Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers: Preview and Expectations

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers tonight at Nationwide Arena. New York is off to an awful start at 1-3-0 while the Blue Jackets are 2-1-0.

This meeting marks the first for the two Metro Division opponents this season. Coming off a road overtime win against the Hurricanes, the Columbus Blue Jackets should be excited to come back to Nationwide Arena.

So far, the Rangers have lost to the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues. They beat the Montreal Canadiens this past Sunday for their only win.

Each year in the past few years, the NHL world has been waiting for the Rangers to start declining, but it hasn’t happened yet. Their next few games might be huge in figuring out where the organization is headed.

Surely, the Blue Jackets would love to bury the New York Rangers if possible. They have the chance to leave the Rangers frustrated moving forward into the season.

CBJ head coach John Tortorella coached the New York Rangers for over four seasons. On the opposite side, Rick Nash of the Rangers played over a decade in Columbus before being traded in 2012. A matchup including former players and coaches always makes for a more intriguing game.

With all the factors heading into this game, the Jackets’ third divisional game of the year should be a fun one to watch.