Sabres at Rangers
After defeating one sputtering team in their last outing, the New York Rangers look to improve their standing when they host the woe-begotten Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Brad Richards scored a pair of power-play goals and Martin St. Louis notched three assists in New York's 4-1 victory over Carolina on Tuesday. The Rangers already have clinched a postseason berth but are clinging to a two-point lead in the Metropolitan Division over third-place Philadelphia, which has a game in hand.
Henrik Lundqvist has turned aside 56-of-57 shots against the Sabres this season - including all 29 in New York's 2-0 win on Oct. 31. Buffalo's lost season continued to spiral out of control as it suffered its fourth straight loss and 15th in 17 games (2-14-1) with a 4-2 setback to Detroit on Tuesday. Zemgus Girgensons scored both goals for the Sabres, who need six tallies over their final three contests to avoid setting an NHL record for fewest by a team since the expansion era began in 1967.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo, New York)
ABOUT THE SABRES (21-49-9): Drew Stafford is expected to return to the ice after being sidelined for four games with an undisclosed injury. Stafford's 15 goals and 33 points are fourth-best on a team struggling for offense. Cody Hodgson is finishing strong with three goals and four assists his last six contests.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (44-31-5): Coach Alain Vigneault was pleased with what he saw from Jesper Fast as the rookie meshed well with linemates Carl Hagelin and Richards. "After the first period, it really seemed like they really got more comfortable with one another," Vigneault said on Wednesday. Benoit Pouliot has collected two goals and four assists during his six-game point streak while Mats Zuccarello has netted four tallies and set up four others during his five-game run.
OVERTIME
1. New York D Ryan McDonagh (shoulder) wore a yellow non-contact jersey during Wednesday's practice and will miss his fourth straight game.
2. Sabres RW Chris Stewart returned on Tuesday after a 16-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
3. The Rangers went 2-for-3 on the power play Tuesday after going 2-for-21 in their previous seven games. New York scored with the man advantage in both contests versus the Sabres this season.