Game Preview: Blue Jackets Seek To Shake-Off Saturday's Struggles In Sunday Affair With Panarin, Rangers

NEW YORK RANGERS

3–1–1 (7 points)

5:00 P.M. – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 MADINSON SQUARE GARDEN NEW YORK, NY

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market)

For the second consecutive weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets hit the road for the second half of a home-and-road, back-to-back against different opposition. They face the New York Rangers for a 5:00 p.m. start from the Big Apple.

The first half of the back-to-back got off to a great start. Kent Johnson scored the first goal of his career and several Columbus forwards had arguably the best game of their season — contributing factors that gave the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period. But shaky defense and worrisome goaltending caught up to the Blue Jackets, who gave up five unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 loss. 

Sunday brings another divisional rival, another team with Stanley Cup aspirations, and another chance for Columbus to disrupt the Metropolitan Division.

TALKING POINTS: RANGERS

• New York is in the midst of a weird schedule. After three games in four nights to start the season, the Rangers schedule came to a halt. They've played just two games over the last eight days, but Sunday's game is the beginning of a stretch of six games in ten nights. It's hard to be consistent when the schedule isn't, which might explain their home loss Thursday to the lowly San Jose Sharks.
   
• Goaltender Igor Shesterkin is off to a start that would make most clubs (and their fans) happy, but his 2.75 goals against and .901 save percentage are both lower than his career averages (2.33, .927) and worse than any of his four seasons in the league. The sample size is nil (four starts), but Shesterkin is showing that he is, in fact, human, 
   
• Blue Jacket fans know how special of a player Artemi Panarin is. Not only does he lead the team in assists in points, he leads the league (tied, but in fewer games played) in those categories, as well. Panarin's points per 60 minutes through his first five games sits at 6.72. That trails over St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko (6.80) and more than doubles his points per 60 during his two-year stint as a Blue Jacket. 
   
• New York has, for the most part, two top lines. Chris Kreider, Mike Zibanejad. and Kappo Kakko are a dangerous trio, but so too is the grouping of Alexis Lafrenire, Vinnie Trocheck, and the aforementioned Panarin. It's a two-headed monster that seem poised to give fits to an inexperienced Columbus defense.