If they are to make a serious bid to reach the playoffs, Thursday’s game was virtually a must-win for the Rangers. Playing their 36th game, with only 20 remaining after this one, they could not afford to drop points against a Buffalo Sabres team that entered the night in last place in the East Division with only seven wins.
But coming off their first win in more than a month, the Sabres didn’t make it easy on the Rangers. And with the out-of- town scoreboard showing fourth-place Boston trailing in its game against Pittsburgh, the pressure was on the Rangers to do something to gain ground.
It took until overtime, but the Rangers got the win they needed, 3-2, on Mika Zibanejad’s goal with 27.7 seconds left in OT. Zibanejad scored on a one-timer off a two-on-one pass from Artemi Panarin. Adam Fox extended his point-scoring streak to nine games with an assist on the winner.
