus on Miller over the last two games.

“It was just one of those things where he's frustrated with himself,” Horvat said. “But it just kind of looks worse (than it is). It does. It's tough because, again, people notice. The video is on you.”