Rangers’ special teams appear to be in midseason form in season opener
BUFFALO — The Rangers’ 60-minute effort in Thursday night’s season-opening 5-1 victory over the Sabres at KeyBank Center was highlighted by a dominant special teams game.
In addition to fending off three Sabres power plays to keep the home team at bay, the Blueshirts also scored one power-play goal in the first period when Chris Kreider tipped an Adam Fox shot from the top of the zone for the 2-0 lead.
It proved to be the first of two special teams goals for Kreider, who added a shorthanded tally in the third period off a feed from Mika Zibanejad.
Kreider’s eight shorthanded goals since 2021-22 are the most in the NHL, while his 35 power-play goals over the same span is tied for the second most.
The penalty kill suffocated the Sabres, limiting them to just three shots on goal with the man-advantage.
Block after block, the Rangers clogged the shooting lanes and kept the puck out of the dangerous areas.
“They did a really good job,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of the Rangers’ penalty kill. “It’s courageous to stand there and get teed off on. I know [Nick] Bonino had four [blocks], [Jacob] Trouba had some, [Ryan] Lindgren had some, [Tyler] Pitlick. The penalty kill really worked to do their job tonight. It was noticeable by everybody.”
The Rangers also found themselves on the wrong end of a five-on-three advantage for 12 seconds in the third period, but shortly after Filip Chytil exited the box, the visitors found the back of the net at the other end.
Zibanejad’s individual effort got the puck down the ice before the Swede was able to dish to a streaking Kreider for the 4-1 lead.
Finishing with 23 blocks on the night, the Rangers appeared to register about half of them on the penalty kill.
Zac Jones and Jimmy Vesey were the Rangers’ healthy scratches Thursday night.
The Rangers lined up the same way they had in the previous few practices.
Kreider, Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko made up the top line, while Artemi Panarin, Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere skated on the second unit.
The third line featured Will Cuylle, Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler, who made his Rangers debut.
Barclay Goodrow, Bonino and Pitlick rounded out the lineup.
The top four defensemen and their usual pairings — Lindgren-Fox and K’Andre Miller-Trouba — remained intact.
Erik Gustafsson, who also made his official debut with the Rangers, lined up alongside Braden Schneider on the third pair.
“Defensively in the last few games I thought we played really well,” Laviolette said. “When you’re holding teams to under five even-strength scoring chances in the last two games, you’re doing some good things. Those pairs were set in the last game.”