ALL JACKED UP!
Late Ranger rally helps Blueshirts top Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Rangers left it all out on the ice in the third period with four days off coming up, making a furious and thrilling push on the road against the NHL’s top team, getting offense from an unlikely source to jumpstart the comeback before their blazing-fast leading scorer capped it all off.
After trailing by three goals early in the second and by two through 40 minutes, Michael Grabner intercepted a poor Seth Jones pass at the Ranger blue line, raced up ice and beat goalie Curtis McElhinney with a backhand with 16.5 seconds left in regulation to give the Rangers a 5-4 win over the NHL-best Blue Jackets, who have now lost two straight after winning 16 in a row.
Seldom-used defenseman Adam Clendening scored a power-play goal 1:21 into the third to make it 4-3 before tying the game at 12:57 after the Rangers were outplayed through two periods.
“For the first 35 minutes, we weren’t really sharp and on our toes, but our veteran guys, our leaders took charge,” Alain Vigneault said. “There’s obviously some good voices in that dressing room, that good internal peer pressure that made them go out there and play the way they did in the third.”
Grabner began the comeback bid with a goal at 4:12 of the second to make it 4-2, just 1:12 after Lukas Sedlak gave the Blue Jackets (27-7-4) a three-goal lead. His game-winner was what’s become a prototypical Grabner goal, showcasing a smart stick, eye-popping speed and more confident finishing than he’s ever had.
He leads the Rangers (28-13-1) with 18 goals after scoring twice in the team’s Wednesday win in Philadelphia.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Grabner said of having more confidence to score. “I think the last couple of years, even a few weeks ago when I was missing some chances, it gets into your head a bit. Last two games I’ve just been a little freer in my head and not thinking too much about it out there.” Clendening saw time on the second power-play unit to get a right-handed shot there, and when the Blue Jackets backed off allowing him to creep toward the left dot, he let it rip. “I’m gonna take a shot from there, hashmarks, inside the dots, every time I get it,” he said. “I don’t get it very often.” The 24-year-old was in the lineup for the second straight game because Marc Staal is sidelined with an upper-body injury. It was just his 11th game of the season and his sixth since Oct. 22 after he played the first five games of the year with the Rangers sustaining multiple injuries to their defense corps. He’s been on the NHL roster all season having to wait for his name to be called and bear the responsibility of performing while readjusting to game speed. “It’s just a waiting game,” said Clendening, whose goals were his first two of the season and doubled his career total. “It does sometimes get to you, but I think at the same time, I know it’s there. I think some of the guys in the room appreciate what I do and are definitely on my side too, and I thank them as well.” GET WELL: Vigneault said Pavel Buchnevich (back) felt “no pain” after playing for AHL Hartford on Friday and scoring a goal. … Rick Nash (groin) and Mika Zibanejad (broken left fibula) will continue to skate during the team’s bye week.