Sabres wrap: Jordan Greenway makes impact in 5-goal first period of 8-2 win
The Sabres improved to 23-27-5 overall, and they are 8-2 in their last 10 games at KeyBank Center. They've also won five of their last six games.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette didn't take time to decide how to respond Saturday afternoon in KeyBank Center when the Sabres scored their fifth goal of the first period.
Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers' starting goalie, wasn't at fault. His teammates looked like they were still thinking about beach vacations and the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Still, Laviolette immediately replaced Shesterkin with Jonathan Quick.
Buffalo Sabres forward Jordan Greenway (12) checks New York Rangers left winger Alexiss Lafreniere (13) during the second period at the KeyBank Center on
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Gradually, the Rangers began to play better. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad cut the Sabres' lead to three goals, but Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod and Henri Jokiharju scored in the third period to help Buffalo pull away for an 8-2 win.
"All week in practice, as you guys probably saw, we were looking to get up and down the rink a lot, play quick," said Sabres winger Jordan Greenway. "I think that’s a big strength of our game, and we said, ‘Let’s go out here, transition quick, get the puck going, don’t let them set up. Just keep them on their heels all game, especially in the first 10 minutes, try to run them out of the building, and we executed it pretty well."
The Sabres improved to 23-27-5 overall, and they are 8-2 in their last 10 games at KeyBank Center. They've also won five of their last six games. A sellout crowd was on hand to see Buffalo score a season-high seven goals, a total the Sabres have reached three times through 55 games.
Thompson, McLeod and Rasmus Dahlin scored two goals apiece. Jason Zucker also had three assists for the Sabres, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves. The victory came at a cost, though. Alex Tuch did not return to the game after he was hit in the corner of the offensive zone by Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller during the third period. Ruff did not have a substantive update after the game but told reporters that he's optimistic about Tuch's status.
The Sabres scored five goals before the Rangers had five shots on goal. Buffalo's onslaught began 1:46 into the game with Jack Quinn scoring on a low shot, then Dahlin delivered his first of two goals when Greenway's shot went off the defenseman with 8:02 left in the first period.
"We were aggressive," said Dahlin. "We came out flying, honestly. All the Ds had good gaps and we had poise with the puck. That's kind of how everything started and then we just continued to play good. They pushed back a little bit in the second one, but we just kept our poise and just worked through the game."
Thompson's 27th goal of the season made it 3-0, McLeod added to the Sabres' ledger with a shot that went off a Rangers player and Dahlin's second goal was a wrist shot on the power play with 1:39 remaining.
It was only the 10th time at home in franchise history that Buffalo scored five goals in the first period. It has a league-leading plus-26 goal differential in first periods this season. They let the Rangers back into the game with winger Beck Malenstyn taking two penalties in a span of 4:22. Kreider scored on the first power play, and Zibanejad's goal was three seconds after Malenstyn's second penalty expired.
First period
• Greenway hit Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider along the left wall, then Greenway pressured Miller into misfiring a pass. Quinn intercepted the puck and scored on a lower shot to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead 1:46 into the game."I think every time I come out here I’m always trying to find a way to get engaged," said Greenway. "Typically for me it’s playing physical, finishing hits. It’s the easiest way for me to get into the game. I felt as if I wanted to come out, set the tone. That was the game plan for me."
• Greenway went out of his way to bump into Shesterkin after the whistle, irritating the Rangers and energizing the crowd.
• The Rangers ruined a 3-on-2 rush by forcing a pass to the third man who entered the zone, and the Sabres did not make a glaring mistake when they couldn't quickly break the puck out.
• Greenway carried the puck in to the left circle, avoided the Rangers' poke checks, skated to the right point and scanned the offensive zone to try to find an open teammate. With no one open for a pass, Greenway snapped a wrist shot that went off Dahlin and past Shesterkin for a 2-0 lead 11:58 into the game.
• Greenway's centering pass to the slot sent Dahlin in alone for a scoring chance, but the Sabres' captain was stopped by Shesterkin.
• Shesterkin played the puck in the left corner, causing defenseman Ryan Lindgren to try to retrieve it. Thompson checked Lindgren to dislodge the puck, then the Sabres forward skated around Adam Fox to reach the frong of the net. Thompson scored his 27th goal of the season on a backhand shot, making it 3-0 with 4:28 left in the first period.
• McLeod's shot from behind the left circle went off a Rangers player for the Sabres' fourth goal of the first period. McLeod set a new career best with his 13th goal of the season.
• Dahlin's second goal of the game and ninth of the season was a wrist shot on the power play that made it 5-0 with 1:39 remaining. Jason Zucker screened Shesterkin, who was immediately pulled for Quick. Zucker had a pair of secondary assists in the first period.
Second period
• The Sabres had four-minute power play only 32 seconds into the second period because Rangers winger Reilly Smith high-sticked Dahlin in the face.• Buffalo had opportunities to capitalize on the man advantage. Dylan Cozens led a 3-on-1 rush. Owen Power and Alex Tuch nearly scored. Kulich forced Quick to stop a high shot. No one could beat the Rangers' backup goalie, though.
• Sabres winger Beck Malenstyn took a tripping penalty 5:20 into the second period, and the Rangers took only nine seconds to score on the power play. Kreider cut Buffalo's lead to 5-1 with a quick, one-touch shot below the right faceoff circle on a pass from Artemi Panarin.
• Malenstyn took another penalty, a boarding infraction on an unnecessary hit on Lindgren at 9:22 into the second period. Zibanejad scored three second after the penalty expired, as the Rangers center whacked a rebound out of midair.
• Panarin's shot from the right circle leaked through Luukkonen, but Dahlin cleared the puck from the crease before a Rangers player could jam it over the line.
• Sabres winger Zach Benson hit the crossbar as time expired at the end the second period. Buffalo was 16-2-2 when leading at the second intermission this season.
Third period
• Zucker left the game and went to the dressing room after blocking a shot with his right foot less than two minutes into the third period.• Thompson's shot from behind the left circle leaked through Quick and gave the Sabres another four-goal lead, making it 6-2 with 16:13 left in the second period.
• McLeod scored his second of the game when he got behind the Rangers' defense and beat Quick with a snapshot 5:40 into the third period. Zucker returned to the game from the blocked shot.
• Benson was called for a roughing penalty after he was involved in a scrum that began with a Rangers player shoving Dahlin. The Sabres killed it off, but Benson took a tripping penalty with 7:30 remaining in the third period.
• Luukkonen made a blocker save on Will Cuylle to prevent the Rangers from converting during a 3-on-1 rush with less than five minutes to play in the third period.
Notable stat
Gilbert blocked three shots, and he was credited with three hits while playing a season-high 16:52. He has an assist in three of the last four games, and the Sabres outscored the Rangers 2-0 when he was on the ice.Lineup
Greenway played his first game since Dec. 15, when he skated 14:13 in a loss at Toronto. Greenway missed 23 games because of a middle-body injury that required surgery. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (broken bone in foot) and Malenstyn (back spasms) also drew into the lineup, while Buffalo's health scratches were defensemen Jacob Bryson and Connor Clifton, and winger Sam Lafferty.Lindy Ruff's lineup for the game:
JJ Peterka - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Alex Tuch
Jordan Greenway - Dylan Cozens - Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn - Peyton Krebs - Zach Benson
Bowen Byram - Rasmus Dahlin
Mattias Samuelsson - Owen Power
Dennis Gilbert - Henri Jokiharju
