Blue Jackets Set to Conquer the Rangers' Stronghold at Madison Square Garden

As the Columbus Blue Jackets prepare to face off against the New York Rangers at the iconic Madison Square Garden, fans are eager to see if their team can carry forward their recent momentum. The Blue Jackets have shown a mixed bag of results in their past few outings, but there are positive signs that could spell success in the upcoming clash.

In their last game against the San Jose Sharks, Columbus emerged victorious with a 4-3 win. The offense was firing on all cylinders as they peppered the Sharks with 41 shots and converted four times, showcasing a shooting accuracy of ten percent. Despite not capitalizing on powerplay opportunities, they managed an even-strength goal-scoring spree which proved decisive. Their goaltender also had an impressive night with a save percentage of 100 percent against 31 shots.

However, consistency has been an issue for Columbus as evidenced by their performance against Ottawa Senators where they suffered a loss despite scoring three goals from 40 shots and winning faceoffs at fifty-six percent rate. Defensive lapses led to conceding six goals which ultimately cost them the game.

The game before that saw another tough battle for Columbus when they hosted Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena. Despite losing by two goals to four, there were positives such as converting one out of three powerplays and maintaining a solid save percentage from their goaltender who faced thirty-seven shots.

As they head into enemy territory on February 29th, it's crucial for Columbus to tighten up defensively while continuing to apply offensive pressure as they did against San Jose. The Rangers will be no easy opponent especially in front of their home crowd at Madison Square Garden where they'll look to leverage home advantage.

Fans can catch this exciting matchup live on ESPN+ nationally or tune into BSOH channel 660 for local coverage starting from midnight UTC time (7 PM Eastern Time).