The New York Rangers are back in action Saturday night, and after what happened Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, they have plenty to prove. The Rangers head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, looking to put that embarrassing 7-1 loss behind them and get back to playing the kind of hockey that helped them get off to a strong start this season.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, and this is a game the Rangers should be looking to win.
New York comes into the matchup with a 6-3-0 record, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division with 12 points, just one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes. That’s a pretty good position to be in after nine games, but Thursday’s loss was a tough one to swallow. Giving up seven goals to a division rival is never a good look, and the Rangers need to show that one bad night isn’t going to derail their season.
Luckily, they’ll get a chance to respond against a Columbus team that has struggled early on.
Lafrenière Has Been a Bright Spot
One of the biggest positives for the Rangers so far has been Alexis Lafrenière. He’s off to an excellent start, leading the team with seven goals and 11 points through nine games. He’s been finding ways to put the puck in the net, and the Rangers will need him to keep that going if they want to get back in the win column.
Lafrenière has looked comfortable offensively, and it’s encouraging to see him making an impact night after night. The Rangers need that kind of production, especially when the rest of the lineup isn’t always clicking.
Of course, they can’t rely on one player to do all the work. The Rangers need more contributions throughout the lineup, whether it’s from their top-six forwards or the guys further down the roster. Getting some secondary scoring would go a long way toward making this offense more dangerous.
Against Columbus, this is a good opportunity for New York to get things going offensively and build some confidence again.
Columbus Is Struggling, But the Rangers Can’t Take Them Lightly
The Blue Jackets haven’t exactly had the start they were hoping for. They enter Saturday with a 2-3-0 record and have dropped their last two games. They’re sitting near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, and they’ll be looking to take advantage of a Rangers team coming off a rough performance.
Cole Sillinger has been one of Columbus’ more productive players, putting up three goals and two assists for five points. Charlie Coyle has also contributed five assists, giving the Blue Jackets a couple of players who can make things happen offensively.
On paper, this looks like a favorable matchup for the Rangers. New York has the better record, more offensive production and a lot more to feel good about over the course of the season so far.
But we’ve all seen how quickly things can go wrong in the NHL. The Rangers can’t show up expecting Columbus to hand them a win. They need to play with energy from the opening faceoff and avoid giving the Blue Jackets any reason to believe they can pull off an upset.
A fast start would be huge, especially for a team looking to shake off the frustration of Thursday night.
The Rangers Need a Much Better Defensive Effort
Let’s be honest: giving up seven goals isn’t going to cut it.
The Rangers’ defensive game fell apart against New Jersey, and they’ll need to be much sharper against Columbus. That means fewer turnovers, better coverage in front of the net and a much stronger effort when the Blue Jackets have possession.
The Rangers don’t necessarily need to score five or six goals to win this game. They need to play a responsible game defensively, make life easier on their goaltender and take advantage of the opportunities they create.
That’s been one of the frustrating things about watching a team with this much talent. When the Rangers are moving the puck well and playing responsibly in their own end, they can be a tough team to beat. But when the mistakes start piling up, things can get ugly in a hurry.
Saturday is a chance to show that they understand what went wrong and are ready to correct it.
Special teams will also be worth watching. The Rangers need to make the most of their power-play opportunities while staying disciplined at the other end. Giving Columbus extra chances could be exactly what the Blue Jackets need to get back into the game.
Three Things I’m Watching Against Columbus
1. Can the Rangers put Thursday behind them?
The biggest thing for me is how New York responds. Every team has bad games, but it’s how you bounce back that matters. A strong first period would go a long way toward putting some of those concerns to rest.
2. Can Lafrenière keep rolling?
He’s been the team’s most productive offensive player so far, and another big performance would be a welcome sight. If he keeps scoring and the rest of the lineup chips in, the Rangers should have a good chance to win.
3. Will the defense clean things up?
This is the big one. The Rangers can’t afford another performance like the one against New Jersey. They need to protect the puck, stay out of trouble and make sure Columbus doesn’t get easy scoring chances.
Final Thoughts: This Is a Game the Rangers Need to Win
Nobody is going to panic over one loss in October, but the way the Rangers lost to New Jersey was concerning. Getting blown out by a division rival is never fun, and the team needs to respond with a much better effort on Saturday.
The good news is that New York has played well enough through its first nine games to put itself in a solid position. The Rangers are near the top of the division, Lafrenière is producing, and there’s still plenty of time to build momentum.
Now they need to show that Thursday was just a bad night.
Columbus is struggling, and this is a matchup the Rangers should feel good about. That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy, but if New York plays a full 60 minutes, takes care of the puck and gets some timely scoring, there’s no reason it can’t come away with two points.
My prediction: Rangers win 4-2. I think New York comes out with something to prove, gets a strong offensive performance and does just enough defensively to avoid another disappointing night.
After Thursday’s disaster, Rangers fans deserve a much better effort. Let’s see if the team can deliver.
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