This was not the revenge many Rangers fans were hoping for, on Wednesday night.
The Rangers hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets, after losing to them on Sunday in a dreary 4-2 loss that ended New York’s 10-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, Artemi Panarin hit for a double, and the Rangers exacted some level of vengeance in a 4-1 win.
“The conversation in the locker room was definitely to get back after the last game and return the debt to Columbus,” Panarin said.
After a scoreless opening stanza, Panarin stole a puck off a face off loss in the Columbus zone and wristed a shot home for a 1-0 lead at 7:17 of the middle frame.
Adam Fox pushed the advantage to 2-0 with a power play strike after Chris Kreider found sneaking in down low from the point for a wrist shot.
“I feel we’re responsible for the two goals,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “The puck is there, we’re in a position to make the next play, so that’s two goals right there. But we got better as the game went on.”
The Blue Jackets dropped to 19-29-10.
“Our best period was the third by far,” Vincent said. “I like the fact that they believe in themselves. I like the fact that they are playing for each other, the fact that they protect each other. That’s how you build something. The foundation is getting there. Once you have that, then you can think about moving to the next step. I know we didn’t win. At the end of the day that’s what we want, winning hockey games, but the process of how the game was played, I felt I saw a lot of good things.”
Cole Sillinger was the lone striker for Columbus, his third period goal at 3:23 trimmed the deficit to 2-1.
“We had our looks,” Sillinger said. “We had opportunities to tie it up. I thought we tightened things up and we came close to getting that tying goal.”
Sillinger scored after an errant clearing by Shesterkin was turned over.
“Very good in the net, very bad behind the net,” Shesterkin said, laughing. “I need to work on my stickhandle.”
The Rangers sealed the win with a pair of empty net strikes.
Kreider hit an empty net with 53 seconds left on the regulation clock for a 3-1 lead.
Panarin collected his double with a aerial strike from the right circle in the Rangers zone for the 4-1 final count on the scoreboard.
Elvis Merzlikins made 26 saves in the loss.