Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Blue Jackets beat Rangers 1–0 in overtime as Kent Johnson ends the shutout duel
Johnson scored a one-timer with 1:34 left in overtime after Jet Greaves stopped 29 shots. Dylan Garand made 28 saves, but New York could not turn his rebound performance into a win.
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New York Rangers 1–0 in overtime on October 17. Kent Johnson ended a scoreless goaltending duel with a one-timer at 3:26 of overtime, leaving 1:34 on the clock.
Jet Greaves stopped all 29 Rangers shots for the fifth shutout of his NHL career. Dylan Garand made 28 saves at the other end, a strong response after allowing seven goals in his previous start, but New York finished 0-for-3 on the power play and could not supply a goal.
Scoreless through 63 minutes
Neither team scored in regulation. Greaves handled 29 shots for Columbus, while Garand stopped 28 for New York and kept the Rangers level through three periods.
The game therefore reached overtime with one goal certain to decide both the result and the shutout. New York’s best scoring volume came without a finish, including six shots from Gabe Perreault.
The Coyle–Werenski–Johnson sequence
Charlie Coyle moved the puck to Zach Werenski in overtime. Werenski then found Johnson above the right circle, and Johnson beat Garand with the one-timer at 3:26.
It was Johnson’s third consecutive game with a goal and the ninth game-winning goal of his career. The finish was not a breakaway or a rebound; it came from a controlled three-player passing sequence.
Two goalies, one missing goal
Greaves earned his fifth career shutout with 29 saves. Garand’s 28-save night was a substantial bounce-back from the Rangers’ 7–1 loss to New Jersey, but goaltending alone could only carry New York to one standings point.
The Rangers went 0-for-3 on the power play. Columbus also failed to convert an overtime power play before Johnson scored at even strength, so the decisive difference was one completed offensive sequence rather than a special-teams goal.
What the result changes
Columbus avoided a third consecutive loss. New York lost consecutive games for the first time this season, even though Garand gave the club a chance to recover from the previous defeat.
The practical takeaway is narrow: Columbus converted its best overtime possession, while New York’s 29 shots and three power plays produced no goal. The completed result supports that comparison without predicting what either club will do next.
