Blue Jackets blow four-goal lead, hold on for overtime win vs. Rangers
Kiril Marchenko scored his second goal of the game on a 2-on-1 66 seconds into overtime as the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off a 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday night after blowing a four-goal lead in the third period.
The win ended Columbus's first losing streak under new coach Rick Bowness.
Marchenko scored a power-play goal in the first period and also set up a goal by Adam Fantilli before the Blue Jackets allowed four goals in the third.
The Blue Jackets recovered from the collapse when Marchenko cut down the left side, slid a shot from the left circle off goalie Igor Shesterkin's pad and inside the left post.
Sean Monahan scored on a short-handed 2-on-1 early in the second and Mathieu Olivier scored later in the period before the Blue Jackets blew their big lead.
Charlie Coyle contributed two assists as the Blue Jackets improved to 11-2-1 since Bowness replaced Dean Evason on Jan. 12.
Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins allowed four goals on 15 shots in the third and made 27 saves in all.
Vladislav Gavrikov and rookie Gabe Perreault scored 24 seconds apart in the opening minute of the third for the Rangers.
Will Borgen scored at 12:52, Perreault netted the tying goal with 4:46 left in regulation and J.T. Miller had a goal disallowed early in the second as New York fell to 3-11-3 in its past 17 games.
Shesterkin allowed five goals on 28 shots.
The Blue Jackets scored in the opening 10 minutes for the 10th time in 12 games when Fantilli cut to the left side of the net and redirected a pass by Marchenko from the right circle 5:50 into the contest.
The Blue Jackets took a 2-0 lead during an unsportsmanlike penalty to the Rangers when Marchenko's shot from above the right circle following a cross-ice pass from Ivan Provorov sailed by Shesterkin's arm.
Shortly after Miller's goal was disallowed, Monahan intercepted a pass from Vincent Trocheck in the defensive zone and finished off a 2-on-1 with Coyle 3:27 into the second.
After Monahan's fifth career short-handed goal, Olivier beat Sam Carrick and Matthew Robertson to the right circle and sent a shot past Shesterkin with 8:06 left.
Gavrikov ended the shutout 30 seconds into the third when he was left alone in front of the net and Perreault made it 4-2 following a giveaway by Columbus defenseman Denton Mateychuk.
Borgen scored off a scramble in front with 7:08 left during a delayed penalty and Perreault slid a cross-ice pass under Merzlikins to tie it.