For the first time in a while, the New York Rangers' result favored them on the out-of-town scoreboard. The Columbus Blue Jackets, which have been silently troubling for the New York Rangers, fell to the Colorado Avalanche, allowing the Rangers to open up a gap to the Jackets behind them. It's the first time in a while the Rangers got a result to go their way, and now we can talk about what it means going forward.
A commanding 7-3 defeat by the Colorado Avalanche dropped the Blue Jackets, and it was the kind of defeat that can shake a young team. They got rocked by a true contender and burned one of their games in hand. They can no longer tie the Montreal Canadiens, who hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and instead can only tie the Rangers with their game in hand, which would still leave them below the Blueshirts on points percentage.
It's a break for the Blueshirts, who do not deserve it. Since the middle of November, the Rangers have struggled immensely, but they are still within touching distance of the playoff places with just one team cleanly ahead of them in the standings. Now, that cannot be muddied by the Blue Jackets, and the Rangers can set their targets on an old foe: those dang Montreal Canadiens.
Columbus' defeat drops them to a .520 points percentage with 77 points from 74 games. The Rangers hold the first position outside the playoffs with 79 points from 75, and the Canadiens are just two points ahead of the Blueshirts with the same number of games played with 81. Now, the chasing pack will get a chance to close the gap to the teams hunting that final spot, but that isn't a worry for now. The Rangers got a break and need to enjoy that.