Game Preview: Blue Jackets Aim To Stop The Bleeding, Face Metro-Leading New York Rangers

NEW YORK RANGERS
10-2-1 (21 pts; .808%) ROSTER SCHEDULE
7:00 P.M. – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN NEW YORK, NY
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play
ODDS & PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 29%
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ +240

The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of just two teams this season to hand the New York Rangers a regulation loss. 

That 5-3 victory October 14th seems like ancient history, though — and was certainly not a sign of things to come for either team.

Here's what to know when the puck drops from the world-famous Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple:

TALKING POINTS: NYR

• The Rangers have picked up a point in at least nine straight game (8-0-1) and have reached the "clicking on all cylinders" portion of the season about as early as a team can. Since the loss to the Blue Jackets in the first weekend of the season, only the Nashville Predators (4-1 on October 19th) have given the Rangers a zero-point game.
   
• Converting at a better than one-in-three clip, New York's 35.7% power play ranks second in the league behind only the New Jersey Devils. In their only two games without a power play goal this season, the Rangers had just one opportunity for the entire game.
   
• Five Rangers (Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Vincent Trochek, Mika Zibanejad) are already in double-digit points, with two more (

  Alexis Lafrenière and Erik Gustafsson) just a point away. By comparison, the Blue Jackets point-leaders are Boone Jenner and Ivan Provorov, both at nine. Zibanejad, who led New York in goals last season (39), has scored just twice this season despite playing every game and leading the team in ice time amongst forwards. When he gets going, look out

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• It was another slow start for the Blue Jackets on Saturday, and yet somehow another game that they would eventually lead in before ultimately coming up short. After falling behind 2-0 to the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus would take a 3-2 lead before an eventual 5-4 loss. It is worth noting, though, that with a 3-for-3 penalty kill, the Blue Jackets are now at seven straight games (and 18 straight attempts) without allowing a goal when down a man. At an 88.4% kill rate, Columbus now has the third-best PK in the league.
   
• Patrik Laine was back in the lineup for the first time since a dirty hit on October 20th from the Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson. Head coach Pascal Vincent wasted no time getting Laine right back to where he was: playing big minutes on the top line. He was second amongst forwards in ice time (18:17, behind only Johnny Gaudreau's 18:35), lead the team in shots on goal (4), and scored in the third-period to cut Columbus' deficit in half. Expect more of the same Sunday from big #29.
   
• After a sharp start to the season, the Blue Jackets goaltending has drifted from "surprisingly good" to "more of the same." There's no doubt that sloppy turnovers and unforced errors have put the tandem of Elviz Merzlikins and Spencer Martin in unnecessary peril way too often through the first month, but allowing five goals in three straight games is a cause for concern.

Updated: 7:05 a.m. 
Subject to Change