Sabres rally past Rangers for shootout win, gain in Eastern wild card

NEW YORK -- Casey Mittelstadt scored the deciding goal in the fifth round of the shootout after scoring the game-tying goal in the third period, and the Buffalo Sabres stayed alive in the Stanley Cup Playoff race by defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

The Sabres moved within four points of the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference and have three games remaining, including against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday. The Islanders, who lost 5-2 at the Washington Capitals on Monday, have one game left.
"Obviously, we're looking [at the standings]," Mittelstadt said. "It's a lie if someone says we're not. We want to know where we stand. We're going to check that and let's move on to tomorrow. We've got a big one tomorrow."
Devon Levi made 26 saves, then allowed one goal in the five-round shootout for Buffalo (40-32-7), which has won three in a row and is 7-1-1 in its past nine games.
"We're not giving up," Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said. "There's a lot of character in the group right now. It's tough at times, but that's what it takes. We are aware of the situation and all we can do now is just try to win every game."

Artemi Panarin scored two goals, and Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves for the Rangers (47-21-13), who have points in six straight games (3-0-3). Vladimir Tarasenko scored their lone goal in the shootout.
New York is in third place in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind New Jersey and two back of the Carolina Hurricanes with one game remaining. The Devils and Hurricanes each have two games left.
"It's a battle," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "Fortunately, we're in a good spot right now. We'll see what happens in the standings over the next three days, but you look at the battles below us and those teams are battling right now, like Buffalo was tonight."
Levi is 4-1-0 in five starts since the Sabres signed him to an entry-level contract March 17. The 21-year-old has two wins in the shootout.
"I'd like to say I'm free-spirited and I definitely feel it [the pressure] but I choose not to focus on it," Levi said. "Just go out and have fun, stop pucks and let all that stuff kind of take care of itself. I'm just trying to be as good as I can for the guys. They put their heart and soul, their blood, sweat and tears into the whole season to get themselves to this point so the least I can do is help them out a little bit. The guys are awesome and played well today. I just did my job."
JJ Peterka gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 14:24 of the first period, scoring from in front of the net off a feed Jack Quinn, who was behind the goal line after playing the puck through Niko Mikkola's feet.
Panarin scored on the power play to tie it 1-1 at 1:01 of the second period.

Patrick Kane moved the puck up to Mika Zibanejad, who carried it through the neutral zone and into the right face-off circle with speed before finding Panarin in the left circle for a short side shot past Levi.
Panarin scored again at 11:12 to give New York a 2-1 lead, beating Levi to the far side with a one-timer from the same left circle off a cross-ice pass from Tarasenko.
"They came out hard, their season is on the line here, but I think we picked it up later on and had some good looks," Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. "They were spending a little too much time in our offensive zone in the first and they were getting some good chances, but once we got it behind them and got some good looks we stated getting chances off the rush."
Mittelstadt scored off a rebound of Alex Tuch's shot at 8:13 of the third period to tie it 2-2.
The Sabres couldn't score on a power play in overtime but forced Shesterkin to make four saves in the final 1:42 before Owen Power scored in the fourth round of the shootout and Mittelstadt in the fifth.
Buffalo secured the win when Kaapo Kakko missed the net in the bottom of the fifth round.
"The entire situation right now is tremendous for what we need, what our organization needs," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "We need pressure games."
NOTES: Buffalo has 40 wins in a season for the first time since winning 43 games in 2010-11, which is also the last time it made the playoffs. … Mittelstadt has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his past eight games. … Panarin has 91 points (28 goals, 63 assists). He joins Mark Messier and Jean Ratelle as the only players in Rangers history with at least three 90-point seasons with them. … Zibanejad also got his 90th point of the season with his assist on Panarin's first goal. It's the first time in his career he has at least 90 points in a season.