Rangers at Blue Jackets
The Metropolitan-leading New York Rangers attempt to complete their four-game road trip with a perfect record Friday as they visit the division-rival Columbus Blue Jackets. New York bounced back from a 5-3 home loss to Vancouver on Nov. 8 in a big way, allowing a total of four goals while amassing 14 in triumphs over Calgary, Edmonton and the Canucks.
The Rangers possess the NHL's most potent offense, as they lead the league with 72 goals, and own the best differential at plus-34. New York, which has won eight of its last nine contests, is expected to have Chris Kreider back in the lineup as the left wing returned to practice Thursday after missing two games with an upper-body injury. Columbus also is seeking perfection as it is wrapping up a three-game homestand that began with victories over St. Louis and Washington. The Blue Jackets have the necessary tools to slow down the high-scoring Rangers, as they rank third in both goals against (33) and differential (plus-14).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (13-4-0): While Kreider figures to play Friday, Pavel Buchnevich likely will miss his third consecutive contest due to back spasms. The 21-year-old Russian right wing had been on a roll prior to getting hurt, scoring a goal in four straight games while adding a pair of assists. J.T. Miller leads the Rangers with 17 points and has landed on the scoresheet in 12 of his 17 contests, with the team winning all 12 matches.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (8-4-2): Columbus has made Nationwide Arena its own, winning each of its last six home games to tie the franchise record after beginning the season with consecutive losses there. Captain Nick Foligno leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 16 points, but the club has received a tremendous contribution from defenseman Zach Werenski, who has registered 13 points in 14 games. The 19-year-old entered Thursday tied for third among all NHL rookies in scoring and fourth among league blue-liners - one point off the lead.
OVERTIME
1. The Rangers assigned C Cristoval Nieves, who logged 11 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time in his NHL debut on Tuesday at Vancouver, to Hartford of the American Hockey League.
2. Columbus activated D Dillon Heatherington from the injured non-roster list and assigned him to Cleveland of the AHL.
3. New York leads the NHL in road victories since the start of the 2013-14 season with 77.