The New York Rangers (26-24-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (26-22-8) on Saturday, February 8th. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jackets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Capitals. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Rangers vs Blue Jackets

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

With a 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers improved to 26-24-4. The Rangers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different players scored for the Rangers, including Artemi Panarin, who found the net twice. The Rangers held a 2-0 lead before the Islanders scored, but the Rangers pulled away with two goals in the third period.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Columbus fell to 26-22-8 after a 7-2 road loss to the Capitals. The Blue Jackets were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 9 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

Defensively, Columbus struggled from the start, allowing five goals in the first period. Damon Severson scored their first goal at 19:11 in the second period, when they were already down 5-0.

New York Offense Breakdown

The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal in their 5-2 win over the Islanders, with Artemi Panarin scoring twice, including his 9th goal on an empty net. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. Adam Edstrom netted his 1st goal of the season.

Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his total to 8 this season. The Rangers scored once on a power play and once shorthanded. They recorded 14 giveaways in the game.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

In their 7-2 loss to the Capitals, Columbus took 36 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Damon Severson scored his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. The Blue Jackets were held scoreless in the first period before Severson got them on the board 49 seconds into the second period.

Columbus recorded 13 giveaways in the game. Adam Fantilli picked up his 4th assist on Severson’s goal, and Sean Monahan earned his 5th assist on Labanc’s goal. Zach Aston-Reese also contributed with his 2nd assist of the season.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves, finishing with a 94.6% save percentage. The Rangers’ defense also contributed 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks. Both goals they allowed came in the 2nd period, with one just 8 seconds before the 3rd period.

Columbus Team Defense

Columbus’ defense struggled early, giving up five goals in the first period. They allowed another in the second and one more late in the third, leading to a 7-2 loss. Goalie Daniil Tarasov had a tough outing, finishing with a 68.2% save percentage on 22 shots from the Capitals.

Rangers vs Blue Jackets Trends

• Across their last five road contests, New York has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• The Blue Jackets are 3-0 puck line in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have gone 4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
• Going back to their last three games as the favorite, the Rangers have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 0-3.

Rangers vs Blue Jackets Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Blue Jackets to defeat the Rangers while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +125, I’m placing a wager on the Blue Jackets to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Blue Jackets winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Blue Jackets straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.