The New York Rangers score a power play goal to pull out a 3-2 victory over Buffalo.
By Mike Battaglino / NHL.com Staff Writer
NEW YORK, N.Y. — J.T. Miller scored a power-play goal with 2:17 left in overtime, and the New York Rangers remained undefeated in outdoor games with a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field on Monday.
Paul Carey and Michael Grabner scored for New York (21-13-5). Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves and is 4-0-0 outdoors in the NHL, winning each game the Rangers have played, dating to the 2012 Winter Classic.
Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart scored for Buffalo (10-20-9), which played in the first Winter Classic 10 years ago. Robin Lehner made 39 saves.
Sabres forward Jacob Josefson was called for tripping with 2:45 left in overtime, and Miller scored on a rebound of a shot by Kevin Shattenkirk.
Ristolainen tied it 2-2 27 seconds into the third period with a long shot that went over Lundqvist’s glove.
Reinhart made it 2-1 56 seconds into the second period on the power play when he scored off a rebound of a shot by Ristolainen.
Grabner gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead at 8:20 of the first period. Kevin Hayes stickhandled toward the net to Lehner’s right and made a backhand pass facing backward. Grabner scored with a tap-in at the opposite post.
Carey scored at 4:09 of the first period on the Rangers’ ninth shot for the 1-0 lead.
Game-time temperature with 41,821 fans at the home of the New York Mets was 20.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest Winter Classic (13 degrees) was played in 2014 at Michigan Stadium, when the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout.
Buffalo lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in a shootout in the 2008 Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium.