Rangers vs. Sabres: 3 things to watch for in return from 4 Nations Face-Off break
The New York Rangers return from the two-week 4 Nations Face-Off break and now face a 27-game sprint to avoid missing the postseason for the first time in four seasons. They resume their quest with a visit to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in the opener of a three-game road trip.
The Rangers (27-24-4, 58 points) are three points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, though the deficit could be wider since the Red Wings are playing an early afternoon game against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. The Rangers also sit two points behind the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets, teams they defeated in the final week before the break.
New York is 11-5-3 in its past 19 games following the nightmarish 4-15-0 skid from Nov. 21-Dec. 31 and it is a stretch that can be divided into three segments. The Rangers were 7-0-3 from Jan. 5-23 to get back in the race, were outscored 15-6 in a three-game losing streak before rebounding with three wins in the final four games before the pause.
The Rangers return to the ice for the first time since Will Cuylle scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:39 remaining in the third period for a 4-3 victory at Columbus on Feb. 8. Cuylle’s goal gave the Rangers a third comeback when trailing after two periods in the final week before the break.
Urho Vaakanainen scored the tying goal 1:57 into the third; Arthur Kaliyev and Mika Zibanejad also scored.
Six Rangers participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck joined the team in Buffalo on Friday after playing for Team USA in the championship game Thursday, a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada. Zibanejad played for Sweden and Vaakanainen skated for Finland; each rejoined the Rangers earlier in the week.
The Rangers split the first two meetings with the last-place Sabres (22-27-5, 49 points) this season.
Buffalo cruised to a 6-1 win at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 7 when Igor Shesterkin was pulled after allowing five goals. The Rangers played one of their better games during their swoon when Fox scored his first goal of the season and Zibanejad netted his 300th career goal in a 3-2 win at Buffalo on Dec. 11.
Despite sitting last in the East standings, the Sabres are playing better of late, especially at home. Buffalo headed into the break with four wins in five games and is 7-2-0 in its past nine.
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 26 goals and had a hat trick in their 7-2 rout of Boston on Jan. 28. Thompson also had a goal in each of the first two meetings with the Rangers.
Alex Tuch had three goals in the final two games before the break and is second on the Sabres with 19 goals.
Related: Zac Jones sent to Hartford on conditioning stint
3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Sabres
1. Igor Shesterkin returns after another injury
Shesterkin sustained his second upper-body injury during a collision with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phillip Tomasino on Feb. 7. Shesterkin missed four games during his first absence in January and the two-week break only caused him to miss one game.
Shesterkin appears to be ready to return though he will not play both ends of the back-to-back this weekend, which included a game against the Penguins on Sunday. He has been on the ice for each of the past three practices after coach Peter Laviolette described the 29-year-old’s condition as day-to-day.
Shesterkin is 18-19-2 in 39 games with a 2.87 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. He’s allowed at least four goals 13 times this season but only three times since his first injury absence.
The Rangers are hoping Shesterkin can deliver another standout showing after a break. Following last season’s All-Star break, the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner was 17-5-2 with a 2.20 GAA and .929 save percentage in his final 24 starts, helping the Rangers finish first overall and surge into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2. How is Vincent Trocheck?
Trocheck was injured during Team USA’s game against Sweden on Monday night, but his absence was brief in that 2-1 loss. He played 10:03 in the overtime loss to Canada on Thursday, but appeared compromised, taking only four face-offs — his specialty — and losing each one.
Per the Athletic, Trocheck broke his finger, but the injury is not expected to prevent him from playing, according to Laviolette.
Trocheck has never missed a game since joining the Rangers on a seven-year deal in July 2022 and has 17 goals and 20 assists so far this season. Trocheck had two assists in the final game before the break and has seven goals in his past 19 games.
3. Keep getting pucks on net
In their final game before the break, the Rangers produced 40 shots on goal for the fifth time this season. New York is 4-1-0 when getting at least 40 shots and scored 24 goals in those games.
New York is actually in the top-10 in the NHL at 29.7 shots per game but its ability to generate pucks to the net ended a run of five straight games with under 30 shots on goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Rangers had 10 high-danger scoring chances against Columbus after finishing with 24 shots on goal and four high-danger scoring opportunities in the loss to Pittsburgh.
The Sabres are allowing 29.2 shots per game and allowed only 23 in their final contest before the break, a 6-4 loss to the Nashville Predators.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – J.T. Miller – Zibanejad
Smith – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Kreider – Brodzinski – Cuylle
Vesey – Carrick – Rempe
Lindgren – Fox
K. Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Sabres: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres
When: Saturday Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Where: KeyBank Center
How to watch: MSG
More About:New York Rangers News