COLUMBUS, Ohio – Apparently, the Rangers learned their lesson Sunday after their stunning loss to the lowly Montreal Canadiens.
One night later, facing a Columbus Blue Jackets team that sits last in the Eastern Conference and entered the game tied for the second-fewest points in the league and near the top of the Conor Bedard Sweepstakes, the Rangers went to work with purpose and put the Blue Jackets away early, building a three-goal lead through the first two periods and holding on in the third to come away with a 3-1 victory at Nationwide Arena.
Mika Zibanejad 20th goal of the season, making him the sixth Ranger to record six consecutive 20-goal seasons. Filip Chytil, who set up Vitali Kravtsov’s goal that gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead in the second period, established a new career high in points, with his 12th assist and 24th point of the season. And Barclay Goodrow’s power play goal in the first period was the Rangers’ first power play goal in five games, and broke a string of 13 consecutive power play failures.
