What do you do when life gives you lemons? Among other things, making lemonade does seem like a good option, and that’s exactly what J.T. Miller appeared to be doing tonight. After his force trade to the New York Rangers, the former Canucks top scorer sought to make the most of the opportunity at the TD Garden on Saturday night, despite being unable to bring the squad a victory. But the fans are already optimistic.

The Rangers suffered their third straight loss and are now sitting at the sixth spot of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference of the NHL. However, all eyes were on Miller who had only recently arrived at the Big Apple due to a trade that was prompted by a locker room feud with former Vancouver teammate Elias Pettersson. J.T. didn’t disappoint and the Rangers fans firmly believe the trade ended up as a win for them.

A post by the official NHL account on X from February 1 shows the exact moment when Miller marks his return to the Rangers camp. “GUESS WHO?!” reads the post caption as the accompanying video shows Miller scoring a one-timer to the glove side after Artemi Panarin sent the puck his way. The goal made the crowd go wild and the commentator can be heard yelling, “Welcome back!” as they shared the glee of having J.T. among their ranks.

But that wouldn’t be the only time when Miler showed his worth on the ice rink. 35 seconds into the third period, the forward scored a power-play goal to cut the Bruins’ lead by one, but that too ultimately didn’t matter at the end. Thanks to David Pastrnak‘s hattrick and an assist, Boston walked away from the match with a 6-3 victory. But Miller’s double undoubtedly showed that better days are imminent for the Rangers.

For obvious reasons, New York fans are elated. Last October, Miller and Pettersson got entangled in a brawl during a practice session. The next month, J.T. took an indefinite leave from the Canucks, only to return soon after and play all games with the team since. However, the rift between him and Vancouver’s other goal machine became more and more apparent, which ultimately led to the trade that sent Miller to Manhattan in exchange for Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini. But one fan believes, looking at J.T.’s form, that Vancouver might be contemplating the move. “Canucks Regret trading him,” commented the fan, and we’re hard-pressed to believe so, too!

J.T. Miller’s homecoming gets the fans’ attention

Just yesterday, Vancouver captain Quin Hughes admitted his sadness about having to part ways with Miller, despite all the drama that has plagued the team’s spirit in recent weeks. but over at the Rangers camp, it’s all elation. “He’s back and better than ever,” commented one fan who loved every bit of the incredible J.T. exhibition at the TD Garden tonight. “yasss jt miller makin’ an impact already!!” sounded the gleeful cheer of another fan, who is sure that the NHL celebrity’s second isn’t in New York will be one to remember.

One more fan commented, “It’s Miller time,” highlighting that J.T. could be the factor that helps the Rangers to get their A-game out in the coming days. Another fan pondered if New York has a shot at defending the Eastern Conference title with Miller in their ranks. “Taking back what was always theirs,” affirmed yet another Rangers loyalist.

“This is impact!! What a player,” the former Canucks forward was hailed by a fan in the comment section once again. The last time Miller played for New York, he didn’t manage to win any major individual honors. But will that finally change this time around? What do you reckon? Tell us in a comment!