Rangers rally from 4-0 deficit in third period before losing in OT to Columbus

Will Borgen of the Rangers scores a goal during the third... — Will Borgen of the Rangers scores a goal during the third period against Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac

By The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026 10:37 pm

Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.

Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback by scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault's tying goal with 4:46 left in the third, to force OT.

Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.

After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.

Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.

Fantilli opened the scoring with a goal in his third straight game, netting his 16th on a tip-in shot at 5:50 of the first. Marchenko, who assisted on Fantilli's score, made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 15:32.

The Rangers had an apparent power-play goal by J.T. Miller disallowed early in the second when the officials ruled there was goaltender interference. Moments later, the Blue Jackets got a short-handed goal by Monahan. Olivier added a score at 11:54 of the middle period.

New York stormed back in the third on goals by Gavrikov 30 seconds into the period, and Perreault 24 seconds later. Borgen scored at 12:52, and Perreault added his second at 15:14.