The Rangers had a rare midseason five-day layoff, and apparently the rest helped, as Sean Avery scored 10 seconds into the game, setting the tone for the first period of a 5-1 win over Buffalo, writes the Associated Press. Ryan Miller, who looked very shaky on two straight goals, was pulled after giving up four in 12-plus minutes.
Avery had two goals while Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky and Brendan Shanahan also scored for the Rangers, who moved past listless Buffalo into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Henrik Lundqvist, with a new $41 million contract in place, had 29 saves and nearly posted his eighth shutout this season, giving up only Thomas Vanek's goal with seven minutes remaining. (More hockey stories.)