Bruins on the verge of getting Kevan Miller's bite back in the lineup

It may not be a coincidence the Bruins have struggled as a five-man defensive unit since Kevan Miller has been out of the lineup for the last eight games with an upper-body injury. It's possible he will be cleared to play when the Bruins face the Oilers tonight at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Prior to his injury, Miller was in the midst of the best season of his pro career. He’s finally learned to play consistent hockey at this level and contribute at both ends of the ice every game. His physical presence is a throwback and he’s always willing and able to handle that role. His teammates feed off his energy and he's become an integral part of this team on and off the ice.

“He brings his junkyard dog mentality every night,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “He’s been very consistent. He’s always physical. He’s always ready to do battle in the tough areas.”

Cassidy wants Miller to be cleaner on the breakouts and execute a better first pass, and he was working on those areas in practice and during games when he suffered his injury. He doesn’t normally force plays through the neutral zone. Cassidy is also looking for Miller to add more to his offensive game, which is something that had been evident prior to his injury. He was gaining the zone, taking the puck deep and controlling the cycle more this season than he has in the past. It’s not often he’ll lose the puck too, or get caught deep when he does.

“He’s taken that to heart and working on that (aspect) as well,” Cassidy said. “I wouldn’t call him an offensive defenseman by any means, but he can contribute.”

With the trade deadline less than a week away, there are options for general manager Don Sweeney to upgrade the defensive core if he believes it's necessary. It's possible that New York Rangers captain and veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh will be moved and the Bruins have been rumored as one of the teams interested in his services. He's a left-handed shot, which is an area Sweeney has said he wants to upgrade.

Miller is a righty, but can play both sides. He also doesn't get enough credit (at least outside the room) for the way he plays and the contributions he makes. In fact, that ‘junkyard dog’ mentality also helps Miller’s defensive partner, rookie Matt Grzelcyk.

“That partnership has thrived on Grizz being quick and assertive and closing plays, knowing that Kevan’s there to look after him if he’s a little late, or if the forecheck pressure, the heaviness gets to a point where he needs his partner there to support him," Cassidy said. "They’ve worked out really well.”

That's one reason why Grzelcyk is a plus-16 this season and Miller is plus-9. The two have made each other better this season when they've played together.

“That’s how a partnership works,” explained Miller. “I’ve tried to instill with each guy that I’ve played with like, ‘Hey, if you have the opportunity to jump in I’ll cover you and I’ll be back.’ It’s been working out pretty well, and so far with Grizz, it’s been great. He’s a great player. He plays simple. He plays smart, but he’s out there making plays and hopefully, that continues.”

As the rookie continues to develop into a full-time NHLer, Miller has finally become, for lack of a better term, comfortable. But, that's not how he would describe his season.

“The word ‘comfortable’ is a weird word for this league,” Miller said. “You’re just trying to improve every year, learn something new every year and try to work on your game during the offseason to get better. I’ve tried to do that over my career and I hope that continues. So far, it’s been going pretty well this season as a team, but individually, I feel like my game continues to grow and that’s what you’re looking for.”

Under former coach Claude Julien, Miller began to incorporate more offense into his game and that was a point of emphasis when Cassidy took over last February.

“We’re trying to be a four-man attack and get up in the play when you can,” Miller said. “The game is trending in that direction, so I’m trying to help out as much as I can. You try to stay sound and strong on defense, and when you can contribute offensively, make sure you take advantage of it.”

Ask him about adding a physical presence and Miller puts a big smile on his face. It gets the team going and it pumps Miller up too.

“It does,” he said. “It’s a big part of my game. I thoroughly enjoy it, whether it’s taking or receiving hits, it honestly gets me going and it can definitely put the other team on its heels sometimes. We pride ourselves on being a hard team to play against and we make sure to continue to have that aspect in our game.”

Since Miller is on the verge of returning to the lineup, it's also no coincidence the Bruins played one of their better defensive games of late during a 2-1 overtime win against the Calgary Flames on Monday at Scotiabank Saddledome. No one wants to be a healthy scratch once Miller is cleared to play. If he's available against the Oilers tonight, it'll be an interesting decision for Cassidy.