BUFFALO — Lately, the Rangers have been finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win.
In a low-event game between two spiraling teams, however, Igor Shesterkin and the Blueshirts defended a one-goal lead for a majority of the 60-minute affair before surviving the Sabres’ third-period push to take a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center.
The Rangers avoided a third straight loss, while also handing the Sabres their eighth in a row.
Adam Fox (23) is mobbed by teammates after scoring in the Rangers’ 3-2 win over the Sabres on Dec. 11, 2024. NHLI via Getty Images
“They needed a win, too, so you knew you were going to get a good game from them, a competitive game,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I thought our guys played well.”
Shesterkin picked up his first win since signing an NHL-record-setting contract for a goaltender — eight years at $11.5 million per year — this past weekend. Stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced, the star Russian netminder improved to 10-10-1 on the season.
The Sabres, sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, did miss the net a lot.
All of Buffalo’s best chances through the first two periods were either not taken advantage of or simply executed poorly.
The KeyBank Center crowd ensured their displeasure was heard, while Rangers fans in attendance got some supportive chants in before they were drowned out by boos.
Still, the Rangers defended better than they have despite losing K’Andre Miller before the start of the third period.
Igor Shesterkin, making one of his 29 saves, picked up his first win since signing his big contract extension with the Rangers. AP
He was ruled out for the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury and there was no further update from Laviolette.
Reilly Smith then scored his third goal in the past four games to give the Rangers some insurance.
It was ultimately an imperative goal, after Owen Power cut the Rangers’ lead in half with 4:51 left in regulation to ignite the Sabres’ late rally.
Buffalo pulled their goalie with over two minutes to go, but Adam Fox hurled his first goal of the season into an empty net from the corner of the Rangers zone.
Mika Zibanejad accepts congratulations from teammate after scoring a first period goal in the Rangers’ win. AP
It was ultimately the game-winner as Tage Thompson made it a one-goal game with 37.7 seconds left on the clock.
“A little bit,” Fox said when asked if notching that first goal had been weighing on him. “It’s obviously a relief, anyone wants to get in the goal column. It’s not something I judge my play off of. I’m trying to still contribute and like we’ve been saying, trying to defend hard and focus on that first. Not trying to cheat to get that first one.
“I’m plenty happy seeing forwards score and give it to them, but anyone wants to contribute and get goals, too. Definitely a little bit of a sense of relief.”
Special teams became a factor early, with the Sabres earning a power play just 20 seconds after puck drop.
Reilly Smith (let) scores a third period goal on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen during the Rangers’ victory. NHLI via Getty Images
The Rangers came out on top in both categories, fending off both of Buffalo’s power plays while limiting them to just one shot on goal and going 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
Getting to the middle of the ice and winning puck battles, the visitors managed to draw two penalties through the opening 20 minutes.
They capitalized on the first just over seven minutes into the game, when Artemi Panarin fed Mika Zibanejad for just his second power-play goal of the season.
Zibanejad was active in all three zones in the win, totaling a goal, five shots and two hits.
“That’s what we talked about before the game, just one, one win,” the Swedish center said. “That’s all we care about. Obviously, you want to be able to stand here with an unbelievable effort for 60 minutes and have only positive stuff [to say], but I’ll take the win. We’ll take the win, and keep building.
“I thought we played some good hockey in the first, a bit in the second. The third period I thought we got a little passive, could’ve made a few more plays and played more on top of them, playing more offense. I don’t care how we got the job done, we did it.”