Miller makes his case again

ST. LOUIS -- Upon being sent to the Ducks’ minor-league affiliate at Portland, Maine, in the final days of training camp, rookie Drew Miller was told by team officials to find a place to live.

The young winger didn’t spend much time in his rented home. Two weeks later, Miller was packing his bags again, this time joining the Ducks in Pittsburgh.

Not that he’s complaining about being on the move.

“If it means I can stay, I don’t mind,” the 23-year-old said after Tuesday’s practice at Scottrade Center. “What every player wants is to be told to get a place. But I’m not too worried about that right now. I’m just happy to be here. I don’t mind staying in a hotel.”

Because of injuries at forward, Miller was recalled Oct. 6 after failing to win a roster spot out of training camp. He has one point in four games but that point was his first NHL goal in a 3-1 victory over Nashville last week.

Miller established himself as an all-around player in three seasons at Michigan State, where nine other members of his family played hockey, including older brother, Ryan, of the Buffalo Sabres.

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle called Miller a “very smart hockey player.” Miller had 16 goals and 20 assists in his first pro season with the Portland Pirates before playing in three games with Anaheim during last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

So it was a surprise when he didn’t accompany the team to London to start the season.

“We were expecting more out of him at training camp,” Carlyle said. “For whatever reason, that didn’t happen. Now he’s got an opportunity, with the injuries and what not, to make an impression.”

Miller was disappointed then. Now he’s got another chance to show his stuff.

“When you get here, you want to stay,” he said. “It’s an opportunity I don’t want to miss again.”

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With one line providing more than half of the Ducks’ scoring, Carlyle sought to find some balance by moving Todd Marchant up from the fourth line and dropping Chris Kunitz alongside Andy McDonald on the second line in practice.

The line of Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry has accounted for 12 of their 23 goals but it has also allowed opponents to match up their checking line against them, particularly on the road when the Ducks don’t get the final shift change.

“Obviously, on the road, you can’t put all the eggs in one basket,” Carlyle said. “You have to have the ability to provide offense from two, sometimes three lines. And we haven’t been able to do that.”

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TONIGHT

at St. Louis, 5:30 PDT, Ch. 56 (6 p.m. joined in progress)

Site -- Scottrade Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 4-5-1, Blues 4-2-0.

Record vs. Blues (2006-07) -- 3-1-0.

Update -- The Blues are 31-20-9 since former Kings coach Andy Murray took the reins last December. “He is a coach that has shown that he has the ability to implement his structure and demand a work ethic out of his group,” Carlyle said. “When you have talent and you have structure and you’re committed as a team, usually success follows that. He’s been able to do that here.”

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eric.stephens@latimes.com