(Buffalo) Chris Kreider scored on the advantage and shorthanded, Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 pucks for his 100e career victory and the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabers 5-1 on Thursday in both teams’ season opener.
Peter Laviolette won his first match at the helm of the Rangers. The team fired head coach Gerard Gallant after losing in seven games in the first round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils last spring.
Artemi Panarin scored a goal and an assist, while Alexis Lafrenière, and Jacob Trouba in an empty net, also hit the target. Mika Zibanejad had three assists.
Shesterkin, who competed in a 159e career game, is the first Rangers goalie to obtain 100 victories in fewer than 187 games.
Defender Adam Fox collected his 200e mention of career assistance to his 285e match. Only five defensemen have reached that plateau faster, with Quinn Hughes leading the list with 263 games.
JJ Peterka scored for the Sabres, who didn’t play up to the standards of a young and talented team whose expectations are rather high this season, having not participated in the playoffs in the last 12 campaigns.
Rookie Devon Levi blocked 25 shots. The Quebecer became the youngest Sabers goalie to play the opening game since Mika Noronen (21 years and 110 days) in 2000.
Kreider gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead when he redirected Fox’s shot in the first period. With 8:26 to play, he completed Zibanejad’s play to score shorthanded.
Sabers rookie Zach Benson (18 years and 153 days) became the team’s second youngest player to take part in a regular season game, after Pierre Turgeon (18 years and 41 days).
The Sabers became the first team to have three defensemen selected first overall in a draft, with Erik Johnson (2006), Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021).