Rangers demolished by Blue Jackets as they fumble essential back-to-back
The Rangers fumbled a pivotal weekend.
It’s been over two months of scratching and clawing their means again into playoff competition, just for the Blueshirts to lose 7-3 to Columbus on Sunday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard as a part of an 0-1-1 effort in an important back-to-back slate this weekend with main implications within the Japanese Convention wild-card race.
Not as soon as, however twice the Rangers whiffed on an opportunity to step into the highest wild-card spot within the East, after they blew a two-goal lead within the third interval in a 4-3 additional time loss to the Senators on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.
Alternatives for appreciable swings within the standings will solely be fewer and farther between now.
Columbus met this second, selecting up its first win over the Rangers this season to leapfrog the Senators into the primary wild card.
These two groups will meet once more for a ultimate time this common season in lower than per week on March 15 again on the Backyard.
Adam Fantilli’s hat trick performed an integral position in powering the Blue Jackets to victory, however the Rangers have been wide-open defensively.
The Rangers didn’t put up a lot resistance as Zach Werenski danced by way of their zone and dished to Justin Danforth for the primary objective of the sport lower than six minutes in.
The Rangers capped the Blue Jackets at simply two pictures on objective after that, nonetheless, till they have been in a position to tie it up.
Artemi Panarin obtained a stick on an Alexis Lafrenière shot, extending his goal-scoring streak to 5 video games and tying the sport up 1-1 with 29 seconds left within the interval.
Many of the motion unfolded in a six-goal second interval, with the Rangers falling behind by two, tying it up after which falling behind by two once more by its finish.
Two objectives from Fantilli within the span of 24 seconds uncovered the Blueshirts and the way inclined they’ve been to defensive breakdowns this season.
After scoring off the frenzy within the aftermath of Will Borgen’s stick breaking, Fantilli was left on their own in entrance of the online as a number of Rangers chased the puck under the objective line.
Getting outplayed five-on-five, the Rangers made their push shorthanded.
With Will Cuylle within the field for holding, Columbus couldn’t achieve management earlier than Braden Schneider wristed one dwelling from the appropriate faceoff circle.
Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider then stood up on the blue line to ship the puck the opposite means with nobody in entrance of them.
The 2 longest-tenured Rangers handed it forwards and backwards earlier than Kreider buried it for the 3-3 rating, giving the house group two shorthanded objectives within the span of 42 seconds.
It was the primary time the Rangers scored two shorthanded objectives whereas killing the identical penalty since March 5, 2014.
The 2 fast objectives introduced Madison Sq. Backyard again to life, however it was rapidly quieted when play returned to five-on-five.
Mathieu Olivier first redirected a Werenski feed previous Rangers goalie Jonathan Fast (20 saves) earlier than Dante Fabbro whipped one in from the excessive slot.
The 2 objectives within the span of 1:44 had the Rangers trailing 5-3 coming into the third interval.
If the best way the second interval ended didn’t take the air out of the Backyard, an personal objective by Zac Jones simply over midway by way of the third interval actually did.
Trying to glove down a puck that bounced within the air, Jones inadvertently guided it over Fast to offer the Blue Jackets a 6-3 lead.
This earlier than Fantilli accomplished the hat trick and capped the scoring with a objective from on their own within the slot.
