Cooler heads have prevailed.

Or maybe in this instance we can just say that a cooler head has prevailed.

J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks has had a career year thus far. With an assist in Tuesday night乌鸦传媒檚 disappointing 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena, Miller extended his current points streak to six games. In 62 games, the 30-year-old has accumulated 30 goals and 52 assists for 83 points, and is on pace to set career highs in all three categories.

Miller plays with a lot of emotion and passion. There have been examples in the past where that passion and emotion have hurt his game but those outbursts have been kept to a minimum this year.

The overall success of the team has helped. The current 1-5-1 slump notwithstanding, the Canucks have played some great hockey this season and to quote the great John F. Kennedy, a rising tide lifts all boats.

Miller believes that the team乌鸦传媒檚 success hasn乌鸦传媒檛 really given him too many opportunities to get emotional.

乌鸦传媒淚 feel like I carry the same amount (of passion) and I still get just as angry. I just feel like we乌鸦传媒檙e winning a lot more hockey games. When you乌鸦传媒檙e losing games, it乌鸦传媒檚 easy to be more frustrated and we are coming out on the right side of things a lot more nights than we aren乌鸦传媒檛,乌鸦传媒� said Miller.

乌鸦传媒淗onestly, I think that乌鸦传媒檚 a big reason (why) because the team has come together and we乌鸦传媒檝e had a lot more success. It allows me to play more level-headed 乌鸦传媒� especially when we are winning games because you don乌鸦传媒檛 want to be a distraction but it乌鸦传媒檚 something that I乌鸦传媒檓 constantly working at and something that I乌鸦传媒檓 trying to get better at every day.乌鸦传媒�

But according to one teammate, there乌鸦传媒檚 more to Miller controlling his emotions than just team success.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been with Millsy since the start. To see him grow not only as a player but the way he乌鸦传媒檚 matured off the ice in how to handle different situations乌鸦传媒�it乌鸦传媒檚 great to see. If you look at Millsy right now, it might be the best hockey I乌鸦传媒檝e seen him play in the last stretch here. He乌鸦传媒檚 a big driver for our group and when he乌鸦传媒檚 going the way he乌鸦传媒檚 going 乌鸦传媒� when he乌鸦传媒檚 channeling his energy into the game 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 amazing to watch,乌鸦传媒� explained defenseman Tyler Myers.

So what乌鸦传媒檚 changed with Miller乌鸦传媒檚 approach?

If you ask Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, the answer is simple.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 just communicating. If he feels if he乌鸦传媒檚 going a little sideways or whatever word you want to use, it乌鸦传媒檚 communication. It乌鸦传媒檚 getting to Millsy or him getting to me and talking it out. If there乌鸦传媒檚 something that bothers him, he gets to it in a good way. That乌鸦传媒檚 what I like. It乌鸦传媒檚 not negative乌鸦传媒�it乌鸦传媒檚 not combative乌鸦传媒�it乌鸦传媒檚 just getting to it. I got to give him a lot of credit because it乌鸦传媒檚 all him. He乌鸦传媒檚 done a really good job on working on that,乌鸦传媒� stated Tocchet.

When asked what has made Miller so successful this season from an X乌鸦传媒檚 and O乌鸦传媒檚 perspective, Tocchet believes that Miller has been extremely proactive.

乌鸦传媒淚 think he demands the puck and he drives the play. You乌鸦传媒檒l see certain points of the game where we need a little boost and he乌鸦传媒檒l demand the puck. That乌鸦传媒檚 the way I want our team to play 乌鸦传媒� demand the puck. If you wait around for the puck, you乌鸦传媒檙e gonna be waiting around for the puck,乌鸦传媒� explained Tocchet.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 not waiting. He乌鸦传媒檚 basically giving the puck or I乌鸦传媒檓 going to go here 乌鸦传媒� or whatever the option is for the other guy. He乌鸦传媒檚 just driving the play and you can just see it.乌鸦传媒�

OVERTIME

* Brock Boeser scored the lone Canucks goal in the loss 乌鸦传媒� extending his point streak to six games (5-3-8) as well. The Kings got goals from Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Brandt Clarke and Trevor Moore. Los Angeles netminder Cam Talbot stopped 22 of 23 shots while Vancouver乌鸦传媒檚 Thatcher Demko gave up five goals on 20 shots.

* The loss to the Kings, coupled with Tuesday乌鸦传媒檚 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, marked the first time this season the Canucks had lost consecutive games at home.

* 乌鸦传媒淚 didn乌鸦传媒檛 think we gave them a lot but what we gave them was egregious. I mean look at the goals, we乌鸦传媒檙e all in, pushing the chips in. So we got to correct it. We乌鸦传媒檝e got to recharge and we just got to get our mind right,乌鸦传媒� Tocchet said afterwards.

* The game marked the first time the Canucks and Kings have met this season with three more meetings on tap.

* Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the 乌鸦传媒淐anucks have made significant progress with superstar Elias Pettersson working on what is believed to be an 8-year contract extension. Not done, but big development, and a new deal could be finalized in the coming days.乌鸦传媒�

* Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, who has been out of the lineup since Jan. 22 with a hand injury, 乌鸦传媒榠s fairly close乌鸦传媒� to returning according to Tocchet. There is a possibility he could draw into the lineup on the upcoming three-game road trip to Anaheim, Los Angeles and Vegas.

Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 乌鸦传媒渢he Moj乌鸦传媒� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.

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