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Key takeaways after Rangers fall 5-2 to red-hot Sabres
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- Key takeaways after Rangers fall 5-2 to red-hot Sabres
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Opening a crucial stretch of games without two of their best players in the lineup, the New York Rangers simply couldn't do enough to cool off the red-hot Buffalo Sabres in a frustrating 5-2 loss Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Down 3-2, yet dominating play in the third period, the Rangers had a prime chance to grab this game by the throat and find a way to author a signature comeback victory. Buffalo's Peyton Krebs drew blood when he high-sticked Vincent Trocheck in the mouth, and was assessed a double-minor penalty at 14:24, handing New York a four-minute power play.
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With the Garden rocking, the Rangers power play — with six goals in the previous four games — went to work. Until it didn't. In pretty much the worst-case scenario, Alexis Lafreniere turned the puck over at the blue with a blind pass, the Sabres took off the other way, and Mattias Samuelsson capped off the rush with a short-handed goal, beating Jonathan Quick short side over the shoulder.
It was the League-worst seventh shorty allowed by the Rangers this season. And it sucked all the life out of MSG.
Who can say if that game-deciding sequence would've played out differently if Adam Fox was quarterbacking the power play or Igor Shesterkin was in net for the Rangers? Neither was out there, however, each sidelined by a lower-body injury. And things played out as they did.
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As such, the Rangers (20-19-6) lost for the fifth time in six games (1-3-2). On the flip side, the Sabres (23-15-4) now have 12 wins in their past 13 games.
Quick started in place of Shesterkin and stopped 16 of 20 shots. It was the second time in 11 starts this season that the 39-year-old allowed more than three goals, but the second in a row. He was outdueled by rookie Colten Ellis , who finished with 30 saves in his first start since Dec. 9, when he sustained a concussion.
Mika Zibanejad and Trocheck scored for the Rangers, and Artemi Panarin had two assists, including the 600th of his NHL career. Samuelsson, Jason Zucker , and Rich McLeod each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Josh Doan and Alex Tuch also tallied Buffalo goals.
Quick faced only four shots on goal in the first period, but unfortunately for him and the Rangers, the very first one ended up in the back of the net. Doan scored his 14th goal to cap a broken play off a scramble in front of the Rangers net at 4:07.
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It was an important goal because each of these teams is fairly unbeatable when scoring first this season. The Sabres are now 16-2-1 when scoring the first goal, and the Rangers entered 16-2-2 when doing so.
The visitors nearly doubled their lead at 17:43, but Tuch snapped a shot off the crossbar during an odd-man rush.
On the first shift of the second period, Ellis made two terrific saves to keep the Rangers off the board. He blockered away Panarin's shot off the rush, and then alertly slid to his right to be in position to deny Zibanejad's one-timer on the rebound.
Shortly thereafter, Quick matched Ellis by robbing Josh Norris in close on an odd-man rush.
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But the Sabres took a 2-0 lead at 6:58, when Tuch wired a shot stick-side past Quick, off the post and in for his 14th goal.
Less than three minutes later, Zibanejad buried a one-timer from the left circle to get the Rangers on the scoreboard at 9:34. Panarin was patient slowing the scoring play down, and then precise with his gorgeous cross-ice pass perfectly placed into Zibanejad's wheelhouse.
But the Sabres answered back to take a 3-1 lead at 12:34. Zucker was credited with his team-leading sixth power-play goal, when a Rasmus Dahlin shot hit Quick in the pads, and the puck bounced up and deflected off the back of the Sabres forward and into the Rangers net.
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Down by two entering the third period, the Rangers didn't waste any time cutting the deficit in half. Trocheck snuck a right-wing shot through Ellis' 5-hole on the first shot of the period, just 51 seconds in.
Re-energized, the Rangers proceeded to tilt the ice and take it to the Sabres, recording the first 10 shots of the period. Ellis bailed out his team time and again, including a massive save on Zibanejad's wide-open point-blank attempt.
When the Sabres finally recorded their first shot of the third period, it was prime odd-man opportunity down low. Jack Quinn drifted to the middle and had a clear look, but was robbed by Quick at 9:35.
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That turned out to be the only save Quick made in the third period. Samuelsson's short-handed goal came next at 14:38, and then McLeod hammered one into the empty net with 90 seconds to play.
Key takeaways after Rangers lose 5-2 to Sabres
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Home-ice disadvantage
The Rangers out-shot the Sabres 32-21, including 14-3 in the third period. They had a solid 56.88 percent expected goal share 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick . They more than hung with the hottest team right now in the NHL. In fact, they came close to running the visitors out of the Garden in the third period.
Yet, the Rangers found another way to lose at home. Again. They're now 5-11-4 at MSG. Those five home wins are fewest in the Eastern Conference, and biggest reason they very well could miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs again this season. They haven't won in regulation at home since Nov. 24.
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The World's Most Frustrating Arena?
"We're aware of the record at home. We're aware of the struggles at home," Zibanejad said postgame . "I'd be more worried if we didn't show any frustration. Honestly, if we're not showing any emotions, then I'd be worried."
Streaking Mika
Speaking of Zibanejad, he extended his point streak to four games, and has nine points (four goals, five assists) in that span. The goal Monday was his 16th this season, tying Panarin for the Rangers lead.
That goal also gave Zibanejad a point on eight straight Rangers goals, their first eight in 2026. That tied the second-longest such streak in Rangers history, equaling Hall-of-Famer Rod Gilbert. Who holds the franchise record for most points on consecutive goals? Zibanejad, who had a hand in 10 straight goals during the 2018-19 season.
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Zibanejad is not the only streaking Blueshirt. Panarin extended his point streak to five games (10 points), and Trocheck also has a five-game point streak (six points).
Let's get physical
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Perhaps having some of the most rugged players in franchise history in attendance Thursday spurred the Rangers to play such a physical game. The Rangers totaled 32 hits, including a whopping 16 in the first period. Matt Rempe led the way with six hits in 9:43 TOI, and three other Rangers had four apiece, including Trocheck who played with an edge all night.
Braden Schneider set the tone for the hit parade with a massive open-ice shoulder-to-shoulder check that sent Krebs flying seven minutes into the first period.
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In an on-ice pregame ceremony celebrating "Rangers favorites," noted tough guys from the past like Sean Avery, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Tie Domi, Chris Nilan, Darren Langdon and Colton Orr received warm ovations from the Blueshirts Faithful at MSG. Perhaps their collective presence inspired the present-day Rangers.
Not a safe occupation
On-ice officials don't get enough credit for how tough they are, nor how dangerous their job is. That played out Thursday, when three of the four officials were on the receiving end of unfortunate painful incidents.
On the game-opening shift, referee Michael Markovic went down after he was drilled by a puck fired ahead by Panarin. He winced and appeared sore after he picked himself up off the ice. But that's nothing compared to referee Peter MacDougall. He was on the far side of the ice, away from the original play, when a Trocheck slap shot deflected off the leg of Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram , changing course to hit the unsuspecting MacDougall in the face.
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MacDougall was helped off the ice, leaving a pool of blood in his wake, and didn't return. The game finished with one referee and two linesmen. But linesman Devin Berg also had his moment, when Buffalo forward Jordan Greenway missed a check and accidentally slammed the official into the boards instead. Berg appeared a bit dazed, but shook off the blow and finished out the game.
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