The Rangers successfully limited their opponent’s offense, fostered chemistry and closed out games during this lengthy homestand that concluded Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
When push came to shove against a hungry Buffalo team, however, the Blueshirts reverted to their old ways on home ice.
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They didn’t just allow three unanswered goals in the third period to fall 5-3 to the playoff-bound Sabres.
The Rangers were held without a single shot on goal for over 18 of the final 20 minutes.
Ryan McLeod posted his first goal in 16 games to put Buffalo up 1-0, scoring off the rush less than five minutes in.
The Sabres faced little resistance as they ushered the puck up the ice on two passes.
The Rangers scrambled in their zone not too long after. As they chased the puck, Rasmus Dahlin ripped a shot from the top of the zone that went in off Zach Benson in front.
With 39 seconds left in the first period, however, the Rangers power play converted on its first chance en route to a 2-for-3 showing on the night.
Alexis Lafrenière scored his first by redirecting an Adam Fox shot from the point, notching his 23rd goal of the season and his career-high 13th point on the power play.
The net-front role has been a revelation for Lafreniere, whose 22 points since March 1 rank third on the Rangers.
Sniping one past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen early in the second period, Lafrenière tied the game at two-all for the Rangers as part of his third multi-goal game of the 2025-26 season.
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The home team then earned its first lead of the night off its second power-play goal.
Fox cashed in from the slot and pulled within one of his career-high six power-play goals, which begs the question of what the 28-year-old could’ve accomplished if he didn’t miss 27 total games due to injuries.
The goal extended Fox’s point streak to eight games, over which he has collected four goals and 11 assists.
