Rangers Bounce Back with Dominant Win Over Sabers

BUFFALO — The Rangers certainly flipped the script from their first game to their second in the 2025-26 season.

After a disappointing shutout in their home opener on Tuesday, the team rebounded with a decisive 4-0 victory against the Sabers at KeyBank Center on Thursday night.

While the first win was meant to be a moment of celebration, it was somewhat overshadowed by Vincent Trocheck leaving the game due to an upper-body injury during the second period.

The circumstances surrounding Trocheck’s departure with 13:38 left in the period remain unclear, but the Rangers ruled him out for the rest of the game by the start of the third period.

Trocheck had been wearing a full-face shield for much of the preseason and the opening games after taking a puck to the face during practice. It’s uncertain if this incident is linked to his current injury.

The Rangers are already dealing with a shortage in their center position, as Mika Zibanejad is playing on the wing.

If Trocheck cannot continue, it’ll be interesting to see whether head coach Mike Sullivan opts to shift Zibanejad back to center or bring in Juuso Parsinen or Johnny Brodzinski instead.

Noah Laba, who earned the role of third-line center during training camp, might not be ready to take on more responsibility by moving him up too soon. It’s a tricky situation for the young rookie.

Not having Trocheck available could also affect the Rangers’ special teams unit.

Following a lackluster start at home, the Rangers had a more straightforward first period on Thursday. They had really struggled offensively against the Penguins in their opener, and it showed.

In a much-needed moment of spark, Alexis Lafreniere scored the Rangers’ first goal of the season by capitalizing on a rebound from Artemi Panarin’s shot. This ended a lengthy scoring drought that lasted 71:43.

However, the Sabers gained some momentum toward the end of the first and carried it into the second, outscoring the Rangers 13-5 during that stretch.

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin stood out, making 11 stops in the center and ultimately finishing the game with 37 saves. He appeared sharp, which is promising as the season progresses.

Despite Trocheck’s injury throwing things off a bit, the Rangers managed to keep the Sabers from scoring in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Carson Soucy widened the lead for the Rangers when he found a way to beat Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon with just over five minutes left in the game.

JT Miller also got on the scoreboard, marking his first goal as captain by setting up Braden Schneider for a 3-0 lead, followed by an empty-net goal from Adam Fox.