The Rangers pulled out a much-needed win over the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, on Wednesday night.
Here are some takeaways…
– Mika Zibanejad has had a rough go this season, but he got the Rangers on the board early as he fired home a feed from Artemi Panarin on the power-play for the game’s opening goal. It was the center’s sixth goal of the season and the 300th of his NHL career, making him the eighth Swedish-born skater to reach that point.
– K’Andre Miller has also had a bit of an up-and-down campaign, and he was enjoying a strong showing of his own in this one before being ruled out early in the third period due to an upper-body injury. The defenseman is still being evaluated and he is being considered day-to-day.
– Zibanejad’s goal was the only tally until late in the third period when Reilly Smith jumped on a juicy rebound for his sixth of the season to give the Rangers a two-goal advantage. The winger has been on a bit of a heater of late, finding the back of the net three times over his last four games.
– Buffalo did keep things interesting with a pair of late goals, but they were sandwiched between Adam Fox‘s empty netter, which helped the Rangers pull out a much-needed victory. The All-Star defenseman played a part in all three of New York’s goals, including his first of the season.
– Igor Shesterkin was spectacular between the pipes for the Blueshirts as he stopped 29 of the 31 Sabres shots he faced on the night. The goaltender had lost six of his last seven starts coming into the night, so it was vital for him to step up when the Rangers needed it most.
– Rookie Brett Berard continues to stand out with his impressive play on both ends of the ice. He was extremely noticeable in this one and has certainly been making a strong case to stick around with the big-league club and earn more ice time moving forward.
– Buffalo extended their losing streak to eight games.
Game MVP: Mika Zibanejad
Zibanejad’s milestone goal got the Rangers going early on in this one.
Highlights
Upcoming schedule
The Rangers return home for a meeting with the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
