BUFFALO — If the NHL schedule maker didn’t do the Rangers any favors setting them up to play the Colorado Avalanche in the back end of a back-to-back Wednesday at the Garden, then someone tried to make it up to the Blueshirts by scheduling them to visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
And, 48 hours after their seven-game winning streak was snapped by the high-flying Avalanche, the Rangers got back on the winning track with a 2-1 victory over the struggling Sabres in a half-empty KeyBank Center that sounded as if it had as many, or more, Ranger fans present. But they did not play particularly well, and the score was too close for the Rangers’ liking.
Mika Zibanejad’s first goal in 15 games, and one by Alexis Lafreniere was all the offense the Rangers could muster as they won for the 12th time in the last 14 games and improved their record to 18-5-3. And an apparent tying goal for Buffalo in the final minute was disallowed after video review.
