The Sabres trailed 2-0 when Power sent a shot off the post and behind Shesterkin late in the third period. They pulled goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen coming out of a timeout with 2:35 remaining, but Rangers defenseman Adam Fox sent a backhand shot the length of the ice for an empty-net goal just 33 seconds later.
Tage Thompson scored Buffalo’s second goal on a one-timer with 37.7 seconds remaining, but the comeback bid ended there.
“It is really tough,” alternate captain Alex Tuch said afterward. “We’re not going to sit here and have a pity party. We’re going to move on. We have to move on. We’re not going to sit here and go into a shell and say, ‘Oh, the season’s over,’ because it’s not. It’s far from over.
“We have a lot of games left. We have a lot of opportunities to win a lot of hockey games. We’ve got to be really good on the road the next little bit here, and when we do come back at home, we’ve got to be a lot better.”
The Sabres had scored the first goal in five of their previous seven losses, but it was the Rangers who struck first on Wednesday. Fox intercepted a clearing attempt from Power with the Rangers on the power play and fed Mika Zibanejad, who buried a shot from the right circle.
The 1-0 score held until the third period. Tuch had two scoring chances for the Sabres – an early one-timer from in front on the power play and a shorthanded breakaway – that missed wide. Luukkonen did his part to keep the Sabres in the game throughout a 25-save performance, including a sprawling glove stop on Chris Kreider late in the second period.
“I’ve got to bury some of those chances,” Tuch said. “I play a lot of minutes. I get lot of offensive opportunities, and I've got to bear down and cash in on those because that can be the difference. And, honestly, one goal was the difference tonight.”
The Rangers finally extended their lead to 2-0 when Reilly Smith buried a carom off the end boards with 6:31 remaining in the third period.
Power’s goal came after he had sat out the remainder of the first period following his penalty-kill turnover that preceded Zibanejad’s goal. He finished the night with 22:33 in ice time and nine shot attempts.
“I make two horrible plays on that goal,” Power said. “There’s nothing much that really needs to be said. I mean, I know it’s on me and those plays are unacceptable. So, I mean, I think that’s the accountability that we all asked for.”
JJ Peterka also sat following his first shift of the second period, which Ruff attributed to a turnover he made upon entering the offensive zone. Peterka returned to play the third period and finished the night with six shot attempts and an assist in 15:17.
“They really responded well,” Ruff said regarding Power and Peterka.
“I think if you look at the failed clear on an easy play to start the game with Owen, you look at how good Owen came back and played. JJ started the second period and turned it over as soon as he got over the blue line. I thought his third period was what we needed, which will make a difference. I know that’s a culture change.”
