Game Preview: Rangers Host Blue Jackets To Complete Home-And-Home Series

NY RANGERS

39-17-3 (81 pts; .686%) 1st, Metro Division ROSTER SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN  NEW YORK, NY

TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play (Out of Market)

It was one of the most complete games of the season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and arguably their best win of the 2023-24 calendar.

But following the Blue Jackets 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers at Nationwide Arena on Sunday, how will they fare when the two teams meet again Wednesday night — this time from the world-famous Madison Square Garden?

Here's what to know when the Blue Jackets and Rangers run it back Wednesday night in the teams final match against each other of the season:

TALKING POINTS: NYR

• Sunday's loss was their first L on the calendar in the month of February, and their 7th road loss of the season by multiple goals. The first? Also the Blue Jackets, a 5-3 Columbus win in the opening week of the season.
   
• Jonathan Quick was in net Sunday night, but Igor Shesterkin likely gets the start Wednesday in front of his home crowd. Shesterkin has won his last six starts, giving up just one goal in each of his last three starts. That's even more impressive when you consider a) that he faced 40 or more shots in all three games and b) all three opponents (New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Dallas) have offenses that can bury the biscuit.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• With successful penalty kills on both of the New York power plays Sunday, the Blue Jackets have now killed off ten straight penalties. That's something they haven't done since late November. That's also the last time the team won consecutive games, a streak that has a chance to come to an end with a victory in the Big Apple.
   
•  This is the first of a back-to-back for the Blue Jackets, so Daniil Tarasov and Elvis Merzlikins are both likely to get a start over the next two days. The game ranked as Merzlikins 5th best start of the season by save percentage and so it will be interesting to see if head coach Pascal Vincent puts him in net Wednesday, or opts for Tarasov to kick off the back-to-back. That said, here are the projected (and subject to change) lines: