The Columbus Blue Jackets nearly let one slip away Monday night at Madison Square Garden — but in the end, they walked out with two massive points.
After building a commanding 4–0 lead through 40 minutes, Columbus watched the New York Rangers explode for four goals in the third period to tie the game. The building was shaking. Momentum had completely flipped. It felt inevitable.
But 1:04 into overtime, Kirill Marchenko ended the drama.
Marchenko scored his second of the night — and third point overall — to give Columbus a 5–4 overtime victory, snapping a two-game skid and stunning the Rangers after one of the wildest third periods of the season.
Meanwhile, Rangers rookie Gabe Perreault had a three-point night in the losing effort, nearly completing one of the most electric comebacks at MSG this year.
Game Summary
1st Period
Columbus arrived at Madison Square Garden with something to prove. After seeing a game slip away in overtime against the Islanders earlier in the week, the Blue Jackets were determined to respond. They imposed their structure from the opening faceoff, capitalizing on New York’s lack of discipline and execution to seize control early. Columbus scored first for the 37th time this season — improving a record that stood at 24-7-5 when opening the scoring — and outshot the Rangers 10-4 in the first period alone.
Adam Fantilli opened the scoring at 5:50, deflecting a Kirill Marchenko shot past Igor Shesterkin to give Columbus a 1-0 lead. Later in the period, Marchenko extended the advantage on the power play with a precise shot from the left circle for his 21st goal of the season and just his fourth with the man advantage. After 20 minutes, the Blue Jackets held a 2-0 lead and had dictated the pace in nearly every area of the ice.
2nd Period
The Rangers pushed back hard in the middle frame, generating 12 shots and tilting the ice for long stretches. But Elvis Merzlikins was sharp when it mattered most, turning aside several quality chances to preserve the shutout and frustrate the home crowd at Madison Square Garden.
New York failed to capitalize on its only power-play opportunity of the period, a missed chance that proved costly.
The Rangers thought they made it 2-1 at 3:04 of the second period, when J.T. Miller appeared to score a power-play goal with a one-timer from the right circle. The Blue Jackets challenged for goalie interference and video review determined Alexis Lafreniere made contact with Merzlikins’ head prior to Miller scoring, so the goal came off the board.
Instead of cutting into the deficit, Columbus extended it.
At 3:27, Sean Monahan turned a broken play along the boards into a two-on-one rush. Opting to keep the puck, he snapped a shot past Igor Shesterkin on the glove side for his 11th goal of the season, giving the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead.
Columbus struck again at 11:54. Mathieu Olivier finished off a strong sequence with his ninth goal of the season after taking a crisp pass from Charlie Coyle. The assist was Coyle’s second of the night. The veteran center continues to produce, now with six points in his past five games and 15 in his last nine.
Despite being outshot 12-9 in the period, the Blue Jackets carried a commanding 4-0 lead into the third.
3rd Period
When the Columbus Blue Jackets lead after 40 minutes this season, they entered the night with a 20-1-5 record. History suggested this one was over.
But history also carries another warning: too many times this year Columbus has watched leads disappear.
It happened again Monday night.
The New York Rangers erupted for four goals in the third period, storming back from a four-goal deficit to force overtime in front of a stunned crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The comeback started immediately.
At 0:30, Vladislav Gavrikov scored his 10th of the season with a wrist shot, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Just 24 seconds later, Gabe Perreault struck again. After Ivan Provorov mishandled the puck in the defensive zone, Perreault jumped on the loose puck and snapped a quick wrist shot from distance past Elvis Merzlikins, who appeared screened and unprepared for the release.
In 24 seconds, the game shifted from comfortable to dangerous.
New York continued to press, outshooting Columbus 17-8 in the period. At 12:52, Will Borgen made it 4-3 during a delayed penalty with the Rangers skating six-on-five. The building came alive, and belief returned to the Rangers bench.
Then came the equalizer.
At 15:14, Perreault scored his second of the night and third point of the game to tie it 4-4. The sequence began with Damon Severson caught deep after an aggressive pinch, turning the play into an odd-man rush. What developed from a 3-on-2 quickly became a 2-on-1, and Perreault finished cleanly.
Another Columbus lead had melted away.
Frustration was visible on the Blue Jackets bench, and coach Pascal Vincent had to settle his group before overtime. Columbus entered the extra frame with a 4-7 overtime record this season — hardly a comforting statistic.
Overtime
The Rangers opened overtime with Vincent Trocheck, Gavrikov and Perreault. Columbus countered with Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli and Severson.
Perreault nearly completed the comeback himself, sending a shot over Merzlikins that created a brief scramble. But the puck bounced free, and Columbus transitioned quickly the other way on a two-on-one.
Severson fed Marchenko in stride.
