Fox 3-point night, Shesterkin’s 29 saves, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers won 3-2 over Buffalo Sabres

The New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at the KeyBank Center on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game skid.

Adam Fox got the game-winner, with Mika Zibanejad (PPG) and Reilly Smith adding the other tallies for the Rangers. Meanwhile, Owen Power got the Sabres on the board in the third period, with Tage Thompson adding a late goal following Fox’s empty-netter.

So, here’s a look at three reasons why the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

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Three reasons why the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres

#3 The Rangers' power play came through

The New York Rangers have struggled with the man advantage. The Blue Shirts entered Wednesday night’s action ranked 11th in the league with a 22.5% power play.

However, that power play has hit the skids lately. Over their last 10 games, the Rangers have scored six times with the man advantage. Three of those tallies came against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 30.

However, on Wednesday, Mika Zibanejad's power play tally opened the scoring in the first, giving New York an early lead. While the club went 1-for-4 on the night, Zibanejad’s goal could be the sign of a potential turnaround.

#2 Adam Fox's three points carried the team

New York Rangers top defenseman Adam Fox carried the team, logging over 24 minutes of ice time. He also registered three points (1G, 2A).

At the time, Fox’s goal seemingly iced the game by making the score 3-1. However, the Sabres continued to push, getting a goal with less than 30 seconds left.

#1 Igor Shesterkin starred with 29 saves

Igor Shesterkin was back to his usual, dominant self, stopping 29 of 31 shots, giving up to even-strength goals. Most importantly, his strong plays have given the Rangers confidence that they have a solid netminder who can keep them in every game.

The bounce-back performance was crucial after Shesterkin lost his last outing against the Chicago Blackhawks despite giving up only two goals. The win over the Sabres was Shesterkin’s second in five starts.

Nevertheless, Shesterkin has given up two goals in his last three starts and four of his last five, showing signs of improving consistency.

The Rangers get a couple of days off before taking on the Los Angeles Kings in a Saturday matinee.