Rangers Recap: Kaleta Leads Sabres Past Rangers 2-1 in OT
Patrick Kaleta's goal in overtime spoiled a late Ranger comeback as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Rangers 2-1 tonight at Madison Square Garden.
This game was everything you would expect from two of the best goaltenders in the NHL, as Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller combined for 65 saves.
It must have felt like a night off for Henrik, after making fifty saves against Pittsburgh the other night.
The game remained scoreless until there were six minutes left in the third period when Adam Mair put the Sabres up 1-0 after coming out of the penalty box.
It was nice to see the refs let them play most of the night, but the Rangers did get another power play in the final two minutes of the game, and Brandon Dubinsky capitalized on it, tipping the puck past Miller to tie the game, and send the Garden into a frenzy.
Kaleta, who scored two goals in the Sabres last game at MSG, was able to slide the puck past Lundqvist after taking several whacks at it.
The Rangers are now 1-6 in overtime, although that is to be expected from a team that has so much trouble scoring goals. Three losses in a row, at the worst possible time. Only sixteen games to go, and ten of them are on the road.
I guess the only saving grace is that Boston and Atlanta both lost tonight.
Final Thoughts:
- Sean Avery playing on a line with Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov. I like it, Avery draws attention away from Gaborik, and the only way to find out if Anisimov can be a number one center is to put him with your number one winger. Naturally this line was shuffled halfway through the first period. I guess it was a brief demotion for Gabby.
- Nice reception for Ryan Miller when he took the ice, Ranger fans saluted the USA Olympic hero for his tremendous play during the tournament. Certainly a better reception than a certain Penguins star got the other night.
- Glad the "Fire Sather Rally" went off without a hitch, although it would have been nice to see a bigger turnout. Props to everyone who listened to the radio show, we scored our biggest numbers ever, and it was a lot of fun. If you missed it, you can catch the podcast here.