Gerard Gallant met with the media following the Rangers win over Columbus and said (NYR, MSG):

• On the start, “real good start. We had some bad ones before that, the last few games, so it’s good to get off to that good start, but, again, that first period I thought was sort of an East/West game. Shesty had to make 7-8 great saves, honestly, and it could have been a 5-4 period very easily. We got out to the great start and then I think we settled down in the second and third and played a better overall game, but the first period was sort of a shootout.”

• Do you want second place, “we’re right there and every game is important. I’m not looking at second place or first place, I’m looking at winning two points and see where you end up. Play well and play hard and at the end of the night we’ll check the standings after the game and see where we’re at. It might be important, it might not be, but I want us to play good hockey. For two periods I thought we played the way we should have played in the first, even though we created a lot in the first, but we gave up a lot in the first.”
• What got better as the game went on, “defensively. We just started bearing down on more pucks, but in the first period it was 7-8 great scoring chances against and Shesty had to make some great saves and then it got to 3-2 and our game got a lot better.”
• Was it human nature to have a first period like that after clinching a spot and playing a team like Columbus, “there is no doubt. We can say all we want about mentally preparing the same way, do the same things, but you look at their lineup and there are a lot of kids you don’t know. We knew that going in, but you gotta prepare, we gotta do what we do well and play the same game and it’s hard. I’ve been there as a player and as a coach, a lot, they are tough games to play and they got back in the game and when it was 3-2 I thought we played a lot better. That is what is important.”
• On Zibanejad, “great player, 200-ft, player, all situations. It doesn’t surprise me what he does, he’s a great player and one of those guys that should be considered for the Selke every year…since I’ve seen him, the last two.”
• On Thursday’s game, “it’s a huge game. Thursday should be a lot of fun, two teams battling. I think we are two points behind them and there are still 7-8 games left, but it goes a long way Thursday night, so hopefully we’ll play our best and be ready for a real good team and it should be a battle.”