Zuccarello scores 2, but Rangers tumble for 6th time in last 7
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nick Foligno scored twice, Sergei Bobrovsky returned from a team suspension and stopped 22 shots and the Columbus Blue Jackets held off a late surge to defeat the New York Rangers 7-5 Sunday night. Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin each had a goal and an assist, Ryan Murray had two assists and nine other players picked up points in the offensive explosion for Columbus. However, two goals by the Rangers late in the third period turned it into a closer game. The Blue Jackets have won four of their last five games, despite being terrible on the power play. They managed the wild victory over the Rangers despite coming up empty on five power plays. Mats Zuccarello had two goals, and Ryan Strome, Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey also scored for the Rangers, who have lost six of their past seven games. Alexandar Georgiev, spelling starter Henrik Lundqvist on the second night of a backto-back, had 33 saves for New York. Anthony Duclair, Lukas
Sedlak and David Savard also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Bobrovsky — who had been benched for Thursday’s game for violating a team policy and didn’t play in Saturday’s overtime win over Washington — wasn’t terrific, but held off the Rangers after they pulled the goalie for a sixth skater late in the game. Zuccarello and Vesey scored to cut the Rangers’ deficit to one, but Foligno’s second goal with 1:26 left in the game gave Columbus some breathing room. The Blue Jackets’ 19 shots in the first period were the most in a period for the team this season. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski played in his 200th NHL game. Rick Nash, who was the first star of the Columbus franchise, did the ceremonial puck drop. The 34-yearold Nash retired because of concussion issues after 15 seasons. Rangers defenseman Neal Pionk returned after missing a game with a lower-body injury.
Up Next
New York: Hosts Carolina on Tuesday. Columbus: Hosts New Jersey on Tuesday.