BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Chris Kreider scored power-play and short-handed goals, Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots for his 100th career victory and the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 in their season opener Thursday night.
The Rangers won in Peter Laviolette’s debut as coach. In doing so, New York showed, for one game at least, it’s capable of playing a more defensively responsible style following a first-round seven-game playoff exit to New Jersey that led to Gerard Gallant’s dismissal.
Artemi Panarin had a goal and assist, and Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba, with an empty-netter, also scored scored in an outing New York raced to a 3-0 second-period lead. Mika Zibanejad had three assists.
Shesterkin, appearing in his 159th career game, became the Rangers first goalie to reach 100 wins in fewer than 187 outings. Adam Fox had an assist for his 200th career point in his 285th game. Only five NHL defenseman — led by Quinn Hughes (263 games) — have reached the milestone in fewer outings.
JJ Peterka scored for Buffalo, which came out inexplicably flat for a young, talent-laden team that spent training camp vowing to embrace the high expectations of being ready to snap an NHL-worst 12-season playoff drought.
Rookie Devon Levi stopped 25 shots in becoming the Sabres’ youngest goalie to start a season opener since Mika Noronen (21 years, 110 days) in 2000. Levi, a little over a month shy of turning 22, was awarded the starting duties after he signed with the Sabres in March following his sophomore season at Northeastern. He closed with a 5-2 record, including two wins over the Rangers.
The loss came with Buffalo debuting its new $146.45 million defensive duo of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Dahlin was signed to an eight-year $88 million contract extension Monday, followed by Owen Power, who signed a seven-year, $58.45 million extension Wednesday.
Kreider put the Rangers ahead 2-0 by tipping in Fox’s shot from the right circle 12:22 into the game. He then sealed the win in a penalty-killing role by tapping in Mika Zibanejad’s centering pass with 8:26 remaining.
The Rangers’ attention to defensive detail was evident in limiting the speedy Sabres to 12 shots through two periods. And New York penalty killers flexed their defensive might by blocking four shots through the opening 90 seconds of the third period to preserve a 3-1 lead.
PREGAME TRIBUTE
The Sabres held a pregame ceremony honoring long-time team broadcaster Rick “RJ” Jeanneret, who died at the age of 81 in August. Earlier, one of the city streets bordering the arena was renamed “RJ Way.” … Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who has completed his comeback to resume playing after going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati in January, banged the Sabres drum to warm up the crowd.
ICE CHIPS
Sabres rookie LW Zach Benson (18 years, 153 days) became Buffalo’s second-youngest player to appear in a regular-season game, behind only Pierre Turgeon (18 years, 41 days) in 1987. … The Sabres became the NHL’s first team to play three defensemen drafted No. 1 overall: Erik Johnson (2006), Dahlin (2018) and Power (2021).
UP NEXT
Rangers: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night as part of a season-opening schedule that has New York playing seven of its first nine on the road.
Sabres: At the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
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