Rangers destroyed by Sabres in embarrassing loss in return from 4 Nations break

BUFFALO — MSG Networks and Optimum may have come to an agreement just in time to patch Saturday’s Rangers game back into homes, but fans probably wished they hadn’t.For it was a disastrous scene for the Blueshirts at Keybank Center, where they resumed the regular season after the 4 Nations break in the most discouraging of ways, getting clobbered in the first period on the way to an embarrassing 8-2 loss to the lowly Sabres, the fourth-worst team in the NHL.This one was over after the first 20 minutes, the final 40 only played as a formality.Igor Shesterkin, who suffered an upper-body injury just before the break, was pulled just 18:21 into the game after the star Russian goalie gave up five goals on 16 shots.It hardly mattered that Jonathan Quick made 14 saves in relief.Two of the five goals Shesterkin gave up were tipped in through traffic, but the 29-year-old wasn’t exactly tracking the puck very well in the time that he played.Shesterkin had to be eased back into practice this past week after recovering from the unidentified injury that he took into the break.Shesterkin hasn’t consistently performed at best-goalie-in-the-world standards since signing an eight-year, $92 million extension that will make him the highest-paid goalie in the league when it kicks in next season.In his five appearances before the break, Shesterkin went 1-4-0 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .835 save percentage.

Factoring in Saturday’s game, Shesterkin’s save percentage is at roughly .817 over his last six games.Not only was this the first time Shesterkin gave up five goals in the first period, but it was also the fastest he’s been pulled in his six-year NHL career, per Sportsnet.The Rangers in front of him Saturday night, however, did not do him any favors.K’Andre Miller’s defensive-zone turnover while trying to clear the puck had the Blueshirts trailing early, when Jack Quinn carried the puck back in and scored just 1:46 into the game.It prompted head coach P...