COLUMBUS, Ohio — Not every game can be as seamless as the Rangers’ season-opening victory.
And it’s even less likely in a matchup that was as eventful at the start as the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.
The game was, however, probably a more realistic representation of where the Blueshirts are at less than a week into the season.
The absence of defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who was sidelined with an upper-body injury despite participating in all team activities leading up to the contest, certainly played a role in the drop-off for a defense that looked so sharp just two days prior.
But the Rangers as a whole missed the mark against a team they could’ve taken care of for a 2-0 start to the season.
“Tough game, funny game,” head coach Peter Laviolette said.
Columbus captain Boone Jenner recorded a hat trick as his team scored four unanswered goals through the first and second periods.
The Rangers, who ultimately outshot the Blue Jackets 42-21, may have opened the scoring 50 seconds in with Erik Gustafsson’s first goal in a red, white and blue sweater, but that was the most control the visitors had all night.
That 1-3-1 neutral zone trap that worked so well in Buffalo?
Columbus largely carved through it and didn’t seem to have much trouble with zone entries.
The lockdown defense that limited the Sabres to mostly low-danger chances? The Blue Jackets found ways to get to the net rather consistently.
And the Rangers’ offense that exploded for five goals?
Some sloppy play with the puck was not conducive to replicating that performance, even if there was a significant uptick in the Rangers’ pace in the third period.
“Gave up those A-plus chances the other way and ended up in the back of the net,” said Chris Kreider, who scored the second of the Rangers’ two third-period goals on the power play after Will Cuylle netted his first NHL goal. “It’s been a long time since we generated a lot of shots like that and drove the play like that and won faceoffs like that, so the process is good, but can’t get impatient and ultimately get to a place where we’re giving those big odd-man rushes the other way.
“Any team will take advantage of that, especially a skilled, young group like that.”
It was a hectic opening 20 minutes, over which three total goals were wiped off the board in a span of 7:08.
Two of the disallowed goals belonged to the Rangers, who trailed 2-1 going into the first intermission as a result.
After Gustafsson scored his first goal as a Ranger 50 seconds into the game, Filip Chytil finished a tic-tac-toe play with Alexis Lafreniere and Gustafsson. Columbus challenged for offside and the goal didn’t count.
And after Jenner scored his first goal of the night to even the score, 1-1, the Rangers nearly retook the lead when Mika Zibanejad forced a turnover and scored from the slot shortly thereafter.
Columbus challenged for offside again and, you guessed it, it didn’t count.
A review finally went the Rangers’ way after captain Jacob Trouba dove and saved a would-be goal from Patrik Laine, whose shot trickled past goalie Igor Shesterkin.
The ref waived his arm to signal a goal, the deafening signature Columbus cannon went off and Blue Jackets fans in attendance cheered.
But refs reviewed the play immediately and eventually deemed that the puck had not crossed the line.
Jenner’s power-play goal at the 18:38 mark, however, gave Columbus its first lead of the night and one the Blue Jackets never relinquished.
“It was weird and it seemed like the game was kind of wonky from there,” Adam Fox said. “I think we kind of lost our rhythm a little bit.”
