was the difference in keeping the Sabres in it and frustrating t

NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist was at his busiest when the only thing really in doubt was whether he would skate off with a shutout. The rest of the New York Rangers took care of beating the lowly Buffalo Sabres up and down the ice. Lundqvist made 29 saves in his 47th NHL shutout, and Derick Brassard and Chris Kreider provided the offence in the Rangers 2-0 win over the Sabres on Thursday night. "This is definitely a game we wanted to win and needed to win," said Lundqvist, who served as the backup when the Rangers beat the New York Islanders on Tuesday. "The way we started the game, we set the tone right away. "We did so many good things. I thought we were all over them pretty much the whole game." Ryan Miller shined in defeat as he turned aside 44 shots just to keep his struggling club in it. Lundqvist, who missed two games last week while nursing an injury, lost 2-0 to Montreal in the home opener on Monday -- one night before watching backup Cam Talbot beat the Islanders. Lundqvist was tested the most in the final few minutes as Buffalo pressed to at least avoid the shutout. Lundqvist stopped a shot with the top of his helmet, deflecting the puck into the crowd, and then robbed Marcus Foligno with 1:20 remaining after Miller was pulled for an extra skater. The Sabres had only one power play. "The last five or six minutes they came a little harder," Lundqvist said, "but we deserved this one for sure." Brassard scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Kreider netted his second in two games in the middle period to power Lundqvists third win and second shutout this season. The Rangers (5-7), who played 10 of their first 11 on the road, began a four-game homestand in workmanlike fashion. They recorded a season-high 46 shots. Buffalo lost its third straight and is a league-worst 2-12-1. The Sabres have been shut out three times. "If we want this to stop, it will stop," Miller said. "Everyone has to increase their intensity. When everyone wants this to stop, it will. You have to work your way out of it. "We have to play hard and work hard for each other. We have to have the right approach. Were searching. Enough is enough." The Rangers followed up a dominant first period with an identical 19-shot outburst in the second. The only thing that kept the game close was Miller. "Ryan made some extraordinary saves," said newly acquired forward Matt Moulson, who played his second game with the Sabres. "He really kept us in the game. It could have been more than 2-0." Miller could hardly be faulted for Kreiders goal with 8:39 left in the second. He stopped a drive by Mats Zuccarello and blocked it to his right. Kreider got to the rebound along the goal line and banked a shot off the back of Miller from a tough angle for his second in two games. "Thats a play Ive tried a lot," Kreider said. "I dont know that its ever worked for me. I threw it back out front, because you dont have any other option. You see the goalie is a little bit out, and best case it goes in. "It was a whole lot of luck." Lundqvist made fine stops in the closing minute of the second to deny Drew Stafford and Jamie McBain from the doorstep. Buffalo doubled its shot output to 12 in the period, but the Sabres were outshot 38-18 through two. The Sabres put pressure on the Rangers after the games opening faceoff, and New York had breakdowns in front of Lundqvist. But Buffalo was kept at bay, and then the Rangers dominated. New York was buoyed by a pair of power plays -- the first resulting in the go-ahead goal. "We had a good start to the game, but the second half of the first period, it wasnt there," Sabres coach Ron Rolston said. "We went to the box, and they built up a lot of momentum. "Our first couple of shifts were good ... but it swung quickly after that." With Tyler Myers off for tripping, Brassard wound up for a drive from above the right circle that found its way through traffic and a screen by J.T. Miller in front of Miller to make it 1-0 at 8:28. It was Brassards second of the season, and the Rangers third power-play goal in two games. Another advantage later in the first produced only one shot. Buffalo had its lone power play in the final two minutes of the period and recorded one shot. NOTES: The Rangers were without C Dominic Moore, who is expected to be sidelined seven to 10 days because of a strained oblique muscle. ... Sabres forward John Scott served the fourth game of a seven-game suspension for a check to the head of Boston forward Loui Eriksson. ... Rangers D Dan Girardi played in his 500th NHL game. D Marc Staal played in his 400th. ... The Sabres have been outscored 20-2 in the first period. ... New York was 5 for 32 on the power play before the past two games. Custom Chicago Cubs Jerseys . JOHNS, N. Kris Bryant Jersey . - Jerome Verrier scored the winner 8:24 into overtime and Louis-Phillip Guindon stopped 46 shots as the Drummondville Voltigeurs edged the host Val-dOr Foreurs 4-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-anthony-rizzo-jersey/ . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. Ryne Sandberg Jersey . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Willson Contreras Cubs Jersey . - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club.BUFFALO, N.Y. - In a season full of lessons, the Edmonton Oilers learned a quick one to snap their losing streak.A day after getting discouraged when the Boston Bruins came back and scored on them, the Oilers responded multiple times Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres to win 3-2 at First Niagara Center.Erasing an early deficit and then one in the third period, the Oilers got the winner from Boyd Gordon to end their skid at four. It was a victory coach Dallas Eakins knows his team needed.Its important for our dressing room, Eakins said. We fully understand critics and we fully understand and I embrace the result. You can stand and talk about how well youre playing and how youve improved, but if youre not getting points, no ones going to listen.These were two valuable points in a back-to-back situation for the Oilers (5-8-1), who are on the road for two more games: Sunday at the New York Rangers and Tuesday at the Nashville Predators.Now we want to start a winning streak, said centre Mark Arcobello, who scored his third goal of the season. Getting that win was big for us and now weve got to get back on track.Facing the Sabres (3-10-2), the NHLs last-place team with just eight points in 15 games, this looked like a trap for an Edmonton team that didnt skate Friday morning after playing in Boston.Sometimes these things dont set up very well, Eakins said. Youve lost a few in a row and youre coming in to play a team thats struggling and youre playing back-to-back and the odds arent lining up very well for you.It didnt help the odds that the Oilers fell behind 26 seconds into the second period on Matt Moulsons first of the season. But Iiro Pakarinen answered 54 seconds later with the first of his NHL career.I dont even remember, said Pakarinen, who made his NHL debut Thursday night in Boston. I was a little bit shocked. It was so fast of a situation. I jumped on the ice and the rebound was there and I tried to shoot as hard as I can.Eakins said Pakarinen looked a bit like a deer in the headlights against the Bruins, and many of his Oilers teammates werent much different. A 2-1 lead quickly turned into a 5-2 loss for Edmonton, which is without captain Andrew Ference (suspeension) and left-winger Taylor Hall (knee injury).ddddddddddddWe were up by a goal we have a big hiccup and next thing you know were kind of sulking and then boom-boom-boom its in the back of our net, alternate captain Matt Hendricks said of the Bruins game. Weve had that problem all season.Thats why Eakins was impressed when his players took a deep breath when they went down Friday night, not just when Moulson opened the scoring but when Drew Stafford snapped a shot past Viktor Fasth 6:34 into the third to make it 2-1 Sabres.At 11:42, Arcobello whiffed on a rebound attempt but beat Michal Neuvirth to tie it up again. That set the stage for Gordons winner at 15:45 after Hendricks forced a turnover and Teddy Purcell found the fourth-line centre streaking to the net.Heno made a good play to him and then Teddy made a nice move and got the puck over and fortunately it went in for us, said Gordon, who has goals in two straight after none in the first 12 games of the season.In a game between the last-place teams in each conference, the Oilers outshot the Sabres 52-31.Well take 52 every night if we can, Eakins said.But Neuvirth, who has excelled of late, was the difference in keeping the Sabres in it and frustrating the Oilers.He doesnt do a lot, but he doesnt do a lot wrong, said Hendricks, who played with Neuvirth in Washington. He always just seems to be square with every shot. I think we couldve had quite a few goals tonight if it wasnt for Neuvy.Notes — Legendary Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and longtime Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret took part in a ceremonial puck drop on Hockey Fights Cancer night. Kelly, who led Buffalos NFL team to four straight Super Bowls, was declared jaw cancer-free in September. Jeanneret said on local TV before the game that he was told this week hes throat cancer-free. ... During a commercial break in the second period, Sabres general manager Tim Murray said in a taped message that he was fighting for Bryan Murray. His uncle, the GM of the Ottawa Senators, has been fighting cancer since the summer. ... Martin Marincin replaced Oscar Klefbom in the lineup a day after the Oilers loss in Boston.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '