New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Picks and Predictions for Saturday October 17 2026
The Rangers are heading to Columbus Saturday night, and somebody better check if they left their defense back in New York. Did you see what New Jersey did to them Thursday? Seven goals! The Devils beat them 7-1, and the Rangers looked lost for most of the night. Now, I know one ugly loss doesn’t mean a team’s suddenly terrible. New York had won two straight before that mess. But losing by six and then having to go back on the road isn’t much fun. They’ll face Columbus at Nationwide Arena on October 17, 2026, with the puck dropping at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. The Blue Jackets are favored around -242, with New York getting +200, and I think that’s a pretty steep price considering Columbus has had problems of its own. I’m not laying that kind of money on the Jackets. Check out our free NHL picks for more NHL predictions throughout the season.
New York Rangers Need To Forget Thursday Night
New York is 6-3-0 after that beating in New Jersey, and the Rangers are still looking for their second road victory. Before Thursday, things were going pretty well. They beat Vancouver 6-2, then handled Tampa Bay 4-1 on Tuesday. Five straight home wins, and they were starting to look like a team nobody wanted to play. Then they went to Newark and got embarrassed. New Jersey scored four times in the second period, and by then the game was practically over. The Rangers managed just 19 shots all night. Nineteen shots and seven goals allowed. That’s a pretty miserable combination. I’m curious to see how they respond because they haven’t had many nights this bad.
The Rangers came into Thursday averaging better than three goals per game and allowing fewer than two. Those defensive numbers took quite a beating against New Jersey. New York had been pretty good at keeping opponents away from the net, and the penalty kill had been doing its job. But the Devils exposed some problems. The Rangers gave up too many clean looks, and their goaltending couldn’t bail them out. The offense wasn’t much better. Nineteen shots isn’t going to get you very far, especially when you’re already chasing the game. Columbus has been allowing nearly three goals per night, so there should be opportunities Saturday. The question is whether New York can get back to playing the kind of hockey that won them six of their first eight games.
New York’s leading goal scorer has seven goals through eight games, and their top playmaker has seven assists. That’s good production, and the Rangers have been getting some help from the blue line, too. But the injury situation in goal is a real problem. Igor Shesterkin is out with a lower-body injury, and Joonas Korpisalo is also sidelined. That leaves New York leaning on its younger goaltenders, and Thursday showed how quickly things can get ugly when they don’t have a good night. Dylan Garand gave up four goals on 13 shots before getting pulled against New Jersey. Spencer Martin came in and allowed three more. Now somebody has to get back in the crease Saturday and try to put that behind them. Good luck. Columbus isn’t exactly short on players who can shoot the puck.
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Columbus Blue Jackets Have Some Problems Of Their Own
Columbus is 2-3-0, and the Blue Jackets haven’t exactly been lighting up the league. They beat Buffalo 6-3 to open the season, then lost 4-1 to Utah, 5-3 to St. Louis, and 7-3 to Florida on Tuesday. They did manage a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh along the way, but that’s about it. That Florida game was ugly. The Panthers scored seven, and Columbus never really got things under control. Now they’re getting a Rangers team that just allowed seven of its own. Maybe this turns into a contest to see which defense can make fewer mistakes. The Jackets have had some decent offensive moments, but they haven’t been consistent enough to make me comfortable laying a big price on them.
Columbus is averaging 2.92 goals per game and allowing the same number, according to the latest matchup figures. That doesn’t sound too bad until you start looking at some of the individual games. Seven goals allowed to Florida. Five to St. Louis. Four to Utah. The Blue Jackets have been giving up too many good chances, and the goaltending hasn’t always been able to cover for it. Their power play is converting 22.2% of its opportunities, which is respectable, and that’s one area where they might be able to hurt New York. The Rangers are dealing with goaltending injuries, and Columbus needs to take advantage of that. But I’m not buying the idea that the Jackets are suddenly a heavy favorite just because New York had one terrible night.
Columbus has been getting some decent scoring from its top forwards, although nobody has really taken over games consistently. Their leading goal scorer has been finding the net, and the top playmakers have kept the offense moving when the team gets opportunities. The injury list isn’t helping matters. Ivan Provorov has been dealing with a lower-body injury, Dante Fabbro is out with an upper-body problem, and Isac Lundestrom is sidelined with an Achilles injury. Those defensive absences matter, especially against a Rangers team that scored ten goals in the two games before Thursday. Columbus can win this game, no question. But asking me to pay -242 for a team that’s been giving up goals in bunches? That’s a tough sell.
New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Picks and Predictions
New York Rangers Moneyline (+200)
I’m taking the Rangers here, and I know what you’re going to say. They just lost 7-1. Why would I want any part of that? Fair question. But New York was 6-2 before Thursday, and those six wins weren’t accidents. They beat Tampa Bay twice, handled Vancouver, and had been playing some pretty good defensive hockey. One awful night doesn’t erase all of that. Columbus just gave up seven goals to Florida, and the Jackets are only 2-3. So why am I being asked to lay -242 on them? That doesn’t make much sense to me. The Rangers’ goaltending injuries worry me, and that’s the biggest reason this isn’t an easy pick. But Columbus has its own problems on defense, and New York has enough offense to take advantage. At +200, I’m willing to take a shot on the Rangers bouncing back. Maybe they lose again. That’s hockey. But I think we’re getting a better price than we should on a team that’s been pretty good outside of one terrible game.
Over 6.5 Goals
I’m going over 6.5, and I don’t think we need to get too clever here. The Rangers just allowed seven goals, and Columbus gave up seven to Florida in its last game. Both teams are dealing with injuries on the defensive side, and New York’s goaltending situation is especially concerning. The Rangers have been scoring enough to win games, and Columbus has shown it can put up three or four when things are going right. Could New York tighten everything up after Thursday’s embarrassment? Absolutely. That’s the one thing that bothers me. Teams sometimes come out playing much more carefully after getting hammered. But I’m not convinced either defense is going to suddenly turn into a brick wall. I can see a 4-3 game, maybe even 5-3 if somebody gets an empty-netter. Give me the over 6.5.
Final Picks: New York Rangers Moneyline (+200) and Over 6.5 Goals
This article was completed on October 16, 2026. Betting odds, starting goaltenders, injury reports, and other game information may change before puck drop.
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