What started out promising didn’t last long. In a game that included three overturned goals, the Rangers fell flat in a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets at Columbus.

Ultimately, a poor second period proved costly. It was eerily reminiscent of last season. One of the bugaboos was the failure to show up in second periods. This time, Peter Laviolette got to see it up close from the bench. It was a big difference from two nights ago.

Facing an opponent that isn’t expected to challenge for the postseason, the Rangers melted down. It wasn’t so much a loss of discipline. Rather, the attention to detail was the issue. There were far too many instances where the forwards didn’t make the right play. They were guilty of sloppy turnovers that led to Columbus scoring chances and goals.

The poor stretch in the middle stanza offset a dominant third period that saw Laviolette double shift Artemi Panarin while benching an ineffective Blake Wheeler. They had full control of the final period, even getting the first 16 shots. However, they only scored once on reliever Spencer Martin before Justin Danforth put it away on a two-on-one.

If there was a bright spot, it was the active play of rookie Will Cuylle. He was a constant during shifts by continuing to make things happen. The hard work paid off when he scored his first career NHL goal to cut the Rangers’ deficit to two with 9:07 left.

Laviolette rewarded Cuylle by continuing to get him out for shifts with Vincent Trocheck and Panarin, who replaced Wheeler. The former Jet was put on the fourth line. He didn’t take many shifts, finishing with 12:07 overall.

Of the four centers, Trocheck had the best game. He finished the game with a primary assist on Cuylle’s goal while dominating on face-offs by going 16 for 24. So far, so good. He’s being utilized differently by Laviolette. Trocheck continues to receive top power play time (3:36). He’s taken a few offensive draws so far.

The game started off well with the Rangers quickly striking in the first minute. On a smart play, Erik Gustafsson got to a loose puck and had a pass bank in off a Columbus skate for his first as a Ranger. Adam Fox and Jimmy Vesey picked up the assists. Vesey was inserted to play over Tyler Pitlick. He was good even though Laviolette shortened the bench.

A few minutes later, it looked like the Rangers had another goal. Filip Chytil thought he scored to put them ahead 2-0. However, the Blue Jackets successfully challenged for offside. Instead, it remained a one-goal game.

A little later, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner put in a rebound for his first of the game to tie the score. During the play, Braden Schneider tried to reverse the puck to Zac Jones, who was in the lineup due to Ryan Lindgren being out. It didn’t work. That allowed Kirill Marchenko to center in front where first Johnny Gaudreau tipped the puck on goal. That allowed Jenner to beat Igor Shesterkin at 9:36.

Following a Shesterkin save on Cole Sillinger, Mika Zibanejad batted down a clearing attempt and beat Elvis Merzlikins with a wrist shot in close. However, yet another Blue Jackets challenge for offside was successful. The replay showed that on the Rangers entry, Chris Kreider was just ahead of the play. That wiped out another goal.

Rather than regaining the lead, the Rangers remained tied. Perhaps that was an ominous sign. Sometimes, it’s just not your night. Even crazier, the Blue Jackets thought they had a goal when Patrik Laine had a shot trickle through Shesterkin. However, a third video review clearly showed that a diving Jacob Trouba saved a goal by keeping it out. The puck never crossed the line.

But in a wild period that lacked consistency, Fox was sent off for taking down Liam Foudy. For a while, the Rangers penalty killers were getting it done. However, the Blue Jackets power play kept them pinned in for some extended time. Eventually, that led to them being exhausted.

Ivan Provorov passed across for a Gaudreau shot that Jenner tipped past Shesterkin for his second with nine seconds remaining on the five-on-four. He got in position on Jones to redirect it home for a 2-1 lead at 17:45. Jones’ partner Braden Schneider went out to Marchenko in the slot. Jones was late to Jenner, allowing him to do what he does best. Score from in front. He’s given the Rangers headaches due to his gritty style. His big game continued.

After Jenner’s go-ahead goal, the Rangers top line created some chances. However, Zibanejad was stopped by Merzlikins. Kaapo Kakko fired a shot wide on a late power play that carried over to the second period. The Blue Jackets killed the remainder.

In the second, the Rangers had seven more shots than the Blue Jackets. However, they couldn’t beat Merzlikins. He saw the puck well. A disappointment last year, he’s looking for a bounce back. In two periods before an illness forced him to exit the game, he made 24 saves with 17 coming in the second frame.

While Merzlikins handled the Rangers offense, he got run support from his teammates. In particular, Jenner. On what can best be described as a lousy shift by Kakko, he twice turned over pucks that led directly to Jenner completing the hat trick on another tip-in. Kakko hesitated to shoot the puck. Instead, he skated to the top of the blue line before losing the puck. In the defensive zone, his giveaway led to a Jake Bean shot getting deflected in by Jenner for a 3-1 lead with 7:30 remaining.

