Blue Jackets fight, but fall to the Rangers in a shoot-out
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jimmy Vesey scored in the fifth round of the shootout to lift the New York Rangers over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on Saturday night.
Vesey beat goalie Joonas Korpisalo after the Blue Jackets' Oliver Bjorkstrand was stopped by Alexander Georgiev to give New York its fifth win in six games (5-0-1).
The game remained tied 4-4 through the third period despite an 11-2 shot advantage by Columbus, and a scoreless 5-minute overtime period. The Blue Jackets finished with a 38-19 advantage on shots.
Kevin Shattenkirk and Mika Zibanejad also scored in the shootout for New York. Artemi Panarin and Anthony Duclair tallied for Columbus.
Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist in regulation, and Zibanejad and Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers. Georgiov stopped 34 shots.
Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and assist for Columbus, and Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno also scored. Seth Jones had three assists. Korpisalo finished with 15 saves.
Zibanejad scored the opening goal on a touch pass from Buchnevich on a 2-on-1 rush 5:54 into the game. Columbus tied it late in the first when Dubois threaded a pass into Atkinson, who tipped it in for a power-play goal.
Another odd-man rush allowed Buchnevich to beat Korpisalo and give the Rangers the lead in the second period. Kreider tapped in his team-leading eighth goal of the season off a nice pass from Kevin Hayes later in the second to make it 3-1.
Columbus tied the game again in the second with two goals in a 32-second span. Dubois got credit for redirecting a Jones one-timer, and Foligno tipped in the second from the door step on a rush.
Wennberg got his first of the season, a short-handed tally off the post to put the Blue Jackets ahead. But the Columbus lead didn't last long. Vesey capped the scoring in the busy second period to knot the game again at the second intermission.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Columbus.
NOTES: Columbus has four power-play goals in the last three games. ... Atkinson returned after missing Friday night's game to illness. His seventh goal tied him for the team lead. ... New York F Mats Zuccarello (groin strain) missed his second game. ... Wennberg played in his 300th NHL game.
UP NEXT:
New York: Hosts Vancouver on Monday night.
Columbus: At Dallas on Monday night.
