Season Series Recap between New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets
The season series between the New York Rangers and the Columbus Blue Jackets has been a back-and-forth battle that has finally come to an end. With the Rangers having one of the best seasons and the Blue Jackets having one of the worst seasons, this has been an interesting Metro division matchup from beginning to end.
Photo from The Columbus Dispatch
The first time these two teams met this season was on Oct. 14 in Columbus. This was a successful night for the Blue Jackets to say the least. Not only did they pick up their first win of the season, but they gave Pascal Vincent his first coaching victory. Additionally, Boone Jenner would score three goals for a hat trick on the night.
The Rangers would take control quickly scoring 50 seconds into the first period. Columbus would then come back to tie it and take full control as they added three more to take the lead in the second period. The Rangers had some hope when they cut the lead in half, but it just wasn’t enough as the Blue Jackets would win 5-3 in the end.
Photo from The Hockey News
Their second game was on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers had the opportunity to extend their point streak and tie up the series. This game was a nail biter from puck drop to the buzzer sounding. The Blue Jackets would strike first making the score 1-0, but the Rangers would tie it up at 1-1, heading into the second period. In the second period, New York would strike first to get their first lead, but Columbus would score back-to-back goals leading 3-2. Alexis Lafrenière was New York’s best player that night as he tied the game at 3-3 with about 10 seconds left in the third period. He would then go on to win it for the Rangers in the shootout with the final score being 4-3.
Photo from The Washington Post
On Feb. 25, the Blue Jackets would end the Rangers’ 10 game winning streak. Once again, it was a back-and-forth game throughout as both teams kept exchanging goals. It wasn’t until the second period that Columbus would pull away with the lead making the final score 4-2. Adding on to this, the Blue Jackets had the upper hand in the series at 2-1.
The final game between these two teams was on Feb. 28 back in the Garden. The first period would go scoreless, but the Rangers would pick up a 2-0 lead in the second. Cole Sillinger would be the lone goal scorer for Columbus as he cut New York’s lead in half. The Blue Jackets couldn’t capitalize as the Rangers would score two more making the final score 4-1. The result of this series was split at two apiece. This is ironic considering the Rangers are first place in their division and the Blue Jackets are eighth in the same division.
