2018 Winter Classic: Rangers vs. Sabres highlights, score, recap

In the 2018 Winter Classic, the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. in overtime 

The New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres both came into the 2018 Winter Classic looking to start the year off right. From the opening faceoff, the former took control of the game. New York came out on top by a score of 3-2.

Paul Carey and Michael Grabner were the scorers for the Rangers. Kevin Hayes, Boo Nieves, J.T. Miller, and Jesper Fast each picked up an assist. This gave the blue shirts a 2-0 lead within the first 10 minutes.

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Meanwhile, the Sabres looked like the lesser team for the first 10 minutes. However, they rebounded very nicely from their slow start. Forward Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal in the second period gave them a ton of momentum. Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen got the assists on Reinhart’s goal. Later in the third period, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen tied the game with a strike of his own. Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo picked up the assists on his goal.

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was at his best. His team didn’t play well in front of him, especially after the first period. On the other side of the ice, Robin Lehner was extremely good as well. He made several outstanding sprawling saves.

In overtime, J.T. Miller got the game-winning goal on a power play. It was a fitting end to an extremely exciting game. Three-on-three hockey generates a ton of offense and this was on full display in the Winter Classic. Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello picked up the assists on Miller’s game-winner.

Overall, this was the kind of game the NHL wanted for its premier event. Hockey is rarely given the spotlight, but the Winter Classic is one of the few times it has it. Making Buffalo the home team in a game played minutes from Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers play, was pretty embarrassing. But other than that, it was an extremely exciting and competitive game. Precisely the kind of game the NHL should want representing the league.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/947906145653583873

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/947906739898408960

Three Stars

1. J.T. Miller
2. Robin Lehner
3. Kevin Hayes

Next: Each NHL Team's New Year's Resolution

What’s Next

The Rangers face the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 3. Meanwhile, the Sabres travel to face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Jan. 4.