Calvert's Short-Handed Goal Helps Blue Jackets Beat Rangers

Grabner and Zibanejad scored New York's 2 goals, but the Rangers lost their 3rd in 14 games

Matt Calvert returned from taking a slap shot to his forehead that required about 30 stitches and scored a short-handed, tiebreaking goal in the third period to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a franchise-record seventh straight home win, 4-2 over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

William Karlsson had a goal and an assist, and Sam Gagner and Boone Jenner also scored for Columbus, which recovered from blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period. The Blue Jackets have won three in a row overall and seven of nine. Sergei Bobrovksy had 25 saves.

Michael Grabner and Mika Zibanejad scored for New York, which lost for the third time in 14 games. Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves for the Rangers.

About three minutes after Zibanejad evened the score at 8:32 of the third, the Rangers were looking to take the lead on the power play — but a bandaged Calvert snuck a shot under Lundqvist's right arm on a 2-on-1 with Karlsson.

The Rangers pressured at the end, but Bobrovksy stopped Chris Kreider's close range redirection with 11.6 seconds left.

Jenner scored into an empty net with Lundqvist pulled for the extra attacker.

The matchup featuring the league's two most productive offenses was bogged down in the first period by tight checking and a frequent bouncing puck. Karlsson capitalized on J.T. Miller's ill-advised pass attempt across the top of the circles. He let loose a low shot with no traffic through Lundqvist's legs for the first score with 3:26 left.

The pace and chances picked up in the second period. Gagner made it 2-0 with his seventh at 5:38 after another bad clearing pass by the Rangers. Gagner knocked the puck down with his stick then wristed a shot that banked off Lundqvist before landing across the goal line.

Grabner cut the deficit in half six minutes later when Columbus' Ryan Murray ripped the puck into the shin pads of the speedy forward, the carrom sending Grabner on a breakaway, and he lifted a shot past Bobrovksy for his 11th.

On the tying score, Zibanejad found an open spot on the back side and sent a one-timer into an open net on a set up from Brady Skjei.

The Rangers return to New York, where they'll take on the Florida Panthers Sunday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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