Rangers shrug off late goal, top Sabres in overtime

BUFFALO — Mika Zibanejad one-timed in Artemi Panarin’s pass 4:32 into overtime and the Rangers, after giving up the tying goal with four seconds left in regulation, came back for a 3-2 victory over the Sabres on Thursday night.

Filip Chytil and Colin Blackwell also scored and Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots for the Rangers.

“Listen, it’s a kick in the (rear) when you give up a goal with 3 (actually 4) seconds to go, and play the way we did for the second and third period. But I though we were able to pull ourselves together,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “But, listen, we found a way to win and get two points, which really at the end of the day when you’re this deep into the season is all that matters.”

The Rangers won for the fifth time in seven outings, and improved to 7-3-1 in their past

11 since ending a three-game skid. The Rangers moved into a tie for fifth place in the East Division with the slumping Flyers, who are off until Saturday, and coming off a 6-1 loss at Buffalo on Wednesday night.

The Rangers also moved to within three points of fourth-place Boston after the Bruins lost to the Penguins on Thursday.

The Sabres are now 1-0-1 after beating the Flyers to snap a 0-15-3 skid that ranked as the NHL’s 14th-longest winless streak. Though Buffalo opened the scoring on Rasmus Asplund’s goal 2:06 in, the team appeared to run out of steam in playing on consecutive nights. The Sabres were outshot 47-23 overall and 36-11 after the first period.

Buffalo still had enough resolve in the final seconds, with Tage Thompson scoring through a crowd from the left circle and with the Sabres’ net empty for an extra attacker.

“Fatigue is a factor certainly when you play back-to-back and the other team didn’t. I mean, there’s not a way around it,” Sabres interim coach Don Granato said. “But I thought our guys elevated tremendously in the last few minutes to get that goal.”