Rangers center J.T. Miller, a first-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft, took a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: How frustrating was it being shuttled up and down six times to and from Hartford in 2013?
A: It’s not easy. It’s a long season, trying to stick on one of the best teams in the NHL. It’s not an easy thing to do. It makes you mentally tough. It’s something you just gotta keep grinding and keep battling, and work on your skills, so that way hopefully like one day that won’t continue to happen. It’s not easy mentally, but when I was sent down, I understood that sometimes it wasn’t because I played awful, sometimes just for the organization it was the best move. Obviously you don’t want it to happen more than a bunch of times, but at the same time, I think it was for the best, and I think it only helped me for where I’m at now.

Q: Was there somebody you turned to for support and guidance at that point?
A: My coaches were pretty supportive, especially at Hartford. My parents are a big part of my life. My fiancée, at the time was just my girlfriend, was moving me back and forth and doing all the hard work, drive back and forth, I couldn’t have done it without her, and my parents for their mental support. If it wasn’t for those guys, it would have been pretty tough on me.

Q: Did you ever think of giving it up?
A: No, never.

Q: What is the difference between you as a player now and back then?
A: More consistent. More reliable. It’s pretty simple. I still have times where you make mistakes, but everybody makes mistakes.

Q: It’s confidence, right?
A: Yeah, confidence helps for sure.

Q: Describe your mentality on the ice.
A: I want to be productive, that doesn’t mean get points. For me, I mean it does, but you can be productive in a lot of ways other than just go out there and putting up points on the board. … I want to be a threat when I have the puck and I want to make the right plays without it. Some games are different than others where you are and you aren’t, but you gotta find a way to bring your B-minus game instead of your C game.

Q: Give me a scouting report on J.T. Miller.
A: Physical … got a hard shot … just be hard on me if you want to get me all [ticked] off. If you play hard against me, that gets under my skin, that’s why I play so hard back. I think I understand what frustrates the other team, if you’re easy to play against, it’s easy, I think if you’re hard to play against it’s very frustrating for the other team, so I try to take pride in doing that.

Q: Who are your biggest hockey influences?
A: My parents, without a doubt. Looking back at how much they did for me as a kid, to get to where we were in the country to where I’m at now, you think you’d call it impossible. I’m like the first person to play hockey in my hometown ever. The only reason I started playing hockey is because the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup the two years before I was born and my dad all of a sudden was a hockey fan. … [He] wanted to put me on hockey skates when I was born just because of the Penguins winning the Cup in ’91 and ’2. … Everything they’ve done for me as a kid, I mean, not coming up from much money at all. They both had to drop out of college pretty much ’cause they had me at a young age. For them to do what they did for me to get it done — you don’t really realize it at the time, sometimes you get a little spoiled, but now you look back and you understand that if they didn’t do what they did, you probably wouldn’t be here.

Q: How frustrating was it not reaching the goal of winning the Cup last year?
A: It’s frustrating for me, but it’s obviously more frustrating for the older guys. We’re all pushing for the same goal and we’re all trying to achieve the same thing, but some guys have been here for 10 years. … It’s so many good older players here that have been in the league a long time that deserve it, and just trying to learn from them and take it all in, ’cause we had a lot of good role models on this team to learn from.

Q: What do you like best about this team?
A: I like how close it is. I’ve never been on another pro team, and I know guys come in and out sometimes. But everybody’s hanging with everybody on the road. I think our camaraderie is really something special. I think we all have a very good understanding of what we’re working for.

Q: Describe Derick Brassard.
A: He’s one of the most skilled centermen I’ve seen play. He’s really taken me under his wing the last couple of years and helped me a lot. Whenever I was getting called up and down, I’d play with him a little bit, and now the last couple of weeks we’ve been playing together. He’s definitely shown me a lot.

Q: Derek Stepan.
A: It seems like he’s played 1,000 games already and he’s only 25. One of the most effective players on the ice just because of how smart he is and his senses. Another great team guy in the room, and somebody everybody kind of looks up to.

Q: Mats Zuccarello.
A: Just a goofball. At the same time, he brings it every game, he’s one of our best players every game, and you obviously can see how good he is on the ice.

Q: Ryan McDonough.
A: Seems like the ultimate leader and captain. Somebody I’ve looked up to since I came to this team four years ago and he was still young. He’s one of the better young leaders, I think, in the NHL.

Q: Henrik Lundqvist.
A: He’s like the ultimate competitor. He hates losing, even in practice, and I think that’s the reason why he’s been one of the best goalies in the league the last 10 years.

Q: Kevin Klein.
A: One of the best locker-room guys, well-liked by everybody. He’ll put his life on the line for the team on the ice.

Q: Describe the Garden crowd in the playoffs.
A: They’re so rowdy. I couldn’t imagine playing the Devils or the Islanders in the playoffs. I know the guys have over the years played the Devils, but that right there, how close it is, I couldn’t imagine a series with like the Islanders, I think that would be unbelievable. But all playoff series, the crowd’s really into it, and makes it easier for the boys to get up and get ready.

Q: Who are athletes in other sports you like?
A: Phil Mickelson’s my favorite golfer. I’m a big fan of Tiger [Woods]. Ten years ago, 15 years ago when he was coming down on Sunday having a chance to win, I don’t think there’s anything more exciting in sports. I think it’d be really cool to be a golfer for a day. I really admire how hard it is to stay mentally tough in that game.

