Pat Pickens – Special to NHL.com
NEW YORK — Ryan O’Reilly scored twice for the Buffalo Sabres in a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The Rangers could have clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win but lost their third straight game.
Sabres goalie Chad Johnson made 33 saves and is 6-2-1 in his past nine starts.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was pulled early in the second period after allowing three goals on nine shots. Antti Raanta finished the game, saving 14 of 15 shots. Lundqvist was pulled for the second time in New York’s past seven games and allowed at least three goals for the eighth time in his past 10 starts.
Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller and Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers (43-26-9).
Fifteen of Johnson’s saves came in the third period, including three during a two-minute, 5-on-3 Rangers power play.
The Sabres took a 1-0 lead on O’Reilly’s 19th at 10:07 of the first period. Zach Bogosian pinched from his right-point spot to slow Ryan McDonagh’s clearing attempt and took a wrist shot that Lundqvist paddled into the middle of the ice. O’Reilly scored on the rebound.
O’Reilly made it 2-0 2:52 later off a pass from Jack Eichel. Mark Pysyk’s breakout pass skipped off McDonagh’s stick, then skittered by Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein, creating a 2-on-1. Eichel skated in on his off wing then backhanded a pass past Derek Stepan to O’Reilly, who
reached 20 goals for a second time in the NHL. His career high is 28, in 2013-14 with the Avalanche.
Matt Moulson gave Buffalo a 4-1 lead 13:09 into the second period. After Cal O’Reilly forced Keith Yandle to turn over the puck, Moulson got it. He was stopped by Raanta but scored on the rebound.
Miller made it 4-2 with 35 seconds left in the second period, and Stepan scored his 19th of the season at 4:52 of the third when he redirected Chris Kreider’s shot from the slot past Johnson. The goal was Stepan’s ninth point (three goals, six assists) in the past six games.
(Reprinted with permission of Buffalo Sabres)
