Bantering Points: 2/26/17

After winning a thrilling overtime game against the New Jersey Devils yesterday, the Rangers are back in action later today against the Columbus Blue Jackets in either team's most important game of the season. With only one point separating New York from their rivals from Ohio, tonight's meeting will go a long way in deciding who claims a top three spot in the Metropolitan Division. Here are today's news and links:

Rangers News:

• Highlights: NYR 4, NJD 3 (4:33 Video via NHL.com)
• Game Recap: New York battles back from a late deficit to earn two points and temporarily jump into 3rd place in the division (CBS)
• Game Preview: The Rangers and Blue Jackets meet for the final time this season, with a trip to Pittsburgh likely awaiting the winner (CBS)
• Larry Brooks reports that teams have been asking about J.T. Miller's availability in a possible deadline deal (NY Post)
• Brooks also wonders if Kevin Klein has already played in his final game on Broadway (NY Post)
• Steve Zipay points out how the Rangers have remained relatively loose despite being in the midst of the most stress-inducing time of the year in hockey (Newsday)
• Pat from BSB evaluates what a possible move for St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk could mean if the Rangers pull the trigger (Blue Seat Blogs)
• Ben Whitney reflects on Ryan McDonagh's career so far and what he can accomplish in the future (Blue Line Station)
• Michael Monti looks back on Henrik Lundqvist's top 5 moments against the Devils in his career (Blue Line Station)
• Postgame Notes: Multi-point efforts from Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad were enough to power New York past New Jersey (Official Team Site)
• Postgame Interviews: Alain Vigneault,(2:27) Adam Clendening,(1:10) Antti Raanta,(2:24) and Mika Zibanejad (1:25) (Official Team Site)
• He appeared in 104 games as a Ranger during the early 1990's, and was shipped off to Edmonton in the Mark Messier trade. Yesterday's player in the picture was.....Bernie Nicholls (Wikipedia)/

Around the NHL:

• Greg Wyshynski passes along news of an off-ice fight altercation between two AHL players after last night's Iowa Wild-Chicago Wolves game (Puck Daddy)
• Shawn P. Roarke chatted with Steve Carlson, better known as Steve Hanson from the classic film Slapshot, in honor of the movie's 40th anniversary coming yesterday (NHL.com)
• Real life penguins made an appearance at Heinz Field yesterday, as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in this year's edition of the Stadium Series (Sportsnet)
• Anaheim Ducks' forward Antoine Vermette's ten game suspension for slashing an official was upheld yesterday, after a hearing with Gary Bettman with the hopes of decreasing it (TSN)/