NY RANGERS @ BUFFALO SABRES POST GAME RECAP

Rangers Beat The Sabres In Buffalo 4-2

It was far from easy, but the Rangers managed to secure two important points on the road Tuesday night at the First Niagara Center, skating to a 4-2 victory over the hard-working Buffalo Sabres.
Mats Zuccarello scored a goal and contributed two assists to the win, while Derick Brassard had a goal and an assist. Both players reached 50 points on the season, as well. It was the second time each had reached the 50-point plateau in their respective careers--Brassard registering a career-high 60 a year ago and Zuccarello leading the team with 59 two seasons ago.
Goaltender Antti Raanta started his third game in a row with Henrik Lundqvist sidelined by neck spasms and he sparkled between the pipes. Raanta, coming off Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Islanders in which he allowed five goals, was terrific on Tuesday, finishing with 34 saves, including 19 in the third period alone.
The Rangers seemed to have this one well in hand, skating to a 3-0 lead just 26 minutes into the contest, driving the Sabres starting goalie Robin Lehner to the bench in the process. However Buffalo responded by scoring twice before the second period was over, and very nearly tied the score before the arrival of the second intermission, as the Rangers lead was whittled to one, 3-2.
Brassard scored a power play goal at the 7:30 mark of the first period to get the Rangers off on the right foot after Buffalo defenseman Zach Bogosian was whistled for a delay of game penalty 54 seconds prior. Zuccarello set up the goal by calmly circling in the neutral zone before zipping an alert pass between the two Sabres defensemen. That pass sprung Brassard on left wing, and he roofed his team-leading 24th goal high over Lehner's blocker.
That goal was the only one scored in the first period, with Buffalo outshooting New York 8-6. The Sabres came within inches of scoring on two separate occasions in the opening twenty, but came up just short both times. Raanta made a spectacular sprawling save with his outstretched left skate to rob Buffalo's Johan Larsson at 5:43; and rookie defenseman Brady Skjei--recalled on an emergency basis from Hartford with both Marc Staal and Dylan McIlrath out injured--swept a slithering puck out of the blue paint at 14:18 after Raanta got a piece of a screened blast.
Zuccarello scored a bad-angle goal at 4:38 of the second period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Derek Stepan chipped a pass to Zuccarello on right wing, and from near the goal line the Norwegian winger slipped a shot through Lehner's five-hole for his 22nd goal of the season.
Lehner's night came to an end one minute 27 seconds later when Jesper Fast stepped into a Brassard pass on right wing and blasted a slap shot far side past the Sabres goalie. Fast's 10th goal, at 6:05, upped New York's advantage to 3-0 and sent Lehner to the bench after he surrendered three goals on 14 shots.
Former Ranger Chad Johnson, who backstopped Buffalo's 4-3 come-from-behind shootout win in Toronto Monday night, replaced Lehner and made several clutch save right off the bat, ultimately stopping all eight he faced the rest of period number two. In the meantime his teammates scored twice to work their way back into the game.
First rookie Sam Reinhart sprinted to the net in time to deflect a slick Jack Eichel centering pass past Raanta off an odd-man rush at 10:12, and then Larsson finished a quick passing play with Brian Gionta and Bogosian at 16:10 to make it 3-2.
The Rangers thought they may have regained a two-goal lead at 16:57 of the second when Eric Staal had several whacks at a loose puck in front and it seemed to cross the goal line. However the officials ruled against a goal being scored, explaining that Oscar Lindberg had pushed Johnson into the net.
That no-goal call loomed even larger nearly three minutes later as the clock winded down and Raanta came way out of his net to stone a wide-open Nicolas Deslauriers shortly before the buzzer.
The third period was completely owned by the Sabres, who out shot New York 19-4. However the Rangers killed off a pair of Sabres power plays and received some splendid work in goal by Raanta; and then J.T. Miller scored his 18th goal, into the empty net, with one minute to play in regulation to seal the victory.
The Rangers will have three days between games, next skating in Detroit against the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com
FINAL STATS

 
NY RANGERS 4 BUFFALO SABRES 2
SOG: NYR 26 BUF 36
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
07:30    NYR    PPG - Derick Brassard (24) Snap shot - ASST: Mats Zuccarello (28), Keith Yandle (33)     1 - 0 NYR
2nd Period
04:38    NYR    Mats Zuccarello (22) Wrist shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (20)     2 - 0 NYR
06:05    NYR    Jesper Fast (10) Slapshot - ASST: Derick Brassard (26), Kevin Klein (8)     3 - 0 NYR
10:12    BUF    Sam Reinhart (19) Tip-in - ASST: Jack Eichel (26)     3 - 1 NYR
16:10    BUF    Johan Larsson (6) Snap shot - ASST: Brian Gionta (16), Zach Bogosian (13)     3 - 2 NYR
3rd Period
19:00    NYR    EN - J.T. Miller (18) Backhand shot - ASST: Mats Zuccarello (29)     4 - 2 NYR

PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
06:36    BUF    Zach Bogosian  Delaying Game-Puck over glass  - 2 min
11:30    BUF    Rasmus Ristolainen  Interference  - 2 min against  J.T. Miller
2nd Period
NONE
3rd Period
04:30    NYR    Viktor Stalberg  Delaying Game-Puck over glass  - 2 min
15:03    NYR    Derek Stepan  Interference  - 2 min against  Johan Larsson
19:00    BUF    Marcus Foligno  Misconduct (10 min)  - 10 min
FINAL TEAM STATS
Category    NYR    BUF
Power Plays    1/2    0/2
Hits    24    13
Faceoff Wins    26    25
Giveaways    5    5
Takeaways    5    10
Blocked Shots    11    13
Penalty Minutes    4    14

THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. DERICK BRASSARD NYR
2. MATS ZUCCARELLO NYR
3. SAM REINHART BUF

NEXT GAME:
Saturday March 12 2:00 PM New York Rangers @ Detroit Red Wings