Game #67: New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Open Thread

The New York Rangers will have an opportunity to make or break their current road trip tonight. After splitting a pair of interconference games in Winnipeg and Minnesota on Tuesday and Thursday, Peter Laviolette's squad will wrap up its three-game trip in Columbus for a pivotal Metropolitan Division clash against the Blue Jackets.

After dropping a home game against the Blue Jackets by a margin that looked more like a football score than a hockey score on Sunday, the Blueshirts will get a second crack at their division rivals in yet another high-leverage game in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. The Rangers and Blue Jackets both have 70 standings points entering play on Saturday, but Columbus has earned those points in one less game than New York and currently holds final playoff spot as a result.

With the Ottawa Senators going on a recent hot streak that has drawn them closer to a top-three divisional playoff spot than falling out of the tournament, the second wild card spot will be the Rangers most viable path to making it in. With only 16 games remaining, every win for the Blueshirts will be a critical one.

Player to Watch: Adam Fox

Fox shed his non-contact jersey at practice and reclaimed his spot on New York's top power play unit, indicating that the Rangers franchise defenseman will return to action tonight. Coach Laviolette did not confirm which defenseman would come out of the lineup in favor of Fox, but Carson Soucy appeared to be the most likely candidate based on practice drills. Regardless of who comes out, keep an eye on Fox tonight as he gives the Rangers a much needed boost on the back end.

Enjoy the game!