New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller did not hide his disappointment after his team suffered a crushing 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
The Rangers entered the game with a strong start to the 2026-27 NHL season but struggled badly against their Hudson River rivals. New Jersey scored four goals in just over five minutes, turning a competitive contest into a one-sided defeat.
Miller admitted the Rangers lacked their usual connection across the ice. He also acknowledged his own mistake contributed to the team’s collapse.
“Obviously, today was not our best. I’m not proud of that performance,” Miller told reporters after the game.
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The captain noted that New York started well and created several scoring opportunities in the opening period. However, his turnover late in the frame allowed Evan Rodrigues to score with 29.6 seconds remaining.
“That being said, we got off to another good start today,” Miller said. “Will throws a big hit, has a good fight. We have a couple of really good chances at the end of that period.
“Unfortunately, I make a mistake, kind of flub one, then they get one. But honestly, we felt good going into the second.”
J.T. Miller urges Rangers to learn from the defeat
The Devils capitalized on New York’s mistakes early in the second period. Luke Hughes scored twice, while Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk also found the net.
Rookie goaltender Dylan Garand allowed four goals on 13 shots before Spencer Martin replaced him. Martin conceded three more goals as New Jersey continued its dominance.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored New York’s only goal on a third-period power play, ending Nico Daws’ shutout bid.
Miller admitted the Rangers looked disconnected and surrendered chances they had previously limited. However, he remained confident in the team’s character and ability to respond.
“Today, we just didn’t have it. Disconnected all over the place, and giving up, obviously, chances we haven’t been giving up,” he said.
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The captain stressed that New York must learn from the loss and move forward rather than dwell on the result.
“We’ve learned a lot about ourselves over the last couple weeks and the last month,” Miller added. “All we can do is learn from today, move forward, and be ready for the next game and come out firing.”
The Rangers will look to bounce back when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
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