New York Rangers @ Buffalo Sabres – October 9th, 2025 Game Thread
Written by Pete Zehler on October 9, 2025
🎯 Game Thread: New York Rangers (0-1-0) @ Buffalo Sabres (0-0-0)
📅 October 9, 2025 | 🏒 Season Opener for Buffalo
📍 KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY | 🕖 Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET
🔥 Pregame Summary:
The New York Rangers roll into Buffalo tonight looking to bounce back after a tough 3–0 shutout loss to Pittsburgh on opening night. The Rangers come into the season with modest expectations—most analysts peg them as a fringe playoff team with something to prove after last year’s disappointing finish.
The Sabres, meanwhile, are hitting the ice for the first time this season and hope to start strong in front of what should be a near sellout crowd at KeyBank Center. Buffalo’s defensive corps could quietly be one of the league’s best if they stay healthy.
In net, the Sabres will turn to journeyman Alex Lyon, who gets the start with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (UPL) unavailable and no timetable yet for his return. Lyon has bounced around the NHL and AHL with stops in Philly, Carolina, and most recently Detroit, where he showed flashes of competency in a backup role. The hope is that Buffalo’s D can limit quality chances and keep the pressure off Lyon.
Offensively, all eyes are on Buffalo’s young core to take the next step. They’ll need to create scoring chances early and often to set the tone—not just for tonight, but for the season ahead.
The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, but there’s a cautious optimism in the air. Tonight marks the first step in proving to fans that this season can be different.
1st Period:
20:00 – Rangers win the faceoff and the 2025-26 season is underway.
17:27 – Both teams have possessed the puck equally, both teams have been sloppy with it.
15:00 – Rangers have had multiple good looks on net, but Lyon has stood strong. Sabres still searching for their first shot on goal.
12:46 – First penalty of the game is against Buffalo’s Mason Geertsen for tripping. We’ll get our first look of the year at the Sabres penalty kill.
10:46 – New York applied a lot of pressure, but Buffalo succeeded in their first penalty kill of the year. Really nice job by Justin Danforth getting the puck out of the zone twice.
9:43 – Halfway through the period and the Sabres have been outplayed. Need to clean up their passes, cannot string together passes in the offensive zone. Defensively Buffalo is playing acceptably, but if they keep letting New York knock on the door they will score on Lyon.
8:17 – Rangers score, Alexis LaFreniere puts one in net after a scrum in the blue paint. Rangers lead 1-0
5:38 – Sabres had a few good looks before a media timeout, but still having a hard time keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Being outshot 14-6.
2:21 – Ryan McLeod gets Buffalo’s best look of the night thus far and can’t convert.
0:00 – End of period Rangers lead 1-0.
Period Summary – Sabres were outshot 16-11 in the period but it felt worse. Buffalo had a hard time maintaining possession of the puck and keeping New York out of their zone. In the second period Buffalo will have to pass the puck with more precision if the want to stay in this game. Despite this, Lyon played solid in net, made several quality saves. Still, Buffalo shouldn’t ask him to do the same in the second if they wish to win.
2nd Period:
19:32- 2nd period is underway and Sabres are instantly into the powerplay after New York’s Will Cuylle gets called for tripping.
17:32 – Sabres put up 3 shots on goal in a relatively uneventful power play, New York’s penalty kill stands tall. One shot Tage would love to have back.
15:00 – 5 minutes into the period and Buffalo has looked better, a lot more possession of the puck.
13:38 – Urho Vaakanainen for the Rangers called for interference, we’ll get a second look at the Sabres power play after the media timeout.
11:38 – Buffalo got Tage several solid looks with the one timer, but couldn’t find the back of the net. New York’s penalty kill prevails again.
9:37 – Halfway through the period, the Sabres offense is moving the puck much better than the first period. Still, they can’t find the back of the net despite several good looks.
5:32 – Almost had our first fight of the season, Braden Schneider and Jason Zucker dropped the gloves. But were stopped before anything came of it. Both penalized for roughing.
3:32 – Nothing comes of the 4v4, back to 5v5.
2:02 – Zucker drops the gloves again after Will Borgen grabs him around the neck, a scrum breaks out following the incident. Borgen penalized 2 minutes for roughing after removing Zucker’s helmet. Buffalo will have a power play to end the period.
0:00 – Sabres cannot convert their 3rd power play of the period. Kulich wiffs a slap shot with 2 seconds left. We go to the third with New York leading 1-0.
2nd period summary – The Sabres played much better this period out shooting New York 13-5. Solid effort on the defensive end and had several really good looks at Shesterkin. Feel very confident if Buffalo plays similarly in the third they will put one in net. Have to find a way to start converting on these power plays though, was a problem last season and remains one here.
3rd Period:
20:00 – Sabres win the faceoff and the 3rd period is underway. Instantly Tage is penalized for high sticking, we will get our 2nd look at the Buffalo penalty kill.
17:56 – Buffalo successfully kills the New York Penalty, never gave up a solid shot.
15:00 – 5 minutes in and both teams have equally possessed the puck, no phenomenal looks for either side.
13:06 – Will Cuylle is penalized for tripping, we’ll get our 4th look at Buffalo’s power play of the evening.
11:06 – Awful power play for Buffalo, barely could keep the puck in the offensive zone with unforced turnovers.
10:36 – Justin Danforth penalized for roughing, we’ll get another look at the Buffalo penalty kill.
8:36 – Successful penalty kill. Back to full strength.
8:12 – Alex Lyon deserves his props, if you told me pregame he would have only given up one goal at this point I’d have been thrilled. Unfortunately the offense cannot convert any opportunities for him thus far.
5:14 – Matt Rempe scores for New York, Rangers lead 2-0. Sabres had been getting good looks in New Yorks zone just before the goal.
2:49 – J.T. Miller finds the back of the net for the Rangers on a slapshot. Sabres can warm up the coffee in the locker room. Rangers lead 3-0
2:35 – Rangers score on an empty net. Check the website later for a postgame write up. Rangers lead 4-0