NHL roundup: Senators dominate at home, Rangers secure narrow victory in Buffalo
The National Hockey League (NHL) featured only two games on Wednesday night, with the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers emerging victorious.
Buffalo Sabres 2-3 New York Rangers
In a tightly contested matchup, the New York Rangers (15-12-1) secured a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres (11-14-4) in an all-New York showdown.
The Rangers took an early lead just seven minutes into the game, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad, who scored on the power play. Zibanejad needed only eight seconds of the man advantage to find the back of the net, marking his sixth goal of the season.
Following a scoreless second period, the Rangers extended their lead with six and a half minutes remaining, as Reilly Smith (6) scored. The Sabres responded quickly, with Owen Power (4) cutting the deficit to one just 100 seconds later.
The decisive goal came with 2:02 left in the game when Adam Fox, who had assisted on the first two goals, scored into an empty net, marking his first goal of the season.
Although Tage Thompson (16) found the net for the Sabres with less than a minute remaining, the Rangers managed to maintain their lead for a vital victory.
This win propels New York into a playoff position, moving them up to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, while Buffalo remains near the bottom, suffering their eighth consecutive defeat.
At that juncture, the Senators had established a commanding 4-0 lead and appeared quite at ease. Brady Tkachuk (14) extended their advantage to five goals after nine minutes into the third period, with Batherson providing the assist.
The sole drawback for the Senators was their inability to secure a shutout, which would have marked Linus Ullmark's second of the season. Cutter Gauthier (4) scored Anaheim's only goal with 7:18 remaining in the game.
Ultimately, the Senators emerged victorious, moving up to fifth place in the Atlantic Division, just two points shy of a playoff position. Meanwhile, the Ducks found themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division, suffering their fourth consecutive defeat.
SportsLigue