Rangers at Blue Jackets
The New York Rangers have whiffed on two chances to clinch a postseason berth but will try to punch their ticket to the playoffs against yet another opponent they have dominated when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. New York attempts to avert a season-high fourth straight loss as it seeks a seventh consecutive victory over Columbus.
The Rangers' slide, coupled with a torrid stretch by Pittsburgh, has left them trailing the second-place Penguins by five points and sitting two points ahead of the New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division. While the struggling Blue Jackets appear to be a prime matchup, New York is coming off successive losses to Buffalo and Carolina - two teams that have each dropped nine in a row to the Rangers. "We know down the stretch teams are trying to finish on a high note," New York captain Ryan McDonagh told reporters. "It doesn't matter where you are." Columbus halted a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 rout at Carolina on Saturday to cap a four-game road trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (43-26-9): New York suddenly has reason to feel uneasy about the play of longtime standout goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was yanked after allowing three goals on nine shots versus Buffalo - the eighth time in his last 10 starts the he has surrendered at least three tallies. "I have to take a lot of blame for the first three goals," McDonagh told reporters. "I wasn't executing nearly the way I needed." Execution has not been an issue for center Derek Stepan, who has netted three goals to go along with six assists in his last six games.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (31-39-8): Brandon Saad recorded his first career hat trick Saturday, but he was effusive in his praise of 19-year-old Sonny Milano, the 2014 first-round pick who collected his first point in his second NHL game. "He can read the ice, he can make plays and obviously he's speedy," Saad told reporters. "You see him on the forecheck and he's first to pucks and finds guys in the middle. He's fun to play with." Boone Jenner has scored six times in his last eight games to reach 30 for the season, but he's tallied once in seven games versus the Rangers.
OVERTIME
1. Lundqvist is 8-3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average versus Columbus.
2. Blue Jackets D Fedor Tyutin is expected to miss his fifth straight contest due to an undisclosed injury.
3. Ex-Blue Jackets F Rick Nash has three goals in nine games against his former team.