Rangers' K'Andre Miller returns to lineup to face Lightning

TAMPA — K’Andre Miller was back in the lineup as the Rangers returned to action Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning after the NHL’s Christmas break. The 24-year-old defenseman had missed the last six games because of an upper-body injury, and with his return, the Blueshirts’ defense had a new look to it.

While Miller was out, the Rangers debuted two new defensemen: Urho Vaakanainen, who had been acquired from Anaheim in the Jacob Trouba trade, and Will Borgen, who came over from Seattle in the Kaapo Kakko trade. So as Miller and his teammates took on the Lightning in the opener of their two-game Florida trip — hoping to reverse a slide in which the team had lost 13 of 17 — the defense featured the two new players plus Miller together for the first time.

“We were waiting to get to this, with not having Key here and the trades coming in over the last couple of weeks,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said at the Rangers’ morning skate at Amalie Arena. “But now we’ve got our full crew here on the back end and we’ll take a look at it tonight.’’

Vaakanainen, who was dealing with an upper-body injury when he was acquired Dec. 6, played the last four games before the break. Borgen, acquired Dec. 18, two days before the holiday roster freeze, played the last three. Not only did Miller need to familiarize himself with the two new faces in the defense corps, but one of them, Borgen, was his partner for Saturday’s game.

“We’ve got to communicate a lot,’’ Miller said of the two of them playing together after only one practice. “That’s the biggest thing, I think, when you’re with somebody new, is just communicating and figuring out how you guys can get on the same page quickest.’’

For the newcomers, it’s been a whirlwind since they got to the Rangers. Vaakanainen was able to find an apartment in Manhattan and is dealing with the culture shock of moving to the city from Anaheim and learning how to drive and handle local traffic. Borgen was on a road trip with Seattle when he was traded, so the only clothes he brought with him were what he had packed for that trip. He’s been doing laundry and wearing the same clothes over and over for the last 10 days, he said.

Borgen did go home during the break, but to Minnesota to be with his family, not to Seattle. And the Rangers have been on the road most of the time he’s been with the team, so he’s been in New York only two days and hasn’t had time to settle into his new surroundings.

“It’s been a lot of change,’’ Borgen said. “I mean, I’ve just been flying all over, constantly. Going home for Christmas, I don’t have a lot of stuff here. I don’t have clothes or my car. So there’s a difference. But it’s been good. It’s been fun. It’s exciting, just trying to learn everything, learn all their new systems and meet everybody.’’

Miller, who cut his hair and got rid of the blond coloring in it, said he viewed the three-day break as a chance for himself and the team to “reset.’’

“Everybody gets to go home and see their family, gets a couple days off, away from the rink, and kind of reset their mind and body,’’ he said. “Obviously, it’s a long season to start the year, and those breaks mean everything when you get them. So I think this could really be the turn to our season. Everybody’s rested, everybody’s ready to go, and kind of a new mindset.’’

Laviolette went back to familiar-looking forward lines Saturday. The top line of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere remained together and the top line at the start of the season — Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith — was reunited. Kreider returned to the lineup after having been a healthy scratch in the last game before the break.

Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil were back together, with rookie Brett Berard taking the place of Kakko, and the fourth line of rookie Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick and Jimmy Vesey remained intact.

Laviolette brushed off a question about what he needed from Kreider in his return to the lineup.

“Well, for everybody back, I’m looking for a solid game,’’ he said. “We’re not playing the way we need to, and so we’ve got to play better. And the group, he’s part of that group. And so we’re all, I think, looking for a better performance.’’

Notes & quotes: With Miller back, D Zac Jones was the odd man out. He and F Jonny Brodzinski were scratched . . . Igor Shesterkin started in goal.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.