Sabres Skate Past Rangers Buffalo Spoils Things For Stanley Cup Champions As National Hockey League Season Finally Begins

It started out as a banner night for the New York Rangers and turned into a better night for the Buffalo Sabres.

“We were a little too anxious and tried to do too much too early,” New York defenseman Brian Leetch said following a 2-1 loss to Buffalo that spoiled the Rangers’ ceremonial season opener Friday night.

The Sabres’ victory put a damper on a celebrative night during which the Rangers raised the Stanley Cup banner for the first time in 54 years. New York fans waited through the 103-day lockout for the big night, which included the Cup itself being skated around the ice at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, playing for the first time since their victory over Vancouver in Game Seven in the NHL final last June 14, brought the fans out of their seats when Steve Larmer gave them a 1-0 lead in the game’s first 4 minutes.

But the crowd, which had cheered wildly throughout the pregame ceremonies, was noticeably quiet thereafter as Buffalo goaltender Grant Fuhr and the Sabres’ defense shut down the Rangers the rest of the way.

“He was sharp as a tack when he came to training camp,” Buffalo coach John Muckler said of Fuhr. “That’s why we went with him and he didn’t lose anything.”

Fuhr was part of a great goaltending tandem with Dominik Hasek last season. The two teamed to win the Jennings Trophy for the best goals-against average.

“This is one of those years where I have a point to prove,” said Fuhr, who played behind Hasek for the most part last season. “Every chance that I can play is a chance to prove that I still can play.”

Dale Hawerchuk tied the score about a minute after Larmer’s goal, then Donald Audette gave the Sabres their game-winner at 5:25 of the third period.

Fuhr stopped 29 shots overall. In the last 6 minutes, he preserved Buffalo’s one-goal lead with two sparkling stops on Adam Graves, the Rangers’ leading goal-scorer last season. Fuhr got lucky, too, when a shot by Alexei Kovalev hit the post in the final minutes.

Mike Richter made 22 saves, but let Audette’s shot from 50 feet on the right side get past him.