JUST IN: New York Rangers return to face Blue Jackets. After that bitter overtime defeat in Ottawa, the New York Rangers come home to the sanctity of Madison Square Garden to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Following a tough overtime loss in Ottawa, the New York Rangers return to the comfort of Madison Square Garden to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Much like last night’s crucial matchup, this game carries significant weight for the Rangers’ playoff push. Columbus is level with New York in points but holds an edge in points percentage. While the Rangers salvaged a point in Ottawa, they should have secured two. The best way to make up for that is by claiming a full two points tonight and leapfrogging both Ottawa and Columbus in the standings.

Igor Shesterkin played both hero and villain in the previous game, so Jonathan Quick will step in as the starter. Quick, who had a brief stint in Columbus between his time in Los Angeles and Vegas, will aim to defeat what is technically a former team. A win tonight would also allow him to tie Grant Fuhr for 13th on the NHL’s all-time wins list.

There could be lineup adjustments following lackluster performances from Braden Schneider and Chris Kreider. Calvin de Haan and Brett Berard might be reinserted, depending on how head coach Peter Laviolette approaches the matchup. Will he stick with the youth movement and give Berard a shot, or rely on Kreider’s leadership? Will de Haan’s veteran presence help stabilize the defense, or will Zac Jones and Schneider get another chance? The final lineup decisions will be revealed later.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
Dmitri Voronkov – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson – Boone Jenner – Mathieu Olivier
Yegor Chinakhov – Justin Danforth – Luke Kunin
Zach Aston-Reese – Sean Kuraly – James van Riemsdyk
Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk – Ivan Provorov
Jake Christiansen – Damon Severson
Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov

New York Rangers
Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle – J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad
Chris Kreider – Sam Carrick – Juuso Parssinen
Brennan Othmann – Jonny Brodzinski – Matt Rempe
K’Andre Miller – Will Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen – Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy – Zac Jones
Jonathan Quick
Igor Shesterkin

Puck Drop

With the time change, the game starts at 6 p.m., and the Rangers desperately need two points. Facing another team battling to close the gap on New Jersey for the final divisional playoff spot, New York has a prime opportunity to take control of their fate. A victory would put them in a strong position to chase their Hudson River rivals, making up for last night’s disappointing finish.