Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions February 8th 2025

New York Seeks a Strong Response After Tough Loss

The New York Rangers are eager to bounce back as they hit the road for a Saturday showdown with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming off a frustrating 3-2 home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers are looking to regain momentum before heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Friday’s defeat to Pittsburgh was a tough pill to swallow, particularly since the Penguins were without their superstar duo, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Despite taking early leads of 1-0 and 2-1, the Rangers saw their advantage slip away in the second period and couldn’t mount a comeback in the third, despite outshooting Pittsburgh 7-0 in the final frame.

Rangers’ Offense Shows Promise but Lacks Finish

Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox provided the offensive spark for New York, with Trocheck contributing a goal and an assist. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin did his part in net, stopping 23 of 26 shots, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the loss.

After the game, center Mika Zibanejad acknowledged the team’s struggles, emphasizing the need for consistency across all three periods.

“I think it’s just in general our first two periods are not very good, and we dig ourselves a bit of a hole and then we have to try to climb out of it again in the third,” Zibanejad said. “We were unable to do that today, so (we) can’t just rely on the first and third period to win the game.”

The Rangers now shift their focus to Columbus, aiming to finish strong before the break. Historically, they’ve had the upper hand in this matchup, winning six of their past eight meetings against the Blue Jackets. The last time these teams met, New York emerged victorious in a 1-0 shootout battle on Jan. 18.

Columbus Seeks Stability After Recent Skid

Columbus enters the game struggling for consistency, having dropped three straight contests following a three-game winning streak. Their most recent setback came in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club, despite a strong individual performance from defenseman Ivan Provorov, who scored for a career-best third consecutive game.

Justin Danforth also broke a personal drought, netting his first goal in 19 games. After the loss, Danforth voiced the team’s frustration, acknowledging the need for steadier performances.

“There’s no excuses for us,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being a consistent team. I felt like we were there for most of the night but just not good enough.”

Blue Jackets’ Home Ice Advantage Could Be Key

Despite recent struggles, Columbus remains one of the NHL’s most formidable home teams, boasting a 17-5-4 record at Nationwide Arena. A significant factor in that success has been the outstanding play of defenseman Zach Werenski.

With an assist against Utah, Werenski extended his home point streak to 20 games, joining an elite group of just four defensemen in NHL history to achieve such a feat.

Werenski also shattered the Blue Jackets’ franchise record for points in a season by a defenseman, reaching 58 (17 goals, 41 assists). His previous best of 57 points was shared with Seth Jones, who set the mark in 2017-18.

A Pivotal Matchup Before the Break

With both teams eager for a strong finish before the break, this Metropolitan Division battle promises to be a high-energy clash. The Rangers will be looking to sharpen their early-game performance, while the Blue Jackets hope to defend their home ice dominance and snap their losing skid.