The Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers meet in NHL action from Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. Who comes out ahead in Wednesday’s Metro division matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Blue Jackets vs. Rangers Prediction.
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this one looking to sweep the home and home with the Rangers after a 4-2 win over New York last time out. Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets with 42 points including 34 assists while Zach Werenski has 33 points with a team-high 29 assists. Kirill Marchenko has 31 points with a team-high 17 goals and Dmitrii Voronkov has 30 points with 16 goals and 14 assists. Elvis Merzlikins has gone 11-12-7 in goal for Columbus with a 3.29 GAA and a .902 save percentage while Daniil Tarasov is 4-7-2 with a 3.66 GAA and an .887 save percentage this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Facts
- The Blue Jackets have lost each of their last 14 night games following a win.
- The home team has covered the puck line in five of the Blue Jackets’ last six games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in 13 of the Blue Jackets’ last 14 games at Madison Square Garden.
- The home team has won the second period in four of the Blue Jackets’ last five games.
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New York Rangers Team Preview
The New York Rangers will look to bounce back and salvage a split with the Blue Jackets after falling short in game one. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in scoring with 79 points including team-highs of 33 goals and 46 assists while Chris Kreider has 54 points with 29 goals of his own. Vincent Trocheck has 55 points as well with 34 assists while Mika Zibanejad has 54 points with 35 assists this season. Igor Shesterkin has gone 25-12-1 with a 2.70 GAA and a .909 save percentage while Jonathan Quick is 13-5-2 with a 2.45 GAA and a .916 save percentage between the pipes for the Rangers this season.
New York Rangers Team Facts
- The Rangers have won each of their last eight Wednesday games.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in each of the last six games between the Blue Jackets and Rangers.
- The Rangers have won the second period in six of their last seven games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Blue Jackets Vs. Rangers Prediction
I’m on the Rangers here. This is a New York Rangers team that when they get knocked down, they don’t stay down for long and the same can’t be said about the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus has been one of the worst teams in the NHL all year long and playing on the road doesn’t help this team whatsoever given their track record away from home this season. I think the Rangers get revenge in a big way at home so give me New York here.