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Oct 9, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) looks to make a pass as Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Rangers Shut Out Sabres 4-0

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jean Patrick Vidad | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 11:17 PM ET

The Buffalo Sabres opened the season with a gut-wrenching loss against the New York Rangers, with the latter handing the former a 4-0 beatdown in the ongoing NHL regular season, at KeyBank Center, moments earlier.

The game seemingly still at hand for the Sabres came washing down the drain after the Rangers surged in scoring in the final period, tallying three goals, courtesy of J.T. Miller, Adam Fox, and Carson Soucy.

Game Recap

The Rangers came firing out of the gates, peppering the Sabres’ net with shots in the opening minutes. Alexis Lafreniere fired a wrist shot off a setup play, but Alex Lyon saved it. The Sabres, meanwhile, struggled to get off some shots, taking them six minutes to unleash one courtesy of Jiri Kulich’s shot.

Mason Geertsen’s tripping penalty rewarded New York with a power play, only to be stifled by Buffalo’s penalty kill unit. Their persistence would finally pay off when Lafreniere nabbed a rebound and maneuvered the puck around the goalie to dump it into the net, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead. The Sabres tried to respond late in the period, with their best opportunity coming from Ryan McLeod’s shot that was denied.

A tripping call on Peyton Krebs earned Buffalo its first power play opportunity. Josh Doan seized a giveaway and released a shot, but was caught by Igor Shesterkin. Adam Edstrom went on an odd-man rush, weaving as he shot the puck, only to be stopped by Lyon.

Another tripping penalty gave the Sabres their second power play chance. In the two-minute time frame, alternate captain Tage Thompson flicked a couple of shots, with an attempt that hit the goal post. The chances piled up for Buffalo, but they failed to convert on those opportunities. Josh Norris also rushed on a breakaway opportunity, but lost control of the puck, followed by Kulich’s one-on-one dance with Shesterkin, which ended with the puck being poked out by the goalie.

The third period saw the Sabres gain their fourth man-advantage opportunity. Norris slapped a one-timer, but was thwarted by Shesterkin. It was all Rangers from then on. A well-timed forecheck led the puck to Will Borgen, who slipped it across to Soucy, who sniped a shot that found the back of the net, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Another forecheck led to a New York goal after Miller rifled a shot from the Sabres’ blue line that extended the Rangers’ lead to 3-0. Fourteen seconds later, Fox sauced a shot from the other end of the ice that ended up in the Sabres’ goal, putting the game away for the Rangers, as they cruised to a 4-0 domination.

What’s Next?

The Sabres look to recover and bounce back from their season opener loss and are set to take on the Boston Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 11, with puck drop at 7:00 pm, while the Rangers will play the Penguins on the same night.