COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After nearly setting an NHL record with 16 straight victories, the Columbus Blue Jackets are riding a losing streak for the first time since before Thanksgiving.

Michael Grabner scored on a breakaway with 17 seconds remaining for his second goal of the game as the New York Rangers rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit to defeat Columbus 5-4 on Saturday.

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones fanned on a pass at the New York blueline and the speedy Grabner pounced, lifting a backhand shot high over sprawling goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Grabner has a team-leading 18 goals.

"I just went out there, and we tried to just to not get scored on," Grabner said. "We wanted to play strong defensively and get the puck out and get it to overtime but once the guy fanned on the puck I saw a chance to go and yeah, it worked out."

Rangers defenseman Adam Clendening scored twice in the third period, setting the stage for Grabner's heroics.

Oscar Lindberg also scored and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 33 shots for New York.

"For the first 35 minutes we weren't really sharp and on our toes," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Our veteran guys, our leaders, took charge. There were obviously some good voices in that dressing room that made them go out and play the way they did in the third. They had a lot of jump in the third, their execution as a lot better and we were able to come back and get two points."

Vigneault won his 172nd game with the Rangers, moving him into fourth place on the franchise all-time win list ahead of current Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella.

It was the first time Columbus suffered back-to-back regulation losses since their first two games of the season and its first losing streak of any kind since Nov. 21-23, when it lost to Colorado and Calgary at home. Saturday's setback ended the Jackets home winning streak at eight games.

"The third period starts off with a power play goal that I think needs to be saved," Tortorella said. "It just mounts. I don't want to put it all on McElhinney but we do need a couple of saves there. McElhinney is going to be the first one to attest to that. We got nervous and didn't generate enough forechecking. (New York) gained the momentum right away on that power play goal and we couldn't find a way."

Rookie defenseman Markus Nutivaara, Cam Atkinson and Scott Hartnell scored first-period goals while Lukas Sedlak tallied in the second for the Blue Jackets. McElhinney made 29 saves.

The Jackets jumped on the board early. Nutivaara scored with a slap shot from up high off a Josh Anderson feed 1:54 into the game on the team's second shot. It was his second career goal.

New York defenseman Ryan McDonagh was called for cross-checking at 4:27, and Columbus' power play showed why it is number one in the league. Ten seconds later, Sam Gagner sent a cross crease pass to Atkinson, who made it 2-0 with his team-leading 19th goal of the season.

Lindberg got the Rangers on the board when he capitalized on Jack Johnson's turnover in the neutral zone and created a 2-on-1 for New York before beating McElhinney high glove side. It was his first goal in 27 games.

With 4:03 to play in the first period, Hartnell batted Gagner's pass out of the air to make it 3-1. Gagner's two assists made him the fifth Blue Jacket to reach 30 points this season.

The teams traded goals in the second period. Sedlak earned his fourth goal of the season and Michael Grabner beat McElhinney high.

"We just have to get back to what we were doing to be successful throughout the last month and a half," Columbus' Brandon Dubinsky said. "We know what it takes to win in here, we know it's going to be tough. We just have to be sure we put in 60 minutes every night. We can't get on our heels or we'll pay the price and we did tonight."

NOTES: Blue Jackets G Curtis McElhinney started only his fifth game of the season. He has played in relief of Sergei Bobrovsky twice this season, most recently in the 5-0 loss to Washington on Thursday. ... Saturday's game was the final one for New York before its league-mandated five-day break. Its next game is Friday against Toronto at home. ... The Rangers and Blue Jackets are two of three teams (Winnipeg) who have three or more players on their roster with 30 points or more this season. ... The Rangers' scratches were both because of injury. D Marc Staal (upper body) and F Rick Nash (groin) did not play. ... LW Markus Hannikainen, D Dalton Prout and D Scott Harrington were scratched for the Blue Jackets.