Henrik Lundqvist‘s spectacular play fueled the New York Rangers to a 2-1 overtime road victory against the Buffalo Sabres.
- New York Rangers 2 (32-18-2, 65 pts)
- Buffalo Sabres 1 (20-20-10, 50 pts)
- NHL, Final, OT, Box Score
- KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
They left the building 3-1.
Primarily thanks to the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist, the New York Rangers topped young Jack Eichel‘s club by the final of 2-1 on the road.
The game-winner came off the stick of Chris Kreider with just 1:04 remaining in the overtime session. It came just after a New York power play had expired and on a beautiful feed by J.T. Miller. It was Kreider’s 20th of the season:
Zibanejad, Miller, Kreider, his 20th of the season. #NYR win 2-1 in OT. pic.twitter.com/Ks8JiFRJhT
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) February 3, 2017
While Kreider played the role of hero, it was No. 30 who stole the show. His 36 saves represented a complete reversal to what we witnessed two nights ago at Madison Square Garden against the mighty Columbus Blue Jackets. He was sharp, in-tune and looked like the Hank of yesteryear — not the 34-year-old version we’ve grown accustomed to this season.
While his D-men stayed soft in front of him, The King remained firm:
Can at least one D-man take the man instead of the puck in front of Hank? So soft. Great job by Lundqvist tonight. #NYR pic.twitter.com/tNeKS9YZCF
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) February 3, 2017
The Rangers other goal came in the form of Mats Zuccarello, who capitalized on a blast from the point off the stick of Ryan McDonagh. It came via the power play.
For Buffalo, Cody Franson was the only man between Lundqvist and another shutout to add to his historic career total. His tally was critical as it tied the game at the 14:29 mark of the third period.
The Rangers now move to 65 points, just two shy of the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins. Next up on the docket will be the Calgary Flames for a Sunday matinee at the Garden.
The King, Henrik Lundqvist, showcased his stature of yesteryear in Buffalo on Thursday night. #NYR pic.twitter.com/wK465kDldP
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) February 3, 2017
That reaction tho. ? pic.twitter.com/lzLeWvPfmG
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 3, 2017
