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Brassard helps Rangers pick up 6-3 win over Sabres

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Derick Brassard racks up five points as the Rangers head into the All-Star break with a win. Elsa/Getty Images

Derick Brassard racks up five points as the Rangers head into the All-Star break with a win. 

The Rangers bent but didn’t break in their final game before the NHL All-Star break, led by Derick Brassard’s two goals and three assists in a shaky 6-3 win – but a win nevertheless – over the lowly Buffalo Sabres at the Garden on Monday night.

Brassard, the Blueshirts’ top offensive center, has been in a massive slump. He entered with just two goals and three total points in his previous 11 games, plus he had missed last Tuesday night’s win over Vancouver due to an illness.

The French-Canadian pivot, however, was feeling it on Monday, ringing up a career-high five points as he grew more confident with the puck frequently on his stick against the defensively-deficient Sabres (19-26-4, 42 points). He scored his 16th goal of the season 1:06 into the third period off assists from Jesper Fast and Kevin Klein and an empty-netter with 35.2 seconds to play.

The Rangers (27-17-5, 59 points) unfortunately were equally awful on defense in the third period, when the teams combined for five goals. Henrik Lundqvist was off his game, too, and Buffalo erased a 3-1 deficit on consecutive Zemgus Girgensons goals set up by mesmerizing rookie playmaker Jack Eichel at 4:31 and 5:44 of the third.

But then Brassard and new linemates Fast (two assists) and J.T. Miller got Miller’s goal off the rush one minute later to take the lead for good. Brassard and Derek Stepan, who may have had his nose broken on a second-period high stick, set up Mats Zuccarello for a power play goal at 9:23 to seal it.

Dylan McIlrath celebrates a first period goal for the Rangers.Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

Dylan McIlrath celebrates a first period goal for the Rangers.

The power play came in 1-for-30 in its last 12 games but looked sharper going 1-for-4 on Monday without veteran Dan Boyle, a healthy scratch in favor of rookie Dylan McIlrath’s fourth appearance in the last 12 games.

“Dan looked a little tired in the last couple games, didn’t play real well, so I just felt it’s time for Dylan to come in,” coach Alain Vigneault said pregame.

Rick Nash sat out a second straight game, but Vigneault said Nash’s MRI Monday morning showed only a bone bruise, and no break. He said Nash’s injury is “painful” but “he should be fine when we come back from the break” to face the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Feb. 2.

Viktor Stalberg, who also drew two Buffalo penalties with his speed, scored the lone goal of the second period on a busted play after an Oscar Lindberg takeaway in the neutral zone and a Kevin Hayes giveaway that still ended up in the spinning Stalberg’s stick. It was Stalberg’s first goal in eight games but his fourth since Dec. 30 of seven total this season.

Henrik Lundqvist is not at his best but still makes 23 saves in the Rangers' 6-3 win.Frank Franklin II/AP

Henrik Lundqvist is not at his best but still makes 23 saves in the Rangers’ 6-3 win.

Sabres goalie Chad Johnson, a former Rangers backup and prospect, made it clear early it might be one of those nights for the Blueshirts. He made a jaw-dropping stick save on a Lindberg shot at an empty net in the opening minutes.

Vigneault’s team spent a ton of time in Buffalo’s zone in the first period. They took a 1-0 lead on McIlrath’s second goal of the season at 5:58 off assists from Keith Yandle and Brassard through a J.T. Miller screen, but a Lundqvist turnover tilted momentum and the Sabres tied it at one apiece by intermission.

Off a neutral zone face-off, Brian Gionta tipped in a Marcus Foligno mid-air pass, a skillful play but a failed save that Lundqvist surely would like to have back at 16:13 of the first.

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