Rangers destroyed by Sabres in embarrassing loss in return from 4 Nations break
BUFFALO — MSG Networks and Optimum may have come to an agreement just in time to patch Saturday’s Rangers game back into homes, but fans probably wished they hadn’t.
For it was a disastrous scene for the Blueshirts at Keybank Center, where they resumed the regular season after the 4 Nations break in the most discouraging of ways, getting clobbered in the first period on the way to an embarrassing 8-2 loss to the lowly Sabres, the fourth-worst team in the NHL.
This one was over after the first 20 minutes, the final 40 only played as a formality.
Igor Shesterkin, who suffered an upper-body injury just before the break, was pulled just 18:21 into the game after the star Russian goalie gave up five goals on 16 shots.
It hardly mattered that Jonathan Quick made 14 saves in relief.
Two of the five goals Shesterkin gave up were tipped in through traffic, but the 29-year-old wasn’t exactly tracking the puck very well in the time that he played. Shesterkin had to be eased back into practice this past week after recovering from the unidentified injury that he took into the break.
Shesterkin hasn’t consistently performed at best-goalie-in-the-world standards since signing an eight-year, $92 million extension that will make him the highest-paid goalie in the league when it kicks in next season.
In his five appearances before the break, Shesterkin went 1-4-0 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .835 save percentage.
Factoring in Saturday’s game, Shesterkin’s save percentage is at roughly .817 over his last six games.
Not only was this the first time Shesterkin gave up five goals in the first period, but it was also the fastest he’s been pulled in his six-year NHL career, per Sportsnet.
The Rangers in front of him Saturday night, however, did not do him any favors.
K’Andre Miller’s defensive-zone turnover while trying to clear the puck had the Blueshirts trailing early, when Jack Quinn carried the puck back in and scored just 1:46 into the game.
It prompted head coach Peter Laviolette to put his lines in a bit of a blender right away.
Rasmus Dahlin later doubled the Sabres lead after getting a stick on Jordan Greenway’s shot.
The Sabres had a 3-0 lead by the 15:32 mark of the third period when Tage Thompson — notably left off Team USA’s 4 Nations roster — shook off Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren in the corner before powering his way to the net and finishing on his backhand.
Ryan McLeod then flung one from the top of the zone that took a weird bounce off Braden Schneider’s stick and went in.
With Sam Carrick in the penalty box for cross checking at the end of the period, Dahlin netted his second of the frame on the Sabres power play for the 5-0 lead.
That effectively ended Shesterkin’s night, counting as the fourth time he has been pulled this season.
It also marked the first time the Rangers allowed five goals in a period this season.
The Rangers cut the deficit to three after a two-goal second period in which the two teams each finished with 10 shots on goal.
Chris Kreider redirected a feed from Artemi Panarin on the Rangers power play to get on the scoreboard before Mika Zibanejad batted in the rebound off his initial redirection to make it a 5-2 game.
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There still wasn’t much pop to the game despite the Rangers’ slight push.
The Sabres just kept piling on, with Thompson notching his second of the game at the 3:47 mark of the third period before McLeod did the same just under two minutes later. Then one last parting shot with a Henri Jokiharju goal with 36 seconds to go.
The Rangers gave up eight goals for the first time this season.
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Rasmus Dahlin scores 2 and sets up 1 in Buffalo Sabres 8-2 win over the New York Rangers
BUFFALO, N.Y. — — Rasmus Dahlin scored twice and had an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres capitalized on a five-goal first period in an 8-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
Tage Thompson and Ryan McLeod each scored twice, and Jason Zucker had three assists in the teams’ return from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Jack Quinn and Henri Jokiharju also scored. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots and Buffalo improved to 5-1 in its past six games.
New York’s Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored second-period goals. The Rangers failed to build on the momentum of their pre-break 11-5-2 run that pushed them to within four points of eight place in the Eastern Conference.
Igor Shesterkin was pulled with 1:39 left in the first period after allowing five goals on 16 shots. Jonathan Quick finished the game allowing three goals on 17 shots.
Buffalo’s Alex Tuch did not return after being checked from behind into the boards by K’Andre Miller 4:22 into the third period.
Takeaways
Rangers: Shesterkin dropped to 1-5 in his past six starts in which he’s allowed a combined 24 goals.
Sabres: Forward Jordan Greenway returned after missing 23 games with a hernia. He had an assist when his shot was deflected in by Dahlin on Buffalo’s second goal.
Key moment
Thompson’s first goal with 4:28 left in the first sparked Buffalo’s run of three goals in a span of 2:48 for a 5-0 lead. The Rangers allowed Thompson to drive from the right corner to the front of the net and backhand a shot in through Shesterkin’s legs.
Key stat
Dahlin upped his career goal total to 75, moving him into sole possession of second place among Sabres defensemen, two ahead of Mike Ramsey. Phil Housley tops the list with 178 goals.
