After a disappointing effort against the Montreal Canadiens, the Rangers headed to Columbus looking to get back on track against a similarly weak appointment. They did just that, with an easy 3-1 victory.
Within the first ten minutes of the game, the Rangers, already without Chris Kreider and Julien Gauthier, saw Ryan Lindgren head to the locker room after being boarded by Mathieu Oliver. The ensuing powerplay looked good but didn’t score. Later in the period, the Blue Jackets and Rangers traded minor penalties, resulting in four-on-four. Kaapo Kakko received a pass from Adam Fox before skating into the neutral zone and drawing three Columbus skaters.