Marchenko kept the puck, sized up Igor Shesterkin, and unleashed his lethal wrist shot low to the blocker side. The puck hit the net at 1:04 of overtime — his second goal of the night, 22nd of the season, and third point of the game.
After nearly surrendering a four-goal lead, Columbus escaped with a 5-4 victory.
Relief replaced frustration.
And the collapse, this time, did not define the result.
Postgame Reaction
“It’s just crazy. I’m a little shocked that they scored four,” said Kirill Marchenko. “I tried to refresh and just do my job on the ice. Overtime, new game. New game starts and one goal gives us two points. I just think about that. Tried to just forget about four goals.”
Marchenko’s mindset reflected the approach Columbus needed after watching a four-goal cushion disappear in the third period. Instead of dwelling on the collapse, the Blue Jackets reset mentally before overtime — and were rewarded 64 seconds later.
For coach Rick Bowness, the objective never changed.
“We came into the rink and that was the focus, obviously, was get the two points, especially on the road,” Bowness said. “A couple harsh reminders out there of how to play the game the right way and with the right level of desperation. That was missing at certain times, but give the guys credit, they found a way to get the two points and that’s the most important thing.”
Bowness admitted his group anticipated a Rangers surge after the second intermission.
“We knew they were going to come out hard. The fans booed them off the ice after the second period. We were expecting that. So, I’d say we didn’t handle it very well.”
Forward Mathieu Olivier echoed that assessment.
“I thought we kind of fell back on our heels a little bit and got back into some bad habits,” Olivier said. “We needed all four goals, but I thought obviously the first two periods we put ourselves in a good position to win. The third period, we’re probably going to see a lot of video about that one tomorrow, which we deserve. But like ‘Bones’ said after the game, we got the two points, and we move on to tomorrow.”
Notes
Columbus was without defenseman Zach Werenski, who was a late scratch due to illness. Bowness said Werenski was at the arena receiving fluids but was uncertain about his availability for Tuesday’s game.
Despite the loss, Rangers forward Gabe Perreault made franchise history. He became the first Rangers player age 20 or younger to record a three-point period since Alex Kovalev on Dec. 26, 1993. He is also the first Rangers rookie to post three points in the third period since Tony Amonte on Feb. 14, 1992.
Game Stats
| Category | Columbus | New York |
| Shots on Goal | 28 | 33 |
| Faceoff % | 48.5% | 51.5% |
| Power Play | 1/1 | 0/1 |
| Hits | 15 | 27 |
| Blocked Shots | 21 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 3 |
My Observations – Columbus Blue Jackets Push for the Playoffs
The Blue Jackets nearly let a crucial point slip away Monday night in New York, but in the end, they secured what matters most: two points.
Columbus remains firmly in the Wild Card race, sitting three points behind the Boston Bruins with the same number of games played and 23 games remaining. Every point is critical at this stage of the season.
The Blue Jackets are now 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and are clearly pushing to solidify a playoff position.
With just four days before the NHL Trade Deadline, the big question is whether GM Don Waddell makes another move. Last month he acquired Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken, a deal that strengthened the forward group. Waddell appears confident in this roster, but adding depth could provide insurance for the final stretch.
Stepping Up Without Werenski
Without Zach Werenski in the lineup due to illness, Kirill Marchenko elevated his game.
It was his third three-point performance of the season, bringing him to 50 points in 53 games. Marchenko continues to prove he can carry offensive responsibility when needed.
Merzlikins’ Impact
Elvis Merzlikins continues to deliver wins. He is now 4-1-0 in his last five starts. While he allowed four goals tonight (.879 save percentage), the numbers don’t tell the full story. He made several key saves that prevented the Rangers from completely taking over the game. Not every goal was on him, and without his big stops earlier, this game might not have reached overtime.
Bowness’ Message: Two Points, But Lessons to Learn
Head coach Rick Bowness made it clear postgame: the two points matter — but the performance must improve.
Columbus played two strong periods but struggled badly in the third. Protecting a lead requires smarter puck management, reduced risk, and full 60-minute commitment. When leading by one or two goals, situational awareness becomes critical.
Next Game
The Blue Jackets return home tonight riding momentum after their overtime win in New York. Columbus has now won eight of its last 10 games (8-1-1) and continues to push in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race.
Nashville, meanwhile, comes in looking to rebound after a 4-2 loss earlier in the day in Detroit. Like Columbus, the Predators are battling for playoff positioning, making this a critical matchup for both sides.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM EDT.
These two teams met in the season opener on Oct. 9, when Nashville earned a 2-1 victory. Ryan O’Reilly scored the game-winning goal on the power play, and Juuse Saros made 38 saves to secure the win.
Now, Columbus gets its chance at revenge — and two more crucial points in a tightening playoff race.
