Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: Lineups, storylines for Metro showdown
Their game Saturday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets affords the New York Rangers an important opportunity to start winning games within the Metropolitan Division. Then again, the same opportunity is there for the Blue Jackets.
Neither team has fared very well against division rivals this season. The Rangers have lost four of five (1-4-0) against Metro teams, with the only win a 6-1 thrashing of the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11. An opening-night loss to the Penguins, and subsequent defeats at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders followed that lone division win.
The Rangers were 12-13-1 against division opponents last season, but they took three of four from the Blue Jackets. It’s important they get back on track against Metro foes this season if they wish to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing in 2024-25. By the looks of things, the division — and the entire Eastern Conference — is going to be a dogfight, making head-to-head games against Metropolitan Division opponents crucial.
The Blue Jackets are 1-3-0 within the division this season. They lost to the New Jersey Devils and Capitals before a road win against the Penguins on Oct. 25. Columbus lost on Long Island the following week.
The Rangers and Blue Jackets fare well against Atlantic Division opponents. As such, the Rangers are 5-4-1 in the Eastern Conference and the Blue Jackets are 4-3-0.
In a broad view, the Rangers (9-7-2) feel good about things. They scored 13 goals in consecutive victories this week and come off a 7-3 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York is a point out of a wild card and owns the best road record (8-1-1) in the NHL.
Part of that road success stems from the Rangers leading the League with a plus-16 goal differential away from Madison Square Garden, allowing an NHL-low 2.00 goals per game on the road.
The Blue Jackets (9-7-1) are streaky so far this season. They’ve won two straight after a four-game slide (0-3-1) that followed a four-game winning streak. Though no longer the surprise they were a year ago, the Blue Jackets still have the feel of being an upstart team in the East.
Whoever loses Saturday must sit on that defeat for nearly four months, since the Rangers and Blue Jackets don’t play again until March 2 at MSG.
3 storylines when Rangers visit Blue Jackets
1. Will Borgen status
Will Borgen took part in the morning skate, and Coach Mike Sullivan anticipates that the 28-year-old defenseman will play against the Blue Jackets. Borgen missed practice and was listed as day to day with an upper-body injury Friday. He’s played 285 consecutive games, including 84 for the Rangers and Seattle Kraken last season.
It’s not known what’s bothering Borgen or when he might’ve been hurt. He logged 19:47 TOI against the Lightning and scored his first goal since last March in the win.
If Borgen doesn’t play Saturday, expect Braden Schneider to move up into the second pair alongside Carson Soucy, and Matthew Robertson to draw in on the third pair with Urho Vaakanainen.
Sullivan did confirm that Igor Shesterkin starts in goal against the Blue Jackets. That means Jonathan Quick likely gets the call for the second time this season against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, after a 4-1 road win last week.
2. Like he’s never been gone
Talk about seamless transitions. Vincent Trocheck has two multiple-point games (two goals, two assists) since returning to New York’s lineup after the veteran center missed 14 straight with an upper-body injury. He had two assists and sparked linemates Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin during a 6-3 home-ice win over the Nashville Predators on Monday. Trocheck followed that with his first two goals of the season Wednesday in Tampa Bay.
The 32-year-old is also getting underneath opponents’ skin — giving and taking bumps, chirping, winning big face-offs and playing a key role on the PK. Not surprisingly, the Rangers won each of his first two games back — and perhaps it’s a coincidence they’ve broken out offensively with 13 goals in the past two games. Or maybe it’s not such a coincidence.
Keep an eye on Trocheck against the Blue Jackets. He’s got 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists ) in 36 games against them.
3. Kirill the Thrill, Part 2
Earlier this season, the Rangers did a good job shutting down Kirill Kaprizov. Despite losing 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20, the Rangers held the superstar forward in check throughout before Kaprizov scored an empty-net goal.
Saturday, they face a similar challenge against Kirill the Thrill, Part 2.
Kirill Marchenko not only leads the Blue Jackets in goals (8), assists (11), and points (19), the 25-year-old forward brings a career-high 10-game point streak (three goals, nine assists) into the game. He scored 31 goals last season and has 21 or more each of the past three seasons. In 10 games against the Rangers, Marchenko has two goals and five points. Shutting him down is key for the Rangers on Saturday.
New York Rangers projected lineup
J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault
Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary
Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh
Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox
Carson Soucy — Will Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
When: Saturday Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Nationwide Arena
How to watch: MSG
