The Rangers bought one final win earlier than the break in recreation motion for the 4 Nations Face-Off event, however it could’t precisely be categorised as going out on a excessive notice.
As a result of even after taking a 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday night time at Nationwide Enviornment, the Blueshirts nonetheless misplaced 4 of their ultimate seven video games and will definitely have their work reduce out for them in a 27-game dash to the regular-season end line after they return from the practically two-week pause.
Will Cuylle scored each of the Rangers’ third-period targets to safe the victory, with the final one coming with simply 1:39 left in regulation.
Pouncing on a free puck off a failed clearing try by Columbus, Cuylle blasted his fifteenth purpose of the season to safe the victory.
Mika Zibanejad posted a two-point effort in his return to middle within the loss, giving the Swede eight factors (two targets, six assists) up to now 5 video games.
A laser shot from the 31-year-old tied the sport at two-all for the Rangers on the 6:38 mark of the second interval, however the Rangers’ lingering points defending the frenzy continued to chunk them.
Columbus ahead James van Riemsdyk scored on an basically empty internet after a tic-tac-toe passing sequence in transition gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 lead later within the center body.
It counted because the Rangers’ seventh straight recreation of trailing going into the third interval.
The Rangers have been upset with their third-period effort on Friday, and so Saturday night time noticed a a lot better one. Cuylle managed to even the rating for a 3rd time lower than two minutes into the ultimate 20, when the 23-year-old whipped the puck in by way of visitors from lengthy vary throughout a delayed penalty.
Head coach Peter Laviolette emphasised the significance of a quick begin throughout his pregame availability, and the Rangers delivered at first.
In his first recreation again within the lineup after serving as a wholesome scratch within the earlier 4, Arthur Kaliyev opened up the scoring for the Rangers on a candy wraparound purpose just below two minutes into the sport.
The Blue Jackets, nevertheless, took benefit of the dysfunction within the Rangers zone. Scoring twice within the span of lower than a minute, Columbus was in a position to take a one-goal lead into the primary intermission.
After Kent Johnson tied it up off a pointy angle on the 14:31 mark, Justin Danforth bought to the web first because the Rangers’ leisurely back-check — notably from Alexis Lafreniere — allowed for former Ranger Jack Johnson to feed the Blue Jackets wing in entrance for the 2-1 rating.