The Columbus Blue Jackets did not just sneak into the playoff picture on Thursday night. They barged in. At Nationwide Arena, Columbus rolled the New York Rangers 6-3, a statement win that vaulted the Jackets into an Eastern Conference playoff spot and stretched their point streak to 11 games. Adam Fantilli scored twice, including an empty-netter with 2:54 left, while Conor Garland, Damon Severson and Boone Jenner also found the back of the net. Jet Greaves turned aside 22 shots and Zach Werenski piled up three assists as the Jackets kept climbing the Metropolitan Division standings and tightened their grip on a postseason berth with the regular season winding down.
How the win came together
The night did not start on script for Columbus. The Rangers grabbed a short-handed goal off the stick of Vincent Trocheck, quieting the home crowd early. The Jackets answered late in the first when Isac Lundeström tied it, then stole the momentum before intermission as Garland's centering pass deflected in to give Columbus its first lead.
From there the Jackets went to work. Jenner chipped in a goal and an assist, and Fantilli cashed in on the power play to push the lead out. New York made it interesting when Alexis Lafrenière cut the deficit to one early in the third, only for Severson to restore the two-goal cushion. Fantilli then applied the exclamation point with his empty-net goal in the final three minutes, slamming the door on any Rangers comeback, as reported by CBS Sports.
Bowness's turnaround
The win was another data point in Rick Bowness's suddenly stellar tenure behind the Columbus bench. Since taking over on Jan. 12, Bowness has gone 17-2-4 in Columbus, a blistering run that has yanked the Jackets from 28th to 11th in the NHL standings. Asked about the playoff chatter, Bowness swatted it away, saying, "Not until we see the 'X.' We have one thought, and that's Seattle."
Werenski, who set up three goals Thursday to reach 52 assists on the season, echoed his coach's keep-moving mindset. "It feels good, but we still have a lot of work to do," he said, according to The New York Times.
Where this leaves Columbus
Columbus has turned Nationwide Arena into a problem for visitors, going 8-0-3 in its last 11 home dates. Greaves has been right in the middle of that surge, stopping 22 shots on Thursday and posting a 10-0-2 mark under Bowness. The Jackets now zero in on a Saturday showdown with the Seattle Kraken, a game Bowness said the team has had circled, and not just on the whiteboard.
With Fantilli driving the offense and Werenski steering the power play, Columbus will try to drag this hot streak straight through a critical closing stretch of the season. For full game detail and context, see coverage from CBS Sports.
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