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Colin Miller has ‘played some of his best hockey’ lately

He took a pass at the blue line, faked a shot, and got past the Kings’ Andy Andreoff. A quick shot was tipped home by Jimmy Hayes, the only goal the Boston Bruins would need in Sunday’s 1-0 victory.

It was the kind of play the B’s had been hoping Colin Miller would provide consistently this season. The 24-year-old defenseman is starting to make a real impact, and head coach Claude Julien has noticed.

“I think Colin Miller has played some of his best hockey in the last couple of games,” Julien said, per CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty. “We hope that’s a sign of things to come.”

Miller, acquired from Los Angeles in the Milan Lucic trade, now has two goals and three assists in 24 games. He’s still a minus-4, but his possession stats are encouraging, among the highest on the team.

“He’s assertive, he’s moving the puck, he’s skating the puck well,” Julien added, per the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. “He’s got a good shot so it’s just a matter of making sure that he builds on that and continues to develop in that area.”

The Bruins, of course, never did acquire that “transitional” defenseman they were hoping to get this past offseason. A right shot, Miller has put up big numbers in the AHL, but has yet to establish himself as an everyday NHLer. That may be changing now, though. With John-Michael Liles sidelined due to a concussion, Miller’s getting his chance, and he’s making the most of it.