NYR 4, CBJ 3: Late Goal Pushes Rangers Past Blue Jackets In Final Game Before 4-Nations Break

	1	2	3	F
	1	1	2	4
	2	1	0	3
CBJ GOALS:  K. Johnson (P1, 14:31) Danforth (P1, 15:29) van Riemsdyk (P2, 17:17)

That one stung. 

Will Cuylle scored two third-period goals, including the game-winner with 1:39 left in regulation, as the New York Rangers edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Saturday night in a gut-punch of a loss.

The Blue Jackets fell behind early, with the Rangers scoring in the first two minutes. It was an abysmal start for Columbus, who could have been behind by even more in the opening minutes if not for a couple of big saves from Elvis Merzlikins.

"We didn't start right," said head coach Dean Evason. "(We) turned pucks over, some uncharacteristic things."

Evason gathered the players during the first television timeout of the night and delivered a message.

"We thought as a staff that they needed a little kick in the ass. Just to remember how we play ... and we immediately played better," said Evason. "Not because of that, but just the reminder helped."

Columbus would take a 2-1 lead by the end of the period on goals from Justin Danforth and Kent Johnson. For Johnson, his 17th goal of the season set a new career high. 

The teams would exchange goals in the second period, with the Rangers tying it at 6:38 of the middle frame and the Blue Jackets regaining a lead, this time 3-2, in the final three minutes of the period.

Cuylle would strike for the first time in the opening two minutes of the third, tying the game at 3-3.

He would strike again — this time to deliver the Rangers a win — when Denton Mateychuk's clearing attempt was deflected and took a terrible break, going right to Cuylle with no one between him and Merzlikins.

Columbus was outshot 17-4 unable to generate many good looks for much of the period, but came close twice: both Adam Fantilli and Zach Aston-Reese hit the crossbar just a few minutes apart, either of which could have sent the game in a completely different direction.

Instead, Columbus enters the 4-Nations Face Off break on a four-game losing streak, their longest in nearly two months.

Here's how the Blue Jackets went into the break:

1st Period:

(1:56 — NYR Goal): The Rangers get on the board early with a wrap-around goal from Arthur Kaliyev, who pushes past Jordan Harris to the right of Merzlikins, then quickly darts behind the net and gets the wrap-around just past the edge of Elvis' left skate to make it 1-0 Rangers.

(14:31 — CBJ Goal): Werenski's clean pass from the slot sets Johnson up perfectly for his 17th goal of the season but before Z touches the puck, Adam Fantilli makes a pair of quick decisions that lead to the goal. The first comes with a quick poke to stop the Rangers from getting possession, and the second is when he pulls the defender away from Werenski on a soft pass to Z, who then sees KJ alone to the left of Quick. He beats the 39-year-old goalie to tie the game at 1-1.

One period in the books and here's the first of two goals in the opening frame by the #CBJ, who lead it 2-1.

A clean pass from Z in the slot over to KJ, who picks up his 17th of the season. pic.twitter.com/R4ewLy0NBp

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 9, 2025

(15:29 — CBJ Goal): Less than a minute after the Blue Jackets tie it, they take the lead on Danforth's second goal in as many games. The unsung hero of this sequence doesn't even pick up an assist: Mathieu Olivier. He helps clear the Columbus zone and push the puck up the ice. Zach Aston-Reese enters the zone with it, who gets it to Jack Johnson. He fires from near the left dot and Danforth is right next to Quick for the tip-in goal to make it 2-1 Columbus.

#CBJ were outshot 12-10 in the first but lead where it matters: it's 2-1 Blue Jackets as the second period is set to begin. Justin Danforth had goal #2 for Columbus in the opening frame for his 5th goal of the season.pic.twitter.com/tJfxiwCvG3

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 9, 2025

2nd Period

(6:38 — NYR Goal): With Damon Severson and Vincent Trocheck in the box for offsetting minors, the Rangers tie it at 2-2 while the teams were playing 4-on-4. Adam Fox gets it to Mika Zibanejad, who gets off an intense wrister to bring New York back to even.

(17:17 — CBJ Goal): An excellent display of passing here that leads to the goal to put the Blue Jackets back in front, 3-2. van Riemsdyk enters the zone and gently pushes the puck over to Sillinger, who passes cross-ice to Severson. While that's happening, JVR charges the net and takes Severson's perfectly-placed pass and taps it home to regain Columbus' lead.

Period three starts now. If the #CBJ win, they enter the 4-Natios break in a wild card spot.

Here's the goal of the night (so far) JVR's 11th of the season to put the Blue Jackets up 3-2.pic.twitter.com/7oyuBysZLF

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 9, 2025

3rd Period

(1:57 — NYR Goal): Another early-period goal for the Rangers, this one from Cuylle to bring the game even at 3-3. He gets a shot off from distance and it makes its way through plenty of traffic for his 14th of the season.

(18:21 — NYR Goal): Mateychuk's clearing attempt is tipped just enough by Trocheck and then takes the worst possible bounce of the boards, with the puck going right to Cuylle. He beats Merzlikins for the second time in the period to put the Rangers in front 4-3, a lead they would keep.

Stat Chat:

• After Harris was pushed off the puck in the opening minutes, he was benched for the remainder of the period and saw just two more shifts in the game — both in the second frame. He finished with 2:02 of ice time.
   
• Neither team had a power-play. Severson and Trocheck's minors that led to a 4-on-4 was the only whistle of the game.
   
• For the game, Columbus was outshot 40-25 — the eighth time in the last nine games they were outshot by the opposition.

Up Next:

The banged-up Jackets get a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face Off. Zach Werenski is the exception, as he'll represent Team USA in the tournament. Columbus' next game is Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 7 p.m. against the Chicago Blackhawks.