COLUMBUS, Ohio — Franchise history will have to be made some other way for this Rangers team.
For it was on Sunday night that the Blueshirts’ record-tying win streak of 10 games came to an end when the club suffered its first loss of the month, a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jackets in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,293 at Nationwide Arena.
A win would’ve etched this Rangers team in the organization’s history books that date back 98 years.
More importantly, it would’ve allowed it to surpass the Canucks for the most points in the NHL.
The win-streak record may no longer be obtainable, but the points lead still is, as the Rangers sit just one point behind Vancouver.
Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic, left, scores past Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick, center, and defenseman K’Andre Miller during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday. AP
“I don’t know if we’re worried about that kind of stuff, but I mean, definitely want the win,” Vincent Trocheck said. “These points matter late in the season, so it’s disappointing.”
The energy put into winning every single game since the All-Star break finally caught up to the Rangers, who didn’t win a lot of puck battles against the last-place team in the Metropolitan Division.
Columbus was consistently hungry for the puck over 60 minutes, which exposed some lackluster defense from the visitors and led to a slew of killer odd-man rushes.
Second games of back-to-back slates have been the Rangers’ specialty this season, but that streak — 9-0-0 — also came to an end.
Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) and New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports“It wasn’t just one or two [odd-man rushes], there was too many of them,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We couldn’t capitalize at the other end and that’s the difference in the game.”
With the game tied at one at the start of the second period, the Rangers got caught sleepwalking 18 seconds in as the Blue Jackets swarmed their net. Kirill Marchenko then deked Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick out of the net and put the puck away to give Columbus a 2-1 lead.
The Rangers’ marquee forwards were largely invisible in the middle frame, but the fourth line evened the score at the 11:11 mark.
Adam Edstrom drove with the puck to the net, where Matt Rempe followed to create pressure before the puck bounced off the skate of Columbus defenseman Jake Bean and in.
It should’ve been a momentum-generating play, but instead, the Rangers did as they’ve done way too many times this season after scoring a crucial goal.
A mere 46 seconds later, Jack Roslovic scored off the rush to regain the lead for the Blue Jackets. It was another goal allowed off the rush, from Ivan Provorov, which gave Columbus a two-goal lead heading into the second intermission.
Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins of the Blue Jackets blocks a shot during the second period of a game against the Rangers at Nationwide Arena on Sunday. NHLI via Getty Images“To give them [momentum] back quick obviously hurts,” Adam Fox said. “I think it was just kind of the overall period, we were sloppy. They were moving around the O-zone and getting those rushes.”
This is still the team that went on a 10-game heater after one of their worst months in recent memory. It’s still the team that became the first in franchise history to sweep a five-game trip out West.
These Rangers will have to find another way — a better way — to be remembered.
