RANGERS VS SABRES POST GAME WRAP UP 11/4

LUNDQVIST SHINES AS RANGERS HOLD ON TO DEFEAT SABRES 3-1

A solid 60 minute effort from the Rangers tonight as they returned home from their recent 2-2-0 road trip through the Midwest and California.

Goals from Neal Pionk, his first of the season and Jimmy Vesey just 19 seconds apart in the second period propelled the Rangers to a 2-0 lead that they held until six minutes into the third period. Backed by Henrik Lundqvist who had a close call with injury once again when he tried to poke check the puck away from Sabres' rookie Rasmus Dahlin taking a knee to the head. It was the second time in two games that Lundqvist had to take a bit of a breather to shake off injury. The last coming in San Jose when back into by teammate Cody McLeod in the Rangers crease. Lundqvist once again put aside the pain and unlike in San Jose where it went to the shootout, was able to hold off 39 of 40 shots from Buffalo for the Garden Win.

The Rangers weren't so lucky when Jimmy Vesey slid a cross ice pass to Brett Howden who just missed short side on Sabres Carter Hutton slid into the boards awkwardly and was jammed between a Sabres defender along with Vesey into the backboards. What looked as though Howden had turned his ankle inward on the boards was deemed as an upper body injury by New York after he was held out of the rest of the second period and the entire third for precautionary measures.

The Rangers did something they haven't done in awhile and turned the tables on the opposition and scored in the final minute as Jummy Vesey picked up his second of the game, an empty net goal with Hutton pulled for the extra skater to put the Rangers ahead for good 3-1.

The Rangers return to action on Tuesday when they host the upstart Montreal Canadiens.

FINAL GAME STATS

New York Rangers 3 Buffalo Sabres 1

SOG: NYR 15 BUF 30
PIM: NYR 8 BUF 2
PPO: NYR 0/1 BUF 0/4
HITS: NYR 24 BUF 18
BLKS:  NYR 17 BUF 9
GVA: NYR 20 BUF 11
FO%:  NYR 50% BUF 50%

GOALTENDERS
NYR: H. LUNDQVIST 30 SV, 1 GA
BUF: C. HUTTON 13 SV, 2 GA

GOALS
Buffalo - C. Sheary
New York - J. Vesey (2), N. Pionk

SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
No Scoring

2ND PERIOD
00:41 New York Neal Pionk (1) ASST: Vladislav Namestnikov (3), Mika Zibanejad (6) 0-1
01:00 New York Jimmy Vesey (4) ASST: Brett Howden (6), Jesper Fast (5) 0-2

3RD PERIOD
06:07 Buffalo Conor Sheary (5) 1-2
18:09 New York ENG - Jimmy Vesey (5) ASST: Brady Skjei (5) 1-3

PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
13:57 New York Brendan Smith - Roughing - 2 minutes
16:26 New York Vladislav Namestnikov - Tripping - 2 minutes

2ND PERIOD
06:44 New York Cody McLeod - Tripping - 2 minutes
08:53 New York Brendan Smith - Hooking - 2 minutes

3RD PERIOD
12:40 Buffalo Zach Bogosian - Slashing - 2 minutes

3 STARS OF THE GAME

1. Henrik Lundqvist

2. Jimmy Vesey

3. Vladislav Namestnikov

Broadway Hat

Vladislav Namestnikov