Their game Saturday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets affords the New York Rangers an important opportunity to start winning games within the Metropolitan Division. Then again, the same opportunity is there for the Blue Jackets.
Neither team’s fared very well against division rivals so far this season. The Rangers have lost four of five (1-4-0) against Metro teams, none in more than a month, since a 6-1 thrashing of the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11. An opening-night loss to the Penguins, and subsequent defeats at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders followed that lone division win.