Less than two minutes later, Blue Jackets rookie defenseman David Jiricek scored his first career NHL goal to give them a three-goal lead. Laviolette looked less than thrilled.

It got even worse. The Rangers lost a lot of battles. Some poor decisions from veterans allowed the Blue Jackets to get odd man rushes. Both the top two lines were guilty of lackadaisical play. It was unacceptable.

It wasn’t until the last couple of minutes that they began to play better. Cuylle came close to scoring near the conclusion of the period. It was a hint of things to come.

At the start of the third, Merzlikins was replaced by waiver pickup Spencer Martin. That should’ve meant a big period for the Blueshirts. They certainly carried the play by outshooting Columbus 17-2. Unfortunately, Martin actually made some big stops. He was the unsung hero for the Jackets. It’s tough to come in cold.

Initially, Laviolette stuck with his original four lines, including Wheeler with Trocheck and Cuylle. That soon changed.

The Rangers had most of the puck possession dictating the terms. If the Blue Jackets were sitting back, it looked like they were running four corners. A basketball reference. It’s hard to run the clock out when you barely have the puck. They were lucky Martin handled a tough situation so well.

Gustafsson and Fox each tested Martin. Without Lindgren, Laviolette had Gustafsson work with Fox on the top pair. He was mostly good, scoring a goal and picking up a helper. He had one of those ugly turnovers when he threw a backhand up the middle for a Columbus quick hit. Luckily, it didn’t cost the Rangers a goal.

If there was a defense pair that struggled, it was Zac Jones and Braden Schneider. They were caught on for two goals against. Neither had strong games. Unsurprisingly, Jones played only 12:30. The one positive was his willingness to shoot the puck. He was credited with four shots-on-goal. Schneider hasn’t looked comfortable so far. It could take some time for him to adjust to the Laviolette system. He’s in his third year. There’s some pressure to meet expectations.

Once Laviolette decided to double shift Panarin, the Rangers dominated play. Both the second line with Chytil and Lafreniere and the third line that featured Trocheck and Cuylle created several quality chances. After coming close on a previous shift, Cuylle finally had his first goal.

After Gustafsson passed up for Trocheck, he made a good drop for Cuylle, whose wrist shot beat Martin to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 9:07 left in regulation. It was a well-deserved reward for Cuylle. He was the Rangers’ best player.

They continued to push for more. But Martin made some big stops, including on both Trocheck and Panarin. On a strong shift, Jacob Trouba had a one-timer hit the crossbar with under seven minutes left. It was that close to a one-goal game.

With the Rangers pressing the attack, they started to take some chances. Eventually, Panarin had a pass barely miss a pinching Trouba, which trapped him. That allowed the Blue Jackets to have an odd man break. On a two-on-one, Sillinger slid the puck across for Danforth, who went upstairs on Shesterkin to make it 5-2 with 4:06 remaining. There was nothing he could’ve done.

To their credit, the Rangers kept coming. Even back down three, with under four minutes left, it felt like they could come back. A late power play drawn by Trocheck allowed Laviolette to pull Shesterkin for a six-on-four. He took a timeout.

Following it, Panarin had a few attempts blocked. If there was something they could’ve done better, it would be simplifying the two-man advantage. There was some slight hesitation to take the shot. It wasn’t until Panarin threw a long shot with Trocheck and Kreider in front that Kreider put in a rebound for his third goal in two games. It didn’t come until there were 36 seconds to go.

It was too little, too late. Had they played with the same urgency during earlier portions of the game, maybe it’s a different result. Instead, they’ll return home for the Coyotes with a win and a loss.

Regarding the tired Lindgren alibi used by reporters and fans, Laviolette didn’t use it as an excuse. The players knew he was out on Saturday morning.

Good teams win without key players. It’s about time the Rangers do so when Lindgren misses games. That’s due to the rugged style he plays. It probably won’t be the only game he misses.

On Monday, the Coyotes visit Madison Square Garden. Logan Cooley had two assists in a shootout win over the Devils. He’ll be worth keeping an eye on. There’s a good chance that the ‘Yotes won’t be as bad as before.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd Star ✨️ Will Cuylle NYR scored 1st of career, 2 hits, 3 SOG, 5 attempts, +1 in 14:54

2nd Star ✨️ Elvis Merzlikins CBJ made 24 saves, including 17 in the second before leaving the game

1st Star ✨️ Boone Jenner CBJ recorded his second career hat trick, +2 in 17:48