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While the New York Rangers enjoyed the sight of seven goals going into the net Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres had the exact opposite reaction while fishing seven pucks out of their own net on the same day.
Two teams involved in separate seven-goal games get together Monday night when the Rangers host the Sabres.
At 15-3-1, New York is on its third winning streak of at least three games and has 15 wins in 19 games or less for the first time in team history. The Rangers won their third straight game Saturday afternoon when they scored three goals in the first period in a 7-4 win over the Boston Bruins.
“We were ready to go at puck drop,” New York defenseman K’Andre Miller said. “We knew it would be a battle for a full 60 minutes and we would need all 20 guys.”
Thirteen players recorded a point against Boston, highlighted by three-point showings from Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin.
Kreider notched a power-play goal and a short-handed tally for the fourth time in his career. Panarin produced his 11th multi-point game this season after not getting a point in his previous three games following a team-record 15-game points streak to start the season.
New York scored at least five goals for the fourth time and moved to 13-1-1 in their past 15 games.
“I think we all knew this, that we had a really good team,” Miller said. “But I think we can just build off of this. I still don’t think we’ve played our best hockey, which is kind of scary and fun to say at the same time.”
Buffalo is hoping it can start talking about playing its best hockey, especially after absorbing a 7-2 loss to the host New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Since getting over .500 for the first time on Nov. 10 with a 3-2 win over Minnesota, the Sabres are 2-4-1 in their past seven with three of those losses coming by at least three goals.
On Saturday, Buffalo allowed at least five goals for the fifth time. Four of those goals were in the first period and Buffalo’s 27 goals allowed in the opening period are the most in the Eastern Conference and second-most in the NHL.
Against New Jersey, the Sabres also took a season-low 12 shots on a goal and gave up 38, marking the seventh time they allowed at least 35.
Perhaps making the outcome even more infuriating for the Sabres was producing a dud after scoring three goals in the third period to rally for a 3-2 victory Friday over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I’m not happy about it, obviously,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “The lessons will keep repeating until you learn them. You come off a game you feel good about last night, but you have to have greater respect going into the intensity that’s needed day in and day out in this league.
“It’s a matter of respect for that. It’s a matter of experience gained in that, and lessons learned and it’s a big lesson, obviously, tonight.”
The Rangers are 11-0-3 in the past 14 meetings and rolled to a 5-1 victory in Buffalo on Oct. 12 when Kreider scored a power-play goal and a shorthanded tally.
– Field Level Media
