From Rock Bottom to Redemption: Rangers Silence the Cannon and Save Their Season

Solid Rangers Offense Mitigated by Lone Achilles Heel:

Fantilli nearly opened the second period with a bang, just a step away from a clean breakaway, but Quick was up to the task, kicking it away just over a minute in. That set the tone for a period where the Rangers had their chances but again found themselves on the wrong end of a key defensive lapse.

Columbus started pushing early, pinning Mika Zibanejad's line, with Kreider and Kaliyev deep in the defensive zone for an extended shift. The Rangers finally got some looks, with Vincent Trocheck getting a decent shot off, followed by two chances from Alexis Lafrenière—one going wide, the other blocked. They weren't high-danger chances, but at least New York was getting pucks toward the net. Meanwhile, Quick had an adventure trying to clear the puck, handing it right to Fantilli, who luckily missed the net.

Matt Rempe, surprisingly one of the Rangers' most active forwards, ripped another good shot on goal, forcing Merzlikins into a save. While it's excellent that Rempe was involved, the fact that he was leading the team in shots wasn't exactly a great sign for the rest of the offense. Moments later, Kreider found himself alone in front but fired high and wide—another frustrating miss in a night full of them.

Then things got a little chippy. Trocheck shoved Damon Severson from behind as both were heading off for a line change. Severson took offense, turned around, and even had his gloves off, but Trocheck didn't engage. There was no fight, but the tension was rising.

Finally, the Rangers broke through. Kreider dropped the puck to Adam Fox, who held onto it long enough to draw the Columbus defenders before finding Zibanejad on the left side. Mika didn't hesitate, blasting it past Merzlikins to tie the game at two.

A beautiful play and a fun little side note—Zibanejad (Sweden), Fox (USA), and Kreider (USA) are all headed to the Four Nations Tournament on Sunday, which begins this week. Maybe they were giving us a little preview.

Columbus nearly answered right back with two quick chances just as a power play expired, but the visitors kept them to the outside. Will Borgen made a strong defensive play along the boards, and K'Andre Miller stepped up to throw Fantilli off balance as he tried to dance around him.

The Rangers had a solid shift in the offensive zone, with Zibanejad's line cycling the puck well. They held possession long enough to get a full charge, but Werenski finally cleared the zone to end the pressure. That was a key moment because Columbus made them pay moments later.

Severson broke up two passes in the slot, setting the Jackets off to the races. Del Bel Belluz sent a breakout pass off the boards to James van Riemsdyk, who entered the zone and dropped it back to Cole Sillinger. Sillinger then found Severson cutting across, who quickly slid it back to JVR, which was utterly untouched in the slot. Ryan Lindgren reached for the puck instead of stepping up, and Van Riemsdyk buried it past Quick. It is a textbook rush goal and another example of why the Rangers rank 30th in the league in rush chances. Lafrenière and Will Cuylle stopped skating on the backcheck, giving Severson too much time to create the play.

With time winding down, Quick came up big to keep the deficit at one, stopping Mathieu Olivier twice in the final seconds, Yet the Rangers trailed 3-2 after two periods—the seventh straight game they've been behind heading into the third.