If they are to make a serious bid to reach the playoffs, Thursday’s game was virtually a must-win for the Rangers. Playing their 36th game, with only 20 remaining after this one, they could not afford to drop points against a Buffalo Sabres team that entered the night in last place in the East Division with only seven wins.
But coming off their first win in more than a month, the Sabres didn’t make it easy on the Rangers. And with the out-of- town scoreboard showing fourth-place Boston trailing in its game against Pittsburgh, the pressure was on the Rangers to do something to gain ground.
It took until overtime, but the Rangers got the win they needed, 3-2, on Mika Zibanejad’s goal with 27.7 seconds left in OT. Zibanejad scored on a one-timer off a two-on-one pass from Artemi Panarin. Adam Fox extended his point-scoring streak to nine games with an assist on the winner.
Buffalo’s Tage Thompson forced the overtime when he scored the tying goal with 3.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Thompson’s goal came seconds after Chris Kreider’s shot at an empty net was blocked by Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
With Boston’s loss to Pittsburgh, the Rangers pulled to within three points of the Bruins, who currently hold the fourth and final playoff position in the East. The Rangers and Sabres will play again on Saturday.
Filip Chytil’s goal at 6:17 of the third period had broken a 1-1 tie and given the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
Rangers coach David Quinn was asked before the game if he was glad the Sabres had won Wednesday night, ending their losing streak at 18 games before facing the Rangers.
"Well, we do have Philly [who the Sabres beat, 6-1] in front of us, so you know, when you’re scoreboard-watching this time of year, that certainly helped us in the standings,’’ Quinn said. "So it was good that they got that win, for a lot of reasons.’’
The question to the Sabres was whether they would be positive and energized after their win or deflated. They certainly weren’t deflated in the first period, though, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Rasmus Asplund 2:06 into the game.
But as he did in Tuesday’s game against Washington, goaltender Igor Shesterkin kept the Rangers in it with some high-quality saves (11 in the period), and the Rangers seemed to pick up their game in the second.
Colin Blackwell tied the score at 6:40 of the second period with his ninth goal of the season on a crazy play that started with an unusual Buffalo breakaway.
Jeff Skinner knocked the puck away from Libor Hajek at the right point and was off on a breakaway, except without a stick. Skinner skated up ice kicking the puck like a soccer player until he got to the slot, where Hajek recovered and knocked the puck away to the corner.
Artemi Panarin cleared the puck to Ryan Strome, who passed to the left circle for Blackwell, who’d just come on the ice on a line change. Blackwell fired a shot off the near post, and the puck ricocheted to the far side, where Panarin recovered it and sent it right back to Blackwell, who scored this time. The assist for Strome extended his point-scoring streak to 11 games.
The Rangers dominated the second period, but that was the only goal they would score despite a 14-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Overall, the Rangers finished with a 47-23 advantage.
