Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: 3 things to watch for seeking payback in crucial clash
One of the marquee matchups in an 11-games NHL schedule Saturday takes place at Nationwide Arena, where the New York Rangers visit the Columbus Blue Jackets in a crucial contest for the two teams tied for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Arguably, the final head-to-head meeting between these Metropolitan Division rivals is slightly more important to the Rangers, since they’ve already played one more game than the Blue Jackets. That game in hand would look pretty huge for Columbus if it found a way to win in regulation on Saturday.
The Rangers (32-28-6) have won two of three against the Blue Jackets (31-26-8) this season. They won a pair of thrillers — a 1-0 shootout victory at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 18 and a 4-3 comeback win in Columbus on Feb. 8.
However, the latest meeting is the one that might add a bit more fuel to the Rangers fire Saturday. Just six days ago, the Blue Jackets steamrolled the Rangers 7-3 at MSG. New York scored twice short-handed on the same penalty kill but was out-scored 7-1 at even strength, with Adam Fantilli recording a hat trick for Columbus.
Since then the Rangers split a pair of road games, playing much better in each. They lost 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday before an uplifting 3-2 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
The Blue Jackets lost each of their two games since Sunday and and have dropped four of their past five games. They were shut out at home 4-0 by the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
Related: Rangers frustrated with calls against Matt Rempe: ‘He’s really not doing anything’
3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Blue Jackets
1. Break the Daniil Tarasov hex
The Blue Jackets will once again start backup goalie Daniil Tarasov against the Rangers. Their No. 1 goalie Elvis Merzlikins is away with his wife, who’s set to give birth to their child. But Tarasov might have gotten this start anyway.
Tarasov’s been excellent against the Rangers this season. In two starts, he’s stopped 58 of 61 shots and surrendered only one goal at even strength. The 25-year-old earned his first NHL shutout Jan. 18 against the Rangers, stopping all 26 shots through 65 minutes. However, Vincent Trocheck beat him in the shootout to hand him a loss to go along with the shutout.
Last Sunday, Tarasov was very good, and couldn’t do much of anything on either short-handed goal scored by the Rangers. But the Blueshirts need to crack the code Saturday, because the rest of the League has against Tarasov, who has a 3.54 goals-against average and .883 save percentage this season.
2. Maintain the trend
Each team has only one win in its past five games — the Rangers are 1-2-2; the Blues Jackets 1-4-0. But a look back at the past six weeks sees the Rangers outpacing the Blues Jackets in the race for a wild-card spot in the East.
Since Feb. 1, the Rangers have earned 18 points with an 8-6-2 record. That’s basically. 500 hockey, with extra points gained via two overtime losses. But it’s seven points better than the Blue Jackets in that same span. Columbus is 5-7-1 in February and March, picking up 11 points, though playing three fewer games than New York.
Still, the Rangers caught the Blue Jackets in points Thursday and can surpass them Saturday. They want to continue that trend Saturday.
3. Out-Foxing Columbus
There appears a chance that Adam Fox could return to the Rangers lineup Saturday. The 27-year-old defenseman was on the top power-play unit at the morning skate and has been practicing with the team the past several days, shedding a no-contact jersey Friday.
The Rangers didn’t do line rushes, so it’s unclear if Fox is definitely going to play for the first time in nine games since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Islanders on Feb. 25.
Also of note, Zac Jones was on PP2, meaning he could remain in the lineup and another defenseman could be scratched or the Rangers might dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards to ease Fox back in.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Cuylle
Lafreniere – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad
Kreider – Carrick – Berard
Othmann – Brodzinski – Rempe
K. Miller – Fox
Vaakanainen – Borgen
Jones – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
When: Saturday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Nationwide Arena
How to watch: MSG
More About:New York Rangers News