New York Rangers Fall Short To the Buffalo Sabres In 5-1 Loss

It was a game that never really saw the Rangers get going. They were sluggish and behind the game for the most part and very unlike the team we had scene recently. If this is just a bad game in an 82 game season, the entire fanbase can let this go. But this cannot become a theme for the Blueshirts, so dousing this in the next game is going to be vital.

Ten minutes in, Blake Wheeler thought he had broken the ice when he got to a loose puck and knocked it past Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen. However, that was ruled out for a handpass. Will Cuylle knocked it in front with his glove so it was the right decision, but it would have been nice to see another goal for Wheeler, who has seen some struggle during his start to his Rangers career.

Then, John-Jason Peterka would break the ice for the Sabres. Completely against the flow of the game early, Owen Power and Victor Olofsson set up the German in the slot, and it was just way too wide open. Even Igor couldn’t save that, and the Rangers failed to score first, which has been a rarity for the Blueshirts this season. Now chasing the game, it was not a situation they had been in often.

In the second, Kaapo Kakko had a bad fall into the boards. His leg got trapped behind him as he crashed into the end boards in a gruesome fashion. The Rangers confirmed during the second intermission that the Finnish winger would not return ti the ice. It was a difficult game for the Rangers from here who had to alternate the eleven forwards on the active roster.

Alexis Lafreniere hit the side netting, which set the goal horn off, but it would be Alex Tuch who got the next goal of the game. A puck flutteredjust past Igor as the Sabres got a bounce. Tuch was left all alone in the slot when he took his shot and it put the Rangers in such a hole. It was going to take the Rangers best with just 11 forwards to get out of this situation.

It would need to be the Rangers stars leading the way for the Blueshirts to get back into this one. Step forward, Mika Zibanejad. On the powerplay, the vaunted Mika one-timer beats Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen to cut the Sabres lead to one and bring the Garden to life. With 11:40 left in the game when Zibanejad tallied, there was time, it but it wasn’t there yet.

Alex Tuch then restored the Sabres two goal lead. before Casey Mittelstadt then got the dagger with the empty net goal for the Rangers 5th loss of the season in 20 games. Buffalo would add a fifth to end the third winning streak of the season at three as the Rangers fall to 15-4-1. New York will get a chance to redeem itself when they play Detroit later in the week, but this was a disappointing performance for Peter Laviolette and his coaching staff.