Sabres dominate Rangers 8-2 with five-goal first period

The Buffalo Sabres dominated the New York Rangers with an 8-2 victory, highlighted by a five-goal first period. Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson each scored twice, while Ryan McLeod added two goals and Jason Zucker contributed three assists. The Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves, helping the team improve to 5-1 in their last six games. The Rangers, failing to capitalize on recent momentum, saw goalie Igor Shesterkin pulled after allowing five goals on 16 shots. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored for New York, but it wasn't enough to overcome Buffalo's early lead. The game marked a significant offensive display for the Sabres, who also dealt with the loss of Alex Tuch due to injury during the match.