Columbus @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2019 ) NY Rangers 3, Columbus 2

The Columbus Blue Jackets are moving up the ladder in the Metropolitan Division and will look to climb up another rung when they travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers on Sunday night. The Rangers also are heating up and will be bidding for a season high-tying third straight victory against the surging Blue Jackets.

Sparked by leading scorer Artemi Panarin, who left Columbus to sign with New York as a free agent in the offseason, the Rangers have won two straight and four of five. "As the season's going we've started to do a lot of the little things that have given us opportunities to win games and be in games," forward Chris Kreider told reporters after scoring in Thursday's 3-2 win at the New York Islanders. "We've had a stretch here where we've definitely done a better job of that." New York has won 10 of its last 11 versus division rivals, including last month's 3-2 victory at Columbus, which extended its winning streak to four games with a 5-0 rout of visiting New Jersey on Saturday night. Winners of six of seven (6-1-0), the Blue Jackets were 11 points out of a playoff spot on Dec. 7 but have ascended to the top wild card by earning points in 18 of their last 20 games (14-2-4).

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Ohio, MSG

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (25-16-8): After scoring a career-best 41 goals in 2018-19, Cam Atkinson was off to a dismal start but started to find his groove last month, scoring five goals in eight games before he was shelved nearly a month by an ankle injury. Atkinson had one goal and set up another in his return to the lineup Thursday and ignited Saturday's victory by scoring Columbus' first two goals and collecting an assist. Rookie Elvis Merzlikins earned his third shutout in four starts to improve to 8-2-0 in his last 10.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (23-19-4): Panarin is looking like a bargain despite his hefty seven-year, $81.5 million contract, amassing 13 points during a five-game streak and notching six goals and 23 points in 10 games since the Christmas break. New York is showing dramatic improvement on special teams, killing off 21 of 23 penalties after snuffing out all five power-play chances by the Islanders on Thursday. Rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin, idle since winning his first two career starts on Jan. 7 and 9, will get the nod Sunday.

OVERTIME

1. Rangers C Mika Zibanejad has six goals and 11 points in his last 10 games.

2. Atkinson scored against the Rangers on Dec. 5 and had four points in four games against them last season.

3. The Rangers are 8-for-23 on the power play in the past seven games.

PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 2