Kent Johnson Breaks the Deadlock as Columbus Edges the Rangers
Nobody ran away with this one. Columbus and the New York Rangers traded chances on even terms all night, and the 1-0 overtime result came down to who stood taller between the pipes and who finished one look.
Both teams put 30 shots on goal, and the quality matched too. Expected goals, how many goals a team's chances were worth, came out 3.15 for Columbus and 2.99 for New York. The Rangers also took more total shot attempts, so they had the puck pointed at the net a bit more often.
Jet Greaves is why Columbus won. He stopped all 30 shots, including every one of the most dangerous looks New York produced. At the other end, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and gave the Rangers a chance until Kent Johnson finally beat him, with assists from Zach Werenski and Charlie Coyle.
The iron played a part. Cole Sillinger and Gabe Perreault, who led all skaters with six shots, each hit a post. A bounce either way, and this is a different night.