WA-NYR-TradeRumours The curtain has gone up on the Rangers Passion Play and the reviews so far are good. Oh, yeah, the title: "How J,T. Miller plays Mark Messier And Saves The Rangers." Like all good Broadway shows it had a tryout in Boston and although a few scenes had to be cleaned up, leading man Miller was at his dramatic best, scoring two goals in his Rangers debut. Miller's return to Broadway last night went according to script. Rangers fall behind; Rangers catch up; Rangers win. Plus, The Best Supporting Actor, Jonathan Quick, got his historic 400th win and a well-deserved standing ovation for his performance. "This was the come-through-in-the-clutch Quick we know and love," says The Old Scout. "But now Igor Shesterkin has to re-find his game at The Garden against the Bruins." Make no mistake, this Rangers melodrama is not a one-man show. It has a supporting cast that's been moping around waiting for the right script to be written, as well as the return of savior J.T. Miller. Mika Zibanejad, Breadman Panarin, K'Andre Miller and Alexis Lafrenière – among other New Yorkers – have eschewed their sulks and are digging the new "Starring J.T. Miller" script. The Great Z is so enthused, he added an assist to his goal last night in the win over Vegas and also played theater critic for a moment, post-game. "Miller," says the emotional Zibanejad, "is exciting." Peter Laviloette, the play's director, summed up his goalie's milestone performance with critical acclaim. "It means that Jonathan has been really good for a long time." (No kidding!) The cast knows that if this J.T. Miller As Messier" show is to last into spring the entire cast must deliver Oscar efforts. That goes for former stars such as Adam Fox, Reilly Smith, Vincent Trocheck; not to mention the new stand-up comic, Matt Rempe. The production will be orchestrated by J.T. Miller with a hard "look" that delivers a five-word message to the cast: "Straighten up and fly right!"
