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| October 9, 2001 | Tuesday | Rajab 21, 1422 |
Rangers oust Sabres in overtime
NEW YORK, Oct 8: The New York Rangers, who honoured New York City’s rescue workers which included captain Mark Messier donning a firefighter’s helmet before the game, beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 in overtime Sunday.
The Rangers, who also announced that 80 tickets a game will be set aside for a “Heroes’ Section, came from 3-1 down in the second period before Brian Leetch scored 2:45 into overtime to earn his side their first win of the season.
Buffalo had a 3-1 lead before New York’s Michal Grosek and Andreas Johansson scored 47 seconds apart in the final minute of the second period.
The Rangers grabbed a 4-3 lead 3:11 into the third period when Radek Dvorak shot past Bob Essensa.
Buffalo tied it less than two minutes later on a power-play goal by Vyacheslav Kozlov before Leetch scored his overtime winning goal.
Former Philadelphia Flyer Eric Lindros scored in the first period on his home debut for the Rangers.
In Los Angeles, the Minnesota Wild got their first win of the season with a 4-3 victory over the hometown Kings.
After failing to score in their opening tied game against the San Jose Sharks, the Wild scored on a power play, a penalty shot, a shorthanded shot and goal from defenceman Willie Mitchell.
Mitchell scored with 11:56 remaining, after Mathieu Schneider lifted Los Angeles into a 3-3 tie with his second goal of the game.
Wild goaltender Manny Fernandez denied Ziggy Palffy on a penalty shot in the second period and made 28 saves.
In Tampa, Jason Wiemer scored two goals and set up another as the Florida Panthers beat the hometown Lightning 5-0.
Wiemer, who was a first-round draft-pick by Tampa Bay in 1994 and spent four seasons there, scored in the first and third periods.
Valeri Bure opened the scoring before Wiemer’s first goal then twice in the second with goals by Dan Boyle and Ivan Novoseltsev.
Wiemer completed the scoring just 25 seconds into the third period.
Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for his seventh career shutout and first win of the season.
Tampa goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin made 32 saves.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Arturs Irbe recorded his 100th victory with the Hurricanes and 31st career shutout, stopping 32 shots in a 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars.
Two days after signing a three-year contract extension, the 34-year-old Latvian stopped 12 shots in the first period, nine in the second and 11 in the third for his 18th shutout with the Hurricanes.
Josef Vasicek, Martin Gelinas and Jeff O’Neill scored for the Hurricanes, who opened the season Friday with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers.
Sunday’s results (home team in CAPS)
NY RANGERS 5 Buffalo 4
Florida 5 TAMPA BAY 0
CAROLINA 3 Dallas 0
Minnesota 4 LOS ANGELES 3
—Reuters
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