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Gomez helps Rangers continue surge

Mar 11, 2008 - 3:16 AM BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers continued their streak of at least one point earned. Scott Gomez made sure they came away with two on Monday.

Gomez scored the decisive goal in the shootout as the Rangers posted their second victory in the bonus format in as many days, a 3-2 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres.

Defenseman Fedor Tyutin and captain Jaromir Jagr tallied in regulation and Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves for New York, which improved to 10-0-3 in its last 13 games and 8-0-2 in its last 10 on the road.

"We feel really good the last couple games," Lundqvist said. "We play really good as a team and we roll four lines."

"It's just the way it is," Gomez added. "I think we started to get to the point that it doesn't matter how long it takes. We've got to get the two points. We have confidence in the goalies. The way the league and the division is, we've got to get the points."

With the win, the Rangers (37-24-9) - who posted a 1-0 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday - pulled even in points with the idle Ottawa Senators (38-25-7) for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. New York also moved within three points of idle New Jersey (40-23-6) for first overall in the conference.

"We want to try to close the gap above us," Lundqvist said. "It's possible to reach that top spot in the conference. It's going to be a tight race, but definitely we know we have to be aware of the teams below us."

Rangers coach Tom Renney gave a lot of the credit for his team's recent success to Lundqvist.

"We don't do any of this without Henrik being outstanding," Renney said. "I'm not going to suggest we're a complete team yet. We still have work to do. We have other issues we have to deal with, as we work this next dozen games, to do everything we can to secure a playoff spot."

Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek scored for Buffalo (32-27-11), which climbed within three points of idle Philadelphia (35-26-8) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

After Buffalo's Drew Stafford was stopped on the first attempt in the shootout, Brendan Shanahan gave New York the edge by wristing the puck into the top right corner of the net. Neither team cashed in during the second round, but Pominville kept alive the Sabres's hopes by beating Lundqvist high to the glove side.

With a chance to end the contest, Gomez did just that, sliding the puck around the outstretched right pad of goaltender Ryan Miller.

"I got a little lucky," Gomez said. "I'd like to say I planned it. Miller is such a good goalie. I think that's the way you've got to beat him - just get lucky. I wish I could sit here and tell you that I was going to do that, (but I) got lucky and got it by him."

The Sabres took the lead just 16 seconds into the game, as Pominville got the puck in front and held it before tucking it past Lundqvist. The goal was Pominville's 23rd of the season.

New York answered just 66 seconds later, when Tyutin handcuffed Miller with a knuckling shot from the top of the slot. It was Tyutin's fifth tally of the campaign and first since December 6.

Jagr snapped the 1-1 tie at 8:26 of the second period with his 18th of the season.

After Sean Avery delivered a crushing blow to Sabres defenseman Nathan Paetsch in the right corner, he made a backhand pass from behind the net to Jagr, who beat Miller to the glove side from alone in the slot. The five-time Art Ross Trophy winner has 639 career goals, one behind Dave Andreychuk for 12th place on the all-time list.

Paetsch left the game after the heavy check from Avery but returned later in the period. Buffalo already had lost defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to an upper body injury in the opening session.

"I had no choice, I had to come back," Paetsch said. "We were already down one, we couldn't be down another. I had to play."

The Rangers successfully killed the Sabres' first five power plays, including a 5-on-3 for a full two minutes, before Buffalo finally cashed in. Parked on the doorstep, Vanek redirected a wrister by Pominville from the left point over the left shoulder of Lundqvist with 5:46 left in the period, knotting the contest at 2-2.

"I thought that we battled hard," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We tried some different things to create some offense. With the situation we were in, we should have - could have - won the game."

After a scoreless third period, each team had a golden chance to record the win in overtime. Maxim Afinogenov was denied by Lundqvist on a breakaway with 50 seconds remaining, while Nigel Dawes hit the crossbar on a shot from the left faceoff circle with 10 seconds to go.

Miller turned aside 24 shots for the Sabres, who fell to 1-3-2 in their last six games overall and 0-3-1 in the last four at home.

"Miller made some huge saves for us," Paetsch said. "We just came a little short again. It's playoff time for us. (Our last two losses) were in overtime and the shootout. You just have to win those games."