Rangers 6, Sabres 3
NEW YORK -- One day after a dreadful performance that left their coach flabbergasted, center Derick Brassard had five points and the New York Rangers responded by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
The Rangers put forth one of their worst performances of the season Sunday afternoon in a 3-0 road loss to the Ottawa Senators but did just enough to hold off a rested Sabres team that hadn't played since Friday.
Left winger J.T. Miller scored the winner at 6:44 of the third period after Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons scored twice in 1:13 to pull his team into a 3-3 tie.
Right winger Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Dylan McIlrath also scored for the Rangers, who received 23 saves from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Brassard had two goals, including an empty-netter, and three assists.
Right winger Brian Gionta also scored for the Sabres. Goaltender Chad Johnson stopped 26 shots.
When Brassard made it 3-1 at 1:06 of the third period with a puck that bounced off his skate, it appeared to be the dagger the Rangers needed. But two goals from Girgensons, the second on a partial breakaway, evened the score with more than 14 minutes to play.
But Miller's goal one minute later restored the lead and Zuccarello's power-play goal at 9:23 again gave the Rangers a two-goal advantage.
McIlrath's second of the season gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 5:58 of the first period. He fired a wrist shot from the left circle that bounced off a Sabres defender, through a screen by left winger J.T. Miller and past a helpless Johnson.
The Sabres answered with 3:47 left in the period when Gionta scored his sixth of the season to make it 1-1. Left winger Marcus Foligno floated the puck toward the net from the left wing boards, allowing Gionta to bat the puck out of mid-air and through Lundqvist.
The Rangers caught a bit of a break on Stalberg's seventh of the season that put the team back in front 2-1. Left winger Kevin Hayes was about to pull the trigger on a wrist shot, but a back-checking Sabre knocked the puck off his stick. The puck traveled to Stalberg, whose spinning shot went between the legs of a surprised Johnson.
NOTES: The Sabres were without C Sam Reinhart (upper body), D Niclas Deslauriers (lower body), LW Tyler Ennis (upper body) and D Josh Gorges (upper body). ... Sabres D Carlo Colaiacovo and C Philip Varone were healthy scratches. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash (knee bruise) missed his second straight game, but coach Alain Vigneault is hopeful he will be back after the All-Star break. ... Rangers D Dan Boyle was replaced in the lineup by D Dylan McIlrath. Vigneault said he thought Boyle has looked tired of late.