The New York Rangers (26-24-4) travel to Nationwide Arena to face the Columbus Blue Jackets (26-21-8) in what promises to be a pivotal Metropolitan Division matchup with significant playoff implications.
Both teams find themselves in a tight Eastern Conference wild card race, with the Blue Jackets struggling recently, managing just four wins in their last ten games while allowing 11 goals in their past three contests.
The Rangers' offense, led by the dynamic trio of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck who have combined for 49 goals and 76 assists this season, will look to capitalize against a Columbus defense that has been allowing 3.29 goals per game.
Columbus counters with their own offensive firepower, averaging 3.22 goals per game behind the strong performances of Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson, who have accumulated 35 goals and 35 assists between them.
The goaltending battle could prove decisive, with Rangers' Igor Shesterkin bringing his .919 career save percentage against Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins, who has faced challenges this season with a .895 save percentage.
This Metropolitan Division showdown presents an intriguing contrast of styles, as both teams aim to strengthen their positions in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers: who will win?
For tonight's Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Rangers matchup, our predictive model gives the Blue Jackets a 53.33% chance of defeating the Rangers.
Columbus Blue Jackets: 53.33% win probability
- Superior offensive output (181 goals for, ranking 7th in the league)
- Better overall point accumulation (60 points in 55 games vs Rangers' 56 in 54)
- Higher win percentage (26 wins vs Rangers' 26 in fewer games)
New York Rangers: 46.67% win probability
- Weaker goal differential (-4 compared to Blue Jackets' -1)
- Recent poor form (LWWLL in last 5 games)
- Lower scoring efficiency (161 goals in 54 games vs Blue Jackets' 181 in 55)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers odds
| Columbus Blue Jackets | New York Rangers | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline | +130 (via FanDuel Sportsbook) | -140 (via bet365 US) |
Key stats
- 1The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 26 out of 55 matches this season.
- 2The New York Rangers have won 26 out of 54 matches this season.
- 3With 60 points, the Columbus Blue Jackets holds the 9th position in the league standings.
- 4New York Rangers's 56 points place them 12th in the rankings.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers form
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers head to head
Columbus Blue Jackets
33%
New York Rangers
67%
Jan 19, 2025
New York Rangers
1 : 0
Columbus Blue Jackets
Feb 29, 2024
New York Rangers
4 : 1
Columbus Blue Jackets
Feb 25, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets
4 : 2
New York Rangers
Nov 13, 2023
New York Rangers
4 : 3
Columbus Blue Jackets
Oct 14, 2023
Columbus Blue Jackets
5 : 3
New York Rangers
Apr 8, 2023
Columbus Blue Jackets
0 : 4
New York Rangers
