Rangers blow a winnable game, lose 5-3 to Columbus

About the game

The Rangers came out like gangbusters and it paid off almost immediately. 1:29 into the game it was Artemi Panarin scoring on the Rangers’ first shot of the game

. Joonas Korpisalo didn’t look good on the shot and it looked like the Rangers were going to have quite night.

It looked even better when Barclay Goodrow scored off a Braden Schneider shot, the puck deflecting into the net off Goodrow’s foot.

Schneider was very visible joining in the offense, just missing a deflection in the crease eight seconds before Goodrow scored.

Then the wheels came off. Just over a minute later Gustav Nyqvist scored on the rebound of  Patrik Laine shot.  It sure looked like Nyqvist had kicked the puck into the net, but it wasn’t even reviewed and the Blue Jackets were back in the game.

Less than a minute later Goodrow took a tripping penalty and Boone Jenner scored on a point shot.  Should Georgiev had stopped it?  It’s hard to tell, but it was a 2-2 game and the Blue Jackets had new life. The Rangers had little offense the rest of the period and had to kill off a Ryan Lindgren penalty. The Rangers outshot the Blue Jackets 8-5 but did have the advantage at even strength, with a 6-2 scoring chance advantage.  The negative number was the 13 shot attempts taken by the Rangers a night after Calgary had 27 in the first period against the same team.

The second period was all Columbus. The Rangers had a chance four minutes in when Barclay Goodrow had a wide open net, but his shot clanged off the post. The Blue Jacketshad more shot attempts, shots on goal and scoring chances.  The Rangers allowed two goals, one by Sean Kuraly six minutes in, then Boone Jenner got his second goal, a crusher at 12:27.

The Rangers had a great scoring chance with time winding down when Barclay Goodrow had a breakaway, but he just missed as he hit his second post of the period.

The Blueshirts woke up in the third period and finally got on the board when they finally got a power play.  One thing about this Rangers team.  When they draw penalties it means that they are skating and they weren’t doing it for most of the game.  Jake Bean held Dryden Hunt behind the net and the Rangers cashed in on the power play just over a minute into the penalty with one of Mika Zibnejad’s patented one timers.

With the score 4-3 the Rangers pushed hard, but were unable to get the tying goal.  Goodrow hit another post and when the Rangers got another power play with over 11 minute left, it was Jacob Trouba’s turn to hit the post.

They pulled Georgiev and Sean Kuraly shot the puck the length of the ice into the middle of the open net for his second goal and a 5-3 lead.

Here’s a video recap of the game.

The Rangers had a two man advantage when Kevin Rooney drew another penalty with 1:41 left and the goalie pulled but the Rangers kept passing the puck and got only one shot on goal.  It was a demoralizing loss to a team that they should have beaten.