Rangers defeat Blue Jackets, become 1st team in NHL to reach 40 wins

NEW YORK -- Artemi Panarin had three points, Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves and the New York Rangers became the first team with 40 wins this season, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

The Rangers (40-17-3) had a 10-game winning streak end in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Sunday.

"The conversation in the locker room was definitely to get back after the last game and return the debt to Columbus," Panarin said.

New York finished February 10-1-0 after going 5-7-2 in January.

Shesterkin, who has allowed one goal in four straight starts, went 7-0-0 with a 1.72 goals-against average and .953 save percentage in February after going 4-5-1 with a 3.25 GAA and .863 save percentage in January.

Panarin scored twice and had an assist to give him 82 points, the fourth time in five seasons with the Rangers that he's scored at least 80. Adam Fox picked up his 10th goal of the season and Chris Kreider got his 30th and also had an assist.

"That was the plan when we hit February was to have it be a better month and have our actions speak for what we're looking for inside of that month," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think the guys did a pretty good job. To fight back on just this last game where we didn't win [three] nights before, we came back and ended it the way we wanted to end it. We're moving on. We've got to take on March and go from there."

Cole Sillinger scored, and Elvis Merzlikins made 26 saves for the Blue Jackets (19-29-10), including stopping all 17 shots he faced in the first period.

"Our best period was the third by far," Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said. "I like the fact that they believe in themselves. I like the fact that they are playing for each other, the fact that they protect each other. That's how you build something. The foundation is getting there. Once you have that, then you can think about moving to the next step. I know we didn't win. At the end of the day, that's what we want, winning hockey games, but the process of how the game was played, I felt I saw a lot of good things."

Panarin gave New York a 1-0 lead at 7:17 of the second period. Jack Roslovic won a face-off in the left circle from Vincent Trocheck toward the wall, but Panarin took the puck away from Damon Severson. It then bounced off the linesman's skate and back to Panarin, who beat Merzlikins with a quick shot through the legs.

Fox made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 14:19. Kreider took the puck away from Erik Gudbranson in the defensive zone and found Fox cutting down from the blue line through the middle. He scored from between the circles with a shot past Merzlikins' glove.

"I feel we're responsible for the two goals," Vincent said. "The puck is there, we're in a position to make the next play, so that's two goals right there. But we got better as the game went on."

Sillinger made it 2-1 at 3:24 of the third period, scoring a 4-on-4 goal with Shesterkin out of position after a turnover by the goalie. Shesterkin tried to rim the puck around the corner boards up the right-wing wall, but it was picked off by Severson on the half wall. He put it toward the net with Shesterkin scrambling to get back. Sillinger deflected it off the goalie, got it back and scored.

"Very good in the net, very bad behind the net," Shesterkin said, laughing. "I need to work on my stick-handle."

The Blue Jackets had a power-play opportunity at 5:20, when Shesterkin was called for tripping Kirill Marchenko after making a save on him. They didn't get a shot on goal on the power play, but they had eight of the next nine shots on goal in the game.

"We had our looks," Sillinger said. "We had opportunities to tie it up. I thought we tightened things up and we came close to getting that tying goal."

Instead, Kreider scored into the empty net at 19:07 off a pass from Panarin to make it 3-1. Panarin also scored an empty-net goal at 19:48 for the 4-1 final.

It was New York's 40th win of the season in its 60th game, tying the 1972-73 Rangers for the fastest to reach the mark in team history.

"That's definitely, definitely an accomplishment, but just continue to build our game," Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. "There's no real trophies handed out now. It feels great, but who really cares."

NOTES: Panarin is the third player in Rangers history with at least four 80-point seasons with the team, joining Mark Messier (five) and Rod Gilbert (four). … Fox is the first Rangers defenseman to score at least 10 goals in three straight seasons since Brian Leetch did it in four straight from 2000-04. … Kreider has three straight seasons with at least 30 goals. He is the seventh player in Rangers history to do that, first since Mike Gartner had three straight 40-goal seasons from 1990-93.