Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, MSG Network (Rangers regional), Blue Jackets Hockey Network / CBJHN (Columbus regional)
This is a Metropolitan Division matchup and the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the clubs. Both teams enter after tough losses and will look to bounce back.
Current Rosters / Key Personnel
Rangers: Alexis Lafrenière (early scoring leader), Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller (captain), Adam Fox, Will Cuylle, and goaltender Dylan Garand (primary starter amid goaltending injuries).
Blue Jackets: Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson, Charlie Coyle, and goaltender Jet Greaves (or other available options).
Injury Reports
Rangers:
Igor Shesterkin (lower body/knee) — out for the season.
Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) — out.
Joseph Veleno (lower body) — out.
Aidan Thompson (undisclosed) — out.
Adam Sykora (lower body) — out.
Blue Jackets:
Ivan Provorov (lower body) — out.
Dante Fabbro (upper body) — out.
Isac Lundestrom (Achilles) — out long-term.
Caleb MacDonald (lower body) — out.
Goaltending is a major storyline for New York after losing both Shesterkin and Korpisalo early. Columbus is thin on the blue line.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Alexis Lafrenière / Mika Zibanejad vs. Blue Jackets defense: New York’s top scorers face a depleted Columbus blue line missing Provorov and Fabbro. Lafrenière has been productive early.
Adam Fantilli / Cole Sillinger vs. Rangers structure: Columbus’s young skill players will try to exploit any defensive lapses after New York’s recent blowout loss.
Special teams: Rangers power play has shown early efficiency and their penalty kill has been strong overall (despite the high PIM rate); Blue Jackets PK has struggled significantly.
Goaltending: Dylan Garand (stepping up amid injuries) vs. Jet Greaves or Columbus starter. New York’s depth netminding will be tested.
Recent Team Forms
Rangers: 6-3-0 overall (strong at home early at 5-0-0 but 1-3-0 on the road). Coming off a 7-1 loss at New Jersey that snapped momentum after a solid stretch of wins, including victories over Tampa Bay and Vancouver. They have been competitive overall despite the goaltending absences.
Blue Jackets: 2-3-0 overall (2-2-0 at home). Coming off a 7-3 home loss to Florida. Offense has shown flashes but defensive consistency and special teams (especially PK) have been issues.
Series History
This is the first 2026-27 meeting. Recent prior seasons featured competitive and high-scoring games, with both sides taking turns in victories (including some overtime and shootout results). Columbus has had success at home in some past matchups.
Betting Trends
Both teams are coming off high-scoring losses, supporting potential overs. Rangers’ road form has been mixed, while Columbus has struggled to close out games consistently. Penalty minutes for New York and PK issues for Columbus create special-teams intrigue.
Game Odds
New York Rangers 6.5
Columbus Blue Jackets – 129
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 16, 2026