Q: What’s your handicap?
A: It’s single digits.

Q: Are you a lefty?
A: No, I’m not. My dad liked [Mickelson] growing up, so I noticed him more often, and so I just kind of enjoyed watching him play. And I followed him kind of off the ice a little bit too, and how he treats the younger golfers coming up, everything he does, just his training for the Ryder Cup and stuff like that, just kind of stuff like that I look into, and I really admire it. It’s somebody I can look up to.

Q: So one of your sports dreams would be going to the Masters, I guess.
A: Obviously playing in it, but let’s be realistic (smile). Going to one would be phenomenal. The only issue is it’s in April every year and we’re still playing.

Q: Any memorable Masters you’ve watched?
A: Yeah, a couple of years ago we had a big pool going. One guy on my team had Adam Scott and I had Angel Cabrera. It was a playoff, two or three playoff holes, we were watching it as a team, that was pretty cool. My guy lost, but … some of the stuff that Tiger’s done, I mean, the chip-ins … he’s done some pretty cool stuff at the Masters over the years. The one year that Phil won, hitting the shots out of the trees, he made two or three eagles in two rounds or something like that, it was pretty special.

Q: What was it like going to Ground Zero on your first visit to New York?
A: We were playing for the [Pittsburgh] Hornets and we actually had a tournament in Philadelphia, and we took like a couple-hour bus ride in and went down to Ground Zero. I’ve been back since. That was probably when I was 12 or 13 or 14 maybe, somewhere in there.

Q: What was it like when you went back?
A: It put everything in perspective. You could get upset about it. There are some sad things. We went into that museum right next to it which is pretty special. It keeps you humbled just to see with innocent people, and how tragic it is, but at the same time to see how strong we are as a country still.

Q: What are your favorite New York City things?
A: I love food, so I love that there’s a different type of meal every day potentially. My fiancée loves food too, so we like to go different places. We’re not big-city people, so we’re still adjusting to it. We live on the Upper West Side so it’s a little more quiet. Got a couple dogs. … We like to spend our quality time together. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be in the city. … Every time I have people in, look forward to taking ’em to a new place.

Q: Describe your fiancée Natalie.
A: I proposed September 1, we’re getting married this summer (July 23). We’ve been dating for almost 7 ¹/₂ years.

Q: Give me a scouting report on her.
A: We’re best friends, and I think that helps. It’s easy to sit there with your best friend and just talk about your problems. We always stick together through good things and bad things. Obviously you have your moments where you want up kill each other, but we’re very close, and we can talk to each other about anything, and I think that communication’s really big for our relationship. She came into it going up and down to the minors and moving back and forth and six-month apartment rentals in the summer. She pretty much takes care of the two dogs back at the house all day long while I’m here. I think we’re both excited to take the next step in the relationship.

Q: How did you propose?
A: Just like every other tourist in New York City, took her to Central Park on a horse and carriage ride, and picked a good spot … took her to her favorite place to dinner before, so she was very surprised, and said she had no idea, so I don’t know if I believe her, but she said she had no idea.

Q: You gave her the ring on the ride around Central Park?
A: Yeah, very romantic for a hillbilly like myself (smile).

Q: Is Natalie a good cook?
A: I cook actually. I won’t say she’s a bad cook, but I like cooking.

Q: How did you learn how to cook?
A: My mom showed me everything, my mom and my grandma.

Q: What’s your go-to dish?
A: A steak of some sort, with sliced-up red skin potatoes, some sort of asparagus, and maybe a salad with strawberries.

Q: Tell me about your dogs.
A: I have two Labs. I grew up with dogs my whole life. I’ve had a yellow Lab, he’ll be 2 in a couple of weeks, and I got a red Lab who just turned 1.

Q: Their names?
A: Easton and Lincoln.

Q: What was it like growing up in East Palestine, Ohio?
A: A hundred people in class, everybody knew everybody. Six stoplights in my hometown.

Q: Your dad built a rink.
A: In the backyard. We built like a 30-feet-by-18-foot rink out in the back. It’s enough to just get on the ice before school every morning and work on my skill, he did a lot for me in that regard.

Q: You were a Penguins fan growing up?
A: Alexei Kovalev was my favorite player as a kid. He’s so creative with the puck. Great shot. He’s really fun to watch.

Q: You won the gold medal with Team USA in the 2013 world juniors.
A: That’s one of the hardest tournaments to win. The year before we got seventh place and it was kind of a letdown for everybody. It was a really awesome experience.

Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Phil Mickelson, David Feherty, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Q: Favorite actor?
A: Zach Galifianakis.

Q: Favorite actress?
A: Charlize Theron.

Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Shinedown.

Q: Favorite meal?
A: Steak and potatoes.

Q: Describe the night the Penguins won the Cup in 2009.
A: I remember the year before, they played Detroit, and I was like heartbroken, obviously. For them to play at Detroit the next year and win it was pretty awesome. My whole life I’ve been waiting — I think I was like 16, or 17 years old — for my hometown team to win a Stanley Cup and they did. And I just remember it was like I won the Stanley Cup. And my dad and my brother, we got to all watch it together in my living room. That was pretty special. I think I pretty much understand what the next goal for me is.

Q: Does this team have what it takes to win a Cup?
A: Yeah, I think we have all the good parts to win, we just gotta make sure we execute and put it together.