In New York, the Rangers and visiting Columbus Blue Jackets got into a bit of a run and gun match in the first period on Tuesday night. 
The Rangers broke out to an 3-0 lead in the stanza on goals from Filip Chytil, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Patrick Kane.
The Rangers sagged a bit and let the Blue Jackets back in the game.
Kirill Marchenko and Johnny Gaudreau scored to trim the lead to 3-2 for Columbus.
“We could have had two or three more in that period,” Gaudreau said. “Obviously, it was great to fight back and get it to a one-goal game, but I think we could have easily gone into that second period with a lead. It’s unfortunate, but their goalie played well.”
It might well have been a Columbus lead before too much longer, Igor Shesterkin, who made 28 saves, made some stellar stops to hold off the Blue Jackets.
“I think both of them (Kane and Tarasenko) would like to be more involved in the offense, more points, but I’m excited with what I saw tonight,” New York coach Gerard Gallant said. “I mean, they made some great plays. The first period they were outstanding, and a lot of good things happened. I know they’re going to be there. They’re both playoff experienced guys, both won Stanley Cups. They’ve been great and our team is a lot better with them on our team, definitely.”
After the first period, the Rangers settled into a more reasoned effort en route to a 6-2 win.
“We wanted to take care of business tonight and set up the opportunity to have that chance,” Kane said. “MSG is an amazing place to play. I think it’s a big advantage to have home ice. We have that in front of us now if we do what we need to do.”
The Rangers moved to 44-20-10 off their third straight win, and ninth in 11 games.
“You know what, a 6-2 game, there’s not many times you go, ‘Wow, good effort,’ but it was a pretty solid effort all around,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “They battle. The whole game they battled really hard. It’s a head scratcher. You look at it, 6-2, it’s not that you’re satisfied, but there’s not many guys where you can say they didn’t give it tonight. They gave it. You tip your hat to their goalie.”
Artemi Panarin scored off the power play in the middle frame to extend the Rangers lead to 4-2.
Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere added two assists each in the win.
“We can say all we want to mentally prepare the same way, do the same things, but you look at their lineup and there’s a lot of kids you didn’t know,” Gallant said. “We knew that going in, but we’ve got to do what we do well. You’ve got to play the same game. It’s 
hard. I’ve been there as a player, and I’ve been there as a coach a lot. They’re tough games to play. They got back in the game and when it was 3-2, I thought we played a lot better. That’s what’s important.”
In the third, Mika Zibanejad scored from the left circle on a wicked one-timer for a 5-2 lead, and Vincent Trocheck added an empty-net goal for the 6-2 final.
Michael Hutchinson made 30 saves in the loss.
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