COLUMBUS, Ohio — Not every game will be as seamless because the Rangers’ season-opening victory.
And it’s even less likely in a matchup that was as eventful as the beginning to the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.
This game was, nonetheless, probably a more realistic representation of where the Blueshirts are at lower than per week into the season.
The late scratching of defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who was sidelined with an upper-body injury despite participating in all team activities leading as much as the competition, definitely played a job within the drop-off on defense that looked so sharp just two days prior.
However the Rangers as an entire missed the mark on this one against a team they may’ve taken care of for a 2-0 begin to the season.
Columbus captain Boone Jenner recorded a hat trick as his team scored 4 unanswered goals through the primary and second periods.
Rookie Will Cuylle scored his first NHL goal and Chris Kreider netted a power-play tally toward the tip of the third, but it surely was too late for the Rangers to construct off it.
The Rangers can have opened the scoring 50 seconds in off of Erik Gustafsson’s first goal in a red, white and blue sweater, but that was essentially the most control the visitors had all night.
That 1-3-1 neutral zone trap that worked so well in Buffalo?
Columbus largely carved through it and didn’t appear to have much trouble with zone entries.
The lockdown defense that limited the Sabres to mostly low-danger possibilities?
The Blue Jackets found ways to get to the web moderately consistently.
And the Rangers’ offense that exploded for five goals?
Some sloppy play with the puck was not conducive to replicating that performance.
It was a busy opening 20 minutes, over which three total goals were wiped off the board within the span of seven:08.
Two of the disallowed goals belonged to the Rangers, who trailed 2-1 going into the primary intermission because of this.
After Gustafsson scored his first goal as a Ranger 50 seconds into the sport, Filip Chytil finished a tic-tac-toe play with Alexis Lafreniere and Gustafsson.
Columbus challenged for offside and it didn’t count.
And after Jenner scored his first goal of the night to even the rating, 1-1, the Rangers nearly retook the lead when Mika Zibanejad forced a turnover and scored from the slot shortly thereafter.
Columbus challenged for offside again and, you guessed it, it didn’t count.
The Blueshirts finally saw a review go their way after Rangers captain Jacob Trouba dove and saved a would-be goal from Patrik Laine, whose shot trickled past goalie Igor Shesterkin.
The ref waived his arm to signal a goal, the deafening signature Columbus cannon went off and Blue Jackets fans in attendance cheered.
Refs reviewed the play immediately and ultimately deemed that the puck didn’t cross the road.
Jenner’s power-play goal on the 18:38 mark, nonetheless, gave Columbus their first lead of the night.
The drastic difference within the Rangers’ defense when Lindgren isn’t a component of it continues to be apparent.
Head coach Peter Laviolette stuck with the top-four D pairs the club has used for years for a reason – because they’ve made up one in every of the more formidable defense cores within the NHL.
Without Lindgren, Zac Jones drew into the lineup and skated next to Braden Schneider, while Adam Fox lined up next to Gustafsson.
The Jones-Schneider duo was on the ice for 2 of Jenner’s goals, while Schneider was on for all three.