Up Next
The Rangers travel to play Pittsburgh on Sunday, while the Sabres hosts Anaheim on Tuesday.
——
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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NHL News
BUF wins 2-1
| 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYR | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| BUF | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Team | W | L | OTL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 37 | 11 | 8 | 82 |
| Carolina | 33 | 20 | 4 | 70 |
| New Jersey | 31 | 21 | 6 | 68 |
| Columbus | 27 | 22 | 8 | 62 |
| NY Rangers | 27 | 25 | 4 | 58 |
| NY Islanders | 25 | 23 | 7 | 57 |
| Philadelphia | 25 | 26 | 7 | 57 |
| Pittsburgh | 23 | 26 | 9 | 55 |
| Team | W | L | OTL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 34 | 21 | 3 | 71 |
| Toronto | 34 | 20 | 2 | 70 |
| Tampa Bay | 31 | 20 | 4 | 66 |
| Ottawa | 29 | 23 | 4 | 62 |
| Detroit | 28 | 22 | 6 | 62 |
| Boston | 27 | 24 | 7 | 61 |
| Montreal | 25 | 26 | 5 | 55 |
| Buffalo | 23 | 27 | 5 | 51 |
At the Horn | Sabres 8 – Rangers 2
Buffalo returned from the break with a five-goal first period.
The Buffalo Sabres entered Saturday, their first game back from the two-week break, leading the NHL with 62 first-period goals.
They added five more in an early onslaught versus the New York Rangers en route to an 8-2 win at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo improved to 5-1-0 since Jan. 28 and has averaged 5.0 goals scored per game during that span; Saturday’s eight goals mark a new season high for the Sabres, who also beat the Rangers 6-1 on Nov. 7.
Rasmus Dahlin (2+1), Tage Thompson (2+1) and Jason Zucker (0+3) logged three-point nights for the Sabres. Ryan McLeod also scored two goals, and Jack Quinn and Henri Jokiharju both scored one.
Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 of 28 shots in his first game action since Feb. 8.
Jordan Greenway, returning from middle-body surgery, played his first game since Dec. 15. He skated 14:39 with an assist, two shots, two blocks and a game-high six hits.
Jason Zucker struggled to the bench after blocking a shot with his skate early in the third period. He returned a few minutes later, and assisted McLeod for his third helper of the night.
Alex Tuch was also shaken up in the third period on a K’Andre Miller hit against the boards. He didn’t return for the final 15:38.
Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers, while J.T. Miller added a pair of assists. Igor Shesterkin started in net for New York but was pulled late in the first period after allowing five goals on 16 shots. Jonathan Quick entered and allowed three goals on 17 shots.
Quinn opened the scoring for Buffalo less than two minutes in, stealing the puck off Miller’s failed clearing attempt and finding space under Shesterkin’s left pad.
The Sabres doubled their lead at 11:58, when Dahlin drifted laterally through the slot and deflected Greenway’s point shot past New York’s netminder. Greenway, who’d retrieved a rebound in the left corner and muscled his way to the right point, held the puck for eight seconds before his assist.
Thompson made it a 3-0 game at 15:32, powering his way through Adam Fox to the net on a delayed penalty and pushing in a backhand.
At 17:33, McLeod’s shot from up high leaked through Shesterkin’s legs to further pad Buffalo’s lead.
Dahlin added a power-play goal – and ended Shesterkin’s evening – at 18:21, securing his fourth career multi-goal game.
Jack Quinn opens the scoring for the Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin gives the Sabres a 2-0 lead
Tage Thompson gives the Sabres a 3-0 lead
Ryan McLeod makes it 4-0 Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin scores on the power play
Dahlin drew a four-minute high-sticking penalty on the opening shift of the period. Buffalo didn’t score during the double minor, and Kreider responded with a redirected, power-play goal for the Rangers at 5:29.
Zibanejad made it 5-2 at 11:25, moments after another Rangers man advantage had retired.
Artemi Panarin nearly added a third New York goal when his shot bounced off Luukkonen’s glove and trickled toward the goal line, but Dahlin reached in and pushed the puck out of danger.
The teams recorded 10 shots apiece in the second period, which ended with the Sabres leading 5-2.
Thompson and McLeod both scored their second of the night at 3:47 and 5:40, respectively, to restore Buffalo’s five-goal lead.
Jokiharju added his second goal of the season in the final minute.
Tage Thompson scores his 2nd of the game
Ryan McLeod makes it 7-2 Sabres
Henri Jokiharju gives the Sabres an 8-2 lead
FINAL | Sabres 8 – Rangers 2
Rasmus Dahlin speaks to the media
Ryan McLeod speaks to the media
Jordan Greenway speaks to the media
Lindy Ruff speaks to the media
February 22, 2025 – presented by Ticketmaster
The Sabres host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, which is **Black History Celebration** at KeyBank Center. Tickets are available here.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. ahead of puck drop at 7.
