The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers will become well-acquainted with each other over the next week, and how those games unfold eventually could determine which Metropolitan Division team reaches the postseason.

Two teams tied with 68 points get together Sunday night when the Blue Jackets continue a four-game road trip against the Rangers, who are coming off a pair of overtime losses.

The Blue Jackets are trying to reach the postseason for the first time in five years after a pair of last-place finishes in the Metropolitan. Columbus has 20 games remaining and enters Sunday with the second-wild spot due to a .548 points percentage.

Columbus also has been displaying some inconsistencies of late and is 8-7-2 in 17 games since a six-game winning streak Jan. 4-16. The Blue Jackets followed up a four-game slide before the 4 Nations Face-off by scoring 21 goals their first four games after the break but were outscored a combined 9-2 in losses to the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers.

The Blue Jackets tied a season low with 16 shots on goal in Thursday’s 3-0 loss at Florida and went 0-for-4 on the power play, dropping them to 1-for-10 in their past four games.

“It’s going to get harder,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said. “We got to compete a little harder, we got to battle a little harder.”

Columbus added some depth pieces around the deadline without trading anyone off the current roster by acquiring Luke Kunin from the San Jose Sharks and claiming Christian Fischer off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

Both players are expected to be in the lineup for the Blue Jackets, who host the Rangers on March 15.

“This group has done a great job,” Columbus general manager Don Waddell said. “They deserve to keep going forward, and the biggest thing for us is we didn’t rip guys out of this room.”

Earlier against Columbus, the Rangers earned a 1-0 win on home ice when Vincent Trocheck scored the only goal of the shootout on Jan. 18. New York also earned a 4-3 win in Columbus when it scored twice in the third period on Feb. 8.

The Rangers own 29 regulation wins — seven more than the Blue Jackets — but are coming off a pair of blown third-period leads after going 22-1-2 when leading through 40 minutes before the past two contests.

After dropping a 3-2 decision on home ice to the first-place Washington Capitals on Wednesday, the Rangers blew a two-goal lead and allowed two goals in the final 9:44 of regulation and allowed the game-winning goal 33 seconds into overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators, who begin Sunday with the 69 points and the first wild-card spot.

“We don’t have time for being frustrated too long,” New York’s Artemi Panarin said. “We have a pretty important game tomorrow. We have to be ready.”
Panarin scored in a season-high fourth straight game and Mika Zibanejad scored for the fourth time in his past nine games, but the Rangers were held to 23 shots on goal after getting 17 on Wednesday.

“We needed two points and we didn’t get it today, so get back and get to work tomorrow and get two points tomorrow,” Zibanejad said.

–Field Level Media