Lundqvist and Rangers take down Sabres
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Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Armed with a new contract extension, Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves on Thursday night and the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1.
Lundqvist, after agreeing to a seven-year contract extension on Wednesday, was working on his third shutout of the season when his failed clear led to a late Buffalo goal.
Rick Nash, Brad Richards and Mats Zuccarello scored for the Rangers, who have won three straight and seven of their last nine games against the Sabres.
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Lundqvist was back on the ice after Cam Talbot made two straight starts in net.
Tyler Ennis scored Buffalo's only goal with 2:06 remaining on a close shot that beat Lundqvist up high. The Sabres fell to 1-6-1 in their last eight games and Ryan Miller suffered his NHL-worst 16th loss, giving up three goals on 31 shots.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault called the struggling Sabres "a hard-working team" and said it wasn't easy for his club.
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"There wasn't a lot of room," said Vigneault. "They play a really solid defensive game and we made them pay in the first period with a controlled breakout."
Miller did what he could against Nash but was beaten by a strong move.
Nash got the puck in stride along the left boards after a tip-pass from Derek Stepan at center ice and faked a deke to his backhand, instead sliding the puck in between Miller's right skate and the near post to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead with 2:13 left in the first period.
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Miller said he expected Nash to make a good move.
"I've seen him play enough," said Miller. "I should have had it."
Miller used his left shoulder to get a piece of Zuccarello's shot in the final minute of the second period, sending it clanking off the crossbar. He had 12 saves in the period and Lundqvist made seven.
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Lundqvist stopped Cody Hodgson on a breakaway in the third period, getting his right pad out on the backhand deke, and the Rangers took a 2-0 lead after Hodgson went off for tripping soon after.
Richards scored 1:18 into the man-advantage on a sharp-angle shot from the low right side with 11:31 remaining in the game.
Lundqvist made a shoulder save to knock a tipped shot just over the crossbar, and Zuccarello beat Miller's glove with a wrister from the left circle to make it 3-0 with 5:13 left.
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"That was a terrible goal, the third one," said Miller. "I didn't trust myself and where I was."
Game Notes
The Rangers will start a nine-game homestand Saturday against the New Jersey Devils ... The Sabres play at Montreal on Saturday.