Rangers vs Sabers: Zibanejad’s overtime winner gives New York a 3-2 win at Buffalo



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The New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabers tonight by a final score of 3-2 in overtime. Buffalo tied the game three seconds from the end of regulation time before Mika Zibanejad finished the game in overtime.

1st period

Rasmus Asplund (3) – Jeff Skinner (2) – 2:06

After finally ending their 18-game losing streak just 24 hours ago, the Sabers opened the game much faster than in the past. As a result, Buffalo was able to jump to a 1-0 first just over two minutes after the opening faceoff. All three forwards slammed into the net for Buffalo after a Rasmus Dahlin point shot left a puck loose in the crease. Rasmus Asplund managed to locate the rebound and threw a shot past Igor Shesterkin to make it a 1-0 game in favor of the Sabers.

2nd period

Colin Blackwell (9) – Artemiy Panarin (24) and Ryan Strome (23) – 6:40

After plenty of scoring opportunities in the attacking zone, the Rangers finally shot even as Colin Blackwell scored his ninth goal of the season. New York managed to transition the puck through the neutral zone and had a 2-1 run in the other direction. Colin Blackwell landed the first attempt off the crossbar after receiving a perfect pass from Artemiy Panarin. The Rangers held the game on and the puck went straight to Blackwell, who slammed the second opportunity from the left face-off circle.

3rd period

Filip Chytil (7) РJulien Gauthier (6) & Alexis Lafreni̬re (6) Р6:17

Six minutes into the third period, the Rangers increased their pressure in the attacking zone and managed to force Buffalo into a roll. Jacob Trouba managed to skip a passing lane and carried the puck down through the goal line before relying on Julien Gauthier. New York kept looking for the loose puck, and it finally came out at the top of the crease. Filip Chytil managed to retrieve the loose puck and return it to Dustin Tokarski to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the game.

Tage Thompson (2) – Casey Mittelstadt (5) and Sam Reinhart (10) – 19:56

In the last minute of play, the Sabers kept the game alive in the attacking zone with the goalie out. Pavel Buchnevich pinched himself to make several plays on the puck, but just couldn’t find a way to clear the area. Casey Mittselstadt gave a great pass in the middle of the ice and found Tage Thompson with an open shooting lane. Thompson managed to pull in traffic and beat Igor Shesterkin over the shoulder to tie the game.

Over time

Mika Zibanejad (12) – Artemiy Panarin (25) and Adam Fox (27) – 4:32

The two teams traded chances in the extra frame, and the Rangers finally took their break with less than a minute to go. Adam Fox managed to force a roll to the blue line and quickly transitioned from the puck to the ice for a 2v1 run. Artemiy Panarin managed to pull a defender towards him and return a quick pass to Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad absolutely hammered a stopwatch with plenty of room and beat Tokarski to give New York the overtime victory.

Considering the current state of Buffalo, this game was probably a lot closer than it needed to be. The Sabers were coming off their first win in 18 games, so it’s no surprise they had a little extra energy tonight. Fortunately, the Rangers were able to overcome adversity and escape with the second point thanks to Mika Zibanejad. After tonight’s win against the Sabers, the Rangers will have a day to recover before starting all over again on Saturday night.

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