Miller: Up to fans 'if they want to throw their s--- on the ice’

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller said Monday it's up to fans to choose how they react to the team's performance after a fan threw a jersey on the ice Saturday night.

The Canucks dropped to 0-4-2 to start the season with their blowout 5-1 loss on home ice to the Buffalo Sabres Saturday. The fan reaction included boos and a Canucks jersey being thrown on the ice late in the third period.

“If they want to throw their s--- on the ice it’s up to them," Miller said Monday of the incident. "...If they want to come to the game, spend all that money and throw their gear on the ice, that’s up to them. Go ahead. I’ve got a job to do.” 

Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said Saturday he'd hoped the fan reaction would spur the team's players to turn their season around.

"My job is to help us find a way out of this," Boudreau said. "So, I'll be doing whatever I can to see what I can do to get this thing turned around. Their job should be, individually, 'What can I do to turn this thing around?' That's what I'd feel if they booed us off the ice like this. I would hope our pride kicks in."

Miller, who signed a seven-year, $56 million contract this summer that will begin in 2023-24, has two goals and three points in six games this season. 

Having previously called out his own performance earlier this season, he sounded off on the team's third-period play on Saturday.

"Pretty frustrating," Miller said after the loss. "We left [goaltender Thatcher Demko] out to dry there in the last 10 minutes. We had a chance to win going into the third. Up until the third period, I thought we were playing in a pretty good game. To come out and play a third like that given our situation was tough to swallow."