The Rangers salvaged their holiday spirit by carrying a win into the Christmas break.
Chris Kreider scored 2:28 into overtime, off a backhanded pass from Mika Zibanejad behind the net, to secure a 4-3 win over the Sabres on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers have given up crucial goals at the start of periods a few times as of late, and Saturday it was a game-tying score from Jack Quinn 1:42 into the middle frame that knotted the contest at two-all.
There have been times when an early goal has caused the Rangers to collapse — like Mitch Marner’s power-play goal 1:29 into the third period of the Maple Leafs 7-3 win earlier this month or Zach Hyman’s goal 3:07 into the final frame of the Oilers’ 4-3 win Friday night — but the club responded this time around.
The top line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Blake Wheeler have had a few strong games now and they were the Rangers’ most productive line all night.
Jumping on the rush later in the second period, Wheeler fed Kreider, who put the puck on net before Zibanejad cleaned up the rebound to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
The Rangers weren’t able to extend their lead before a bouncing puck made its way out to Casey Mittelstadt, who tapped it home at the 6:50 mark of the third period to make it a 3-3 game and ultimately force overtime.
In response to Friday night’s low-energy loss to the Oilers, the Rangers came out with some zip in the first period and jumped out to a 2-1 lead.
It allowed them to strike first at the 7:17 mark, when Ryan Lindgren’s shot from the top of the zone found the back of the net through traffic.
And after the Rangers earned the first power play of the evening, Artemi Panarin capitalized with a top-corner snipe on Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
With it, the Rangers have now scored a power-play goal in seven straight games, which is their longest such streak since Oct. 5-22, 2009.
The Sabres managed to get on the board at the end of the opening frame, however, on a one-timer in the slot from Rasmus Dahlin.
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