The New York Rangers defeated the Buffalo Sabres on opening night by a score of 6-3.
Quick Hits:
- Derek Stepan, the boy wonder of the pre-season, made a scintillating debut scoring a HAT TRICK for the Rangers.
- Brandon Dubinsky had a tremendous game as well, scoring 2 goals of his own. His linemates Callahan and Anisimov both had assists and looked great together, skating hard and making plays.
- Sean Avery had an effective game tonight with 2 assists.
- Buffalo looked like a tired team as the game went along. They were probably in awe of Derek Stepan like the entire HSBC Arena was.
- Ruslan Fedotenko continued his great play from the preseason into opening night. A bargain signing at this point.
- Alex Frolov had a quiet game despite getting an assist.
- I was not impressed with Steve Eminger's debut tonight. Took 2 penalties and didn't stand out. Look for Gilroy to be in the lineup next game.
- Henrik Lundqvist was average tonight; made some saves when called upon but the goals he gave up were questionable.
Final Thoughts:
The Rangers made an impressive debut, defeating a Sabres team that many feel will go far this season. Rookie Derek Stepan might have become an instant star with his hat-trick debut, becoming the first Ranger in franchise history to score a hat trick in his NHL debut. Time will tell how brightly he'll shine.
The biggest positive to take away from this game was how well the Rangers played AS A TEAM. All 4 lines showed hustle, with the Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan and Avery-Stepan-Fedotenko lines displaying good chemistry and play-making abilities.
The defensive play was just as impressive at times. Forwards were skating hard in the back check, clogging up the neutral zone and defensemen were breaking up plays. The Rangers will have to play this way consistently if they want to be successful this season.
Next Game: Monday 10/11 1:00 PM vs. Islanders
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