The story of the aging vet, thought by many, including himself, as perhaps being past his prime, surprising with a late-career burst of productivity is a familiar narrative.
Rangers vs. Sabres: Third Period Surge Pushes Rangers Past Sabres
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The New York Rangers certainty didn’t make it easy tonight, but they found a way to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 in regulation time. Two third period markers by Alexis Lafrenière and Mika Zibanejad fueled the Rangers’ comeback efforts as they took a two-goal lead. Igor Shesterkin was monumental tonight in goal for New York and kept the Rangers alive during their first half collapse.
1st Period
Tee d. Up.
Following an underwhelming start to the game, the Rangers needed more shots and Brendan Smith led by example. Early in the second period, the Rangers finally got some extended zone time and turned it into the opening goal of the game. An errant pass by Dylan Cozens deflected off of a skate and landed right in the high slot. Brendan Smith stepped in from the blue line to collect the puck and absolutely hammered a slap shot over the right shoulder of Ukko-P
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It’s been a long wait, but Will Borgen finally seems to have cemented himself as a member of the Buffalo Sabres’ defensive top-six. After spending two full seasons with the Rochester Americans, the 24-year-old got his chance to show what he can do at the NHL level amid a rash of COVID-19 positives tests on the Buffalo blue line (and elsewhere).
Dating back to last season, fans clamored to see the 2014 fourth-round draft pick get an NHL opportunity after being leaned-on as a defensive specialist (and performing quite well in that role) in Rochester. During the 2019-20 campaign, Jason Botterill’s penchant for hoarding depth defensemen (and the Sabres incredible lack of any long-term injuries that year) prevented this opportunity from taking place.