• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Surging Rangers take out Blue Jackets

Nov 8, 2013 - 4:07 AM Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Carl Hagelin scored a pair of goals to back a 32-save effort from Cam Talbot as the resurgent New York Rangers posted a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

Ryan Callahan and Ryan McDonagh each contributed a goal and assist to help the Rangers climb back to .500 with their fifth win in six games.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30-of-33 shots in the loss, the season-high fifth in a row for the skidding Blue Jackets. Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray accounted for the Columbus goals.

"That was embarrassing hockey tonight," Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards said of his team's performance. "And to me, that's losing hockey the way we played. We got exactly what we deserved. It would have been 7-1 going into the third period [but] our goalie was great."

The game marked the first meeting between the new Metropolitan division rivals since the teams conducted two major trades with one another. Columbus received forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov from New York for currently injured sniper Rick Nash in July of 2012, while the Rangers shipped star wing Marian Gaborik to the Jackets for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore during last April's deadline.

Tyutin, another former Ranger, tied the contest at 1-1 late in the first period, but was sent off for an elbowing penalty early in the second and New York capitalized.

Mats Zuccarello delivered a long drive that Callahan successfully re-directed while stationed in front of the crease, giving the Rangers a one-goal edge at the 4:17 mark of the session.

New York, which peppered Bobrovsky for 21 shots in the second period, went up by a 3-1 count on Hagelin's second of the night. After forcing a turnover deep in the Columbus zone, the speedy forward chipped the puck under Bobrovsky's arm 7:16 prior to the final intermission.

"In the second we did a good job," said Hagelin. "First of all, they were in the box a lot and that's why we got so many shots."

The Blue Jackets responded quickly, however, as Murray rocketed a slap shot from the left circle that got by Talbot a mere 48 seconds after Hagelin's score.

Talbot stoned Dubinsky on a partial shorthanded breakaway try in the final minute of the second period to protect the lead, and the Rangers were able to kill off a high-sticking penalty to Marc Staal with 4:24 left to play.

"He played great again," said Staal of Talbot. "He had timely saves when we needed them and he's been rock-solid since his first start."

McDonagh sealed the victory with 53.2 seconds to go, firing the puck down the ice into the vacated Columbus net shortly after a Rangers' faceoff win.

Hagelin put New York up 1-0 just 4:16 in, tipping home a Callahan feed during a 4-on-3 rush. The Blue Jackets pulled even later in the period courtesy of Tyutin, who skillfully weaved through a couple of defenders before sending a shot that caromed off the leg of Rangers blueliner Dan Girardi and in with 2:29 remaining in the frame.

Game Notes

Gaborik recorded an assist on Murray's goal ... The Rangers have now allowed nine goals or less in nine consecutive games and improved to 5-2-0 against Metropolitan Division foes ... Hagelin has six points (four goals, two assists) during a four-game point streak ... New York is 7-1-0 when scoring first this season, while the Blue Jackets fell to 2-8-0 when giving up the initial goal ... Columbus forward Nick Foligno, whose newborn daughter has a heart condition that will require surgery, returned to the Jackets' lineup after missing Tuesday's game against Ottawa to be with his family.