Rangers use powerful third period to beat Blue Jackets
NEW YORK -- Pavel Buchnevich scored the Rangers' third power-play goal of the third period with 8:33 remaining to help propel New York to a 5-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
The Rangers, who were down 2-0 early in the second period, rallied for their fourth consecutive victory.
Buchnevich scored his sixth of the season off a perfect backhand seam pass from Mika Zibanejad after Columbus took its third offensive-zone penalty of the period.
Michael Grabner scored twice, including an empty-netter with 48.8 seconds remaining, while Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers, who received 22 saves from Henrik Lundqvist.
Artemi Panarin, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand had the Blue Jackets' goals. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.
After a scoreless first period, Panarin ended his 10-game goal drought 38 seconds into the second period.
Defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones were the catalysts on the play, as they cycled the puck with Werenski eventually finding Panarin in the slot. Panarin's second goal of the season gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead.
Anderson made it 2-0 Blue Jackets less than four minutes later. Defenseman Ryan Murray banked a long pass off the right-wing boards, and Anderson collected the puck and buried it stick-side for his sixth goal of the season.
Grabner won a battle in front of the net with defenseman Jack Johnson to draw the Rangers within a goal. J.T. Miller slithered a pass toward the crease, and Grabner was able to nudge Johnson out of the way and push the puck through Bobrovsky with 7:19 remaining in the second period make it 2-1.
With Panarin in the penalty box for high sticking, the Rangers tied it with a power-play goal 5:10 into the third period. Shattenkirk's fifth goal of the year came off a long wrist shot through heavy traffic that beat a screened Bobrovsky to make it 2-2.
After Bjorkstrand put the Blue Jackets back ahead 3-2 with his fifth goal at 8:01, the Rangers took advantage of another power play 1:39 later, when Kreider buried a rebound with Zac Dalpe in the penalty box for elbowing. Bjorkstrand scored his third goal of the season.
NOTES: Blue Jackets LW Matt Calvert (upper body) was placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least three weeks. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash was honored before the game for reaching playing in his 1,000th career regular-season game last week. The ex-Blue Jacket received a silver stick and framed painting among the gifts.