New York Rangers vs Toronto Maple Leafs: A rock solid 5-3 win

My three stars of the game

1. Chris Kreider was a force in his return to the lineup.  He won the faceoff that led to the first period Zibanejad goal.  He scored the third Ranger goal on a brilliant rush into the Leaf’s zone.   It was his work on the boards that led to Buchnevich’s goal.  He also had at least four other glorious scoring chances.   Kreider ended up with five shots on goal and two points.
2. Pavel Buchnevich made a great return from the doghouse with his first three point game of the season.  It tied his career high and was his first in almost two years.  He finished with a team high six shots on goal, quite a turnaround from Monday when he had only two shifts in the third period.
3. It’s only fitting that Mika Zibanejad gets the third star as he had another excellent two-way game. He also finished with a goal and an assist and tied Buchnevich with six shots. He led all forwards playing just under 21 minutes.

The official three stars

1. Mika Zibanejad
2. Chris Kreider
3. Pavel Buchnevich

What’s next

The Buffalo Sabres visit Madison Square Garden on Friday night  in the third of this four game homestand.   They finish with Los Angeles on Sunday evening before spending most of the rest of February on the road.