When the New York Rangers acquired J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, the trade was designed to shift momentum for both teams. While the results have been mixed since the deal, Saturday afternoon’s matchup at Madison Square Garden offers both sides a critical chance to improve their playoff positioning. Since his return to New York, Miller has registered seven goals and 11 assists in 20 games. However, he has been scoreless over the past nine contests, during which the Rangers (33-31-6, 72 points) have gone 2-5-2. That includes a five-game home losing streak (0-4-1). New York’s latest loss came Thursday in a 4-3 setback to Toronto, despite an improved offensive effort compared to Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to

FC Dallas will aim to get back on track when they visit Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in a key Western Conference clash in Sandy, Utah. The Toros (1-2-1, 4 points) are in need of a bounce-back performance after dropping two straight matches at home. Most recently, they fell 1-0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match where they failed to record a single shot on goal. Coach Eric Quill hinted at tactical changes to help reinvigorate an attack that has struggled for fluidity and consistency in recent weeks. Adding another layer of challenge, regular starting goalkeeper Maarten Paes is away on international duty. That opens the door for 23-year-old homegrown product Michael Collodi to make his first MLS

The Vancouver Whitecaps are off to a dream start in the 2024 MLS season, but head coach Jesper Sorensen is making sure the squad stays grounded ahead of Saturday night’s home matchup against the Chicago Fire. With a 4-0-0 record, Vancouver is just the seventh team in MLS history to begin a season with four straight wins. The streak matches the longest winning run in the club’s 15-season MLS tenure. The hot start comes despite notable setbacks. Ryan Gauld (knee) and Sam Adekugbe (quad) remain sidelined with long-term injuries. Emmanuel Sabbi, dealing with an ankle issue, could return Saturday. Meanwhile, Pedro Vite, Brian White, Andres Cubas and Ali Ahmed are all unavailable due to international duty. Vancouver currently leads the

Los Angeles FC look to stop the bleeding after three straight losses in all competitions when they visit winless Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night. After opening the season with back-to-back shutouts, LAFC (2-2-0, 6 points) have stumbled badly, falling in their past three outings — two in MLS and one in Concacaf Champions Cup play. Despite generating scoring chances, the goals have dried up. Star attacker Denis Bouanga fired six shots — three on target — in last week’s 1-0 loss to Austin FC but came up empty. LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo remains cautiously optimistic, noting that while the losses sting, his squad is still showing structure and intensity. “We’ve lost three in a row, and that’s something we