The Buffalo Sabres' losing streak hit four games on Tuesday night, as the blue and gold were bested by a single goal, 3-2, at Madison Square Garden by the New York Rangers.
This affair started with a bang, as the teams traded a trio of goals within the first 2:36 of the opening period. Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich kicked off the scoring just 28 seconds in, while the Sabres had an answer just 27 seconds later from Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart's eighth goal of the campaign was the team's first goal of any kind since Feb. 25 against the New Jersey Devils. Coincidentally, Reinhart also scored the team's last goal at the 15:30 mark of the third period last Thursday night. Officially, it was 126:42 between Buffalo goals; sandwiched in-between was a pair of weekend shutouts at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers.
New York seized the lead back about a minute-and-a-half later, as 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière was the beneficiary of a fortuitous bounce off his leg on a Buchnevich shot. Buffalo defenseman Jacob Bryson elbowed goalie Carter Hutton as the netminder was attempting to dive for a save. It was Lafrenière's third goal of the season and second against the Sabres.
The next goal would not come until the halfway point of the second period, when Chris Kreider snuck a wrist-shot past Hutton. It was Kreider's 10th of the season as the Rangers extended their lead to 3-1.
Buffalo got back within striking distance in the waning moments of the middle stanza, when Tobias Rieder beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin to make it a 3-2 contest.
A true highlight of the night was another first in the young career of a promising Sabres forward.
Dylan Cozens already checked off the box for his first career game, goal and assist, and he added another check mark to the list on Tuesday: first NHL fight, squaring off with Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
That would be the last sign of life the Sabres would exude, however, as the 3-2 score held as the final. The Rangers crushed any hope of a scoring response from the blue and gold, as Buffalo fell to 6-11-3 in the process.
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GAME SUMMARY
Goal Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 0:55 - Sam Reinhart (8) (Victor Olofsson, Jack Eichel)
NYR: 0:28 - Pavel Buchnevich (6) (Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox); 2:36 - Alexis Lafrenière (3) (Pavel Buchnevich)
Second Period:
BUF: 16:21 - Tobias Rieder (4) (Rasmus Ristolainen, Rasmus Dahlin)
NYR: 9:32 - Chris Kreider (10) (Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox)
Third Period:
BUF: NONE
NYR: NONE
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Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 10:04 - Jack Eichel (Tripping - 2 min.)
NYR: 12:16 - Kevin Rooney (Interference - 2 min.)
Second Period:
BUF: 4:27 - Brandon Montour (Holding - 2 min.)
NYR: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 7:11 - Dylan Cozens (Fighting - 5 min.)
NYR: 7:11 - Ryan Lindgren (Fighting - 5 min.)
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Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Pavel Buchnevich - NYR
2.) Adam Fox - NYR
3.) Chris Kreider - NYR
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What's Next:
The blue and gold start a three-game set with the New York Islanders on Thursday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. EST with the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show starting at 6 p.m. EST with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.