Evander Kane and Justin Bailey scored 1:42 apart around the first intermission, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-1 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Zemgus Girgensons and Jack Eichel also scored, and Anders Nilsson stopped 24 shots to help the Sabres win for just the second time in eight games (2-4-3). Sam Reinhart had two assists, extending his career-best points streak to seven games and giving him two goals and seven assists in that stretch.
Buffalo has beaten the Rangers in three straight meetings - including twice this season - after losing the previous nine.
Nick Holden scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 15 saves for the Rangers, who were trying for their first four-game winning streak since a five-game run Oct. 30 to Nov. 6. The Rangers have had four three-game winning streaks since.
After a slow first period, the Rangers stepped it up after falling behind 3-0 just over a minute into the second. New York had 11 of the next 12 shots, with Lundqvist making a nice stop on a wrist shot by Derek Grant with 5:18 left for the Sabres' lone shot during that stretch.
Holden got the Rangers on the scoreboard with 4:05 remaining in the middle period as he took a pass from J.T. Miller and fired a slap shot past Nilsson for his eighth of the season. It gave him five points in the last three games.
The Sabres restored their three-goal lead on the power play at 1:10 of the third. Reinhart sent a pass from the left faceoff dot to Eichel, who was streaking to the net. The puck deflected off Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi's stick to Eichel, who poked it in for his seventh.
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New York didn't get its first shot of the third period until there was only 5:28 left.
The Sabres were the dominant team in the first period as New York didn't get its first shot on goal until Ryan McDonagh's wrister that was stopped by Nilsson at 9:54.
Buffalo got on the scoreboard with 7:43 left in the opening period. Brian Gionta sent a centering pass from the left corner that deflected off William Carrier's skate, and Girgensons skated in, pulled the puck to his backhand and sent it in from the right side for his fourth of the season.
The Rangers then had two nice chances just seven seconds apart, but Chris Kreider's attempt from in close was stopped by Nilsson with four minutes to go, and then Derek Stepan's shot was gloved by the goalie. They were the Rangers' second and third shots on goal of the period.
The Sabres stretched their lead to 2-0 in the final minute, taking advantage when the Rangers turned the puck over while making a line change. Lundqvist stopped Reinhart's attempt, but Kane was driving to the net and knocked in the rebound with just under 39 seconds remaining for his ninth.
Bailey made it 3-0 with his first NHL goal 1:03 into the second. Kane trailed Rangers defensemen Kevin Klein after a loose puck up the right side into New York's defensive zone, and Klein sent a pass to the left that Bailey grabbed. He moved to his right and sent it past Lundqvist while jumping in the air to avoid Klein, who went sliding by.
NOTES: Sabres C Johan Larsson is out indefinitely and likely lost for the season after having surgery Monday for a dislocated wrist and elbow. Larsson was injured during a 3-1 loss at Boston on Saturday. ... The Sabres, who won 4-3 at Madison Square Garden last April 2 and 4-3 at home on Dec. 1, have won three in a row against the Rangers for the first time since Dec. 12, 2009, to April 6, 2010. ... Eichel now has at least a point in all five games he's played against the Rangers, increasing his total to three goals and four assists. ... The teams conclude their three-game season series on Feb. 2 at Buffalo. ... Rangers coach Alain Vigneault broke a tie with Herb Brooks for seventh place on franchise's games coached list with 286. ... The Rangers fell to 10-8-0 when giving up the first goal of the game.
UP NEXT
Sabres: At Chicago on Thursday night in the finale of a three-game trip.
Rangers: At Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
