BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Sabres parlayed a dominant period on the road against one of the NHL’s top teams to get their second winning streak of the season rolling.
Getting goals from all four lines in the second period surge, Buffalo beat the New York Rangers 6-1 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden for its second win in a row.
After captain Rasmus Dahlin put the Sabres ahead 26 seconds into the first period, Dylan Cozens doubled up the advantage early in the second, and Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway and Sam Lafferty each scored in a span of 2:12 later in the decisive period to chase All-Star goaltender Igor Shesterkin out the Rangers’ crease.
Zach Benson added a goal in the third to go along with an earlier assist, and Jack Quinn tallied two assists as every Sabres forward and 15 of 18 skaters got in the scoresheet. It was the second time in franchise history that all 12 forwards recorded a point.
“We’ve just got to really try to kind of stay humble and know what the recipe is for winning,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “Which is a four-line game, doing the right things above the puck where we’re not giving up odd-man rushes, which I thought (for) 90 percent of the game tonight we did a good job.”
Ukkko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves in allowing a single goal for the second game in a row. His save percentage in those two victories has been .954.
The resounding win came against a Rangers team that won the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best record last season, and entered Thursday night’s game with the league’s third-highest point percentage and lowest goals-against average.
“It’s huge,” Dahlin said. “To win in New York is a really good feeling, especially for our group, where we are in the standings and stuff. A lot of confidence now, just got to continue to build.”
After halting a three-game skid with a 5-1 win at home against Ottawa on Tuesday night, the Sabres (6-7-1) can match their season-best streak and even their record back at KeyBank Center on Saturday when they host the Calgaray Flames (7-5-2).
***
Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.