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Rangers look to set new team record against Sabres

Oct 15, 2008 - 10:00 AM Buffalo (2-0-0) at NY Rangers (5-0-0), 7:00 pm EDT

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Five games into the regular season, the New York Rangers already are rewriting their history book.

After matching the 1983-84 team with five straight wins to open a campaign, the Rangers can set a franchise record with a victory over the Buffalo Sabres at home on Wednesday.

Newcomer Aaron Voros scored two power-play goals and added an assist as New York continued its dominance over the Atlantic Division rival New Jersey Devils with a 4-1 victory on Monday.

The Rangers went 2-for-4 on the power play and successfully killed all three of the Devils' man advantages, improving to 21-for-21 while shorthanded this season. Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves in the triumph.

Before that game, the Rangers announced the passing of 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov, 19, who died of an apparent cardiac arrest after collapsing in the third period of his game with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.

Cherepanov, who was the 17th overall selection in the 2007 draft, attended the Rangers' prospect camp in Tarrytown the week following his selection. The Rangers reportedly were planning on signing Cherepanov and bringing him to New York next season upon the expiration of his contract with Omsk.

With heavy hearts, the Rangers must find a way to stop the Sabres, who have totaled nine goals in their first two games of the season.

Buffalo is coming off an impressive 7-1 win over the New York Islanders on Monday. Thomas Vanek netted two goals, while Jason Pominville and Ales Kotalik each added a tally and two assists in the rout.