BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Chris Kreider scored power-play and short-handed goals, Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots for his 100th career victory and the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 in their season opener Thursday night.
The Rangers won in Peter Laviolette’s debut as coach. In doing so, New York showed, for one game at least, it’s capable of playing a more defensively responsible style following a first-round seven-game playoff exit to New Jersey that led to Gerard Gallant’s dismissal.
Artemi Panarin had a goal and assist, and Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba, with an empty-netter, also scored scored in an outing New York raced to a 3-0 second-period lead. Mika Zibanejad had three assists.
Shesterkin, appearing in his 159th career game, became the Rangers first goalie to reach 100 wins in fewer than 187 outings.
JJ Peterka scored for Buffalo.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, SHARKS 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Nic Hague and Nicolas Roy scored late in the second period and Vegas spoiled San Jose’s season opener.
The teams were locked in a tight game before Vegas broke it open with the goals from Hague and Roy 53 seconds apart.
Michael Amadio also scored and Brayden Pachal added his first career goal to help the defending champions win their second straight to open the season. Logan Thompson made 22 saves, allowing only Filip Zadina's goal.
DEVILS 4, RED WINGS 3
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Dougie Hamilton snapped a third-period tie, Vitek Vanecek made 32 saves and New Jersey beat Detroit in the season opener for each team.
Hamilton beat Ville Husso with a blast from the point with 4:23 left. Jack Hughes scored twice in the second period for New Jersey, Erik Haula added an empty-netter and Jonas Siegenthaler had three assists.
Robby Fabbri, Alex DeBrincat and Daniel Sprong scored for Detroit.
STARS 2, BLUES 1, SO
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson and newcomer Matt Duchene scored in the shootout to help Dallas beat St. Louis in the season opener for each team.
Jamie Benn scored in regulation for Dallas, which reached the Western Conference Final last season. Jake Oettinger made 23 saves.
Tyler Tucker scored for St. Louis, which failed to reach the playoffs last season for the first time since 2018.
WILD 2, PANTHERS 0
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Brock Faber got his first NHL goal in the first period and Filip Gustavsson stopped 41 shots for a season-opening shutout as Minnesota beat Florida.
Joel Eriksson Ek assisted on Faber’s goal and scored on a 4 on 3 in the second period, and Gustavsson took it from there to pick up where he left off in goal in his strong debut last season with the Wild.
PREDATORS 3, KRAKEN 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Juuse Saros made 23 saves for his 21st NHL shutout and Nashville beat Seattle for Andrew Brunette's first coaching victory with the Predators.
General manager Barry Trotz also got his first win in that position with Nashville. Trotz was the team’s first coach from 1998-2014 before stints with Washington and the New York Islanders. Brunette was an original Predator, scoring the franchise’s first goal in October 1998.
Colton Sissons, Gustav Nyquist and Juuso Parssinen scored.
FLYERS 4, BLUE JACKETS 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny scored in the first period, Carter Hart stopped 31 shots and Philadelphia beat Columbus in the opener for two teams looking to rebound from disappointing seasons.
Cam Atkinson and Konecny addes empty-net goals.
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski left because of a quad contusion in the second period. Coach Pascal Vincent said it isn’t believed to be serious.
The Flyers ruined the Columbus coaching debut of Pascal Vincent as well as the first NHL game for Adam Fantilli, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft. Playing on his 19th birthday, Fantilli picked up his first NHL point with the primary assist on Jake Bean’s first-period goal. Patrik Laine also scored for the Blue Jackets.
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The Associated Press