Red Wings snap 2-game skid, beat Sabres 5-2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex DeBrincat’s power-play goal scored 4:02 in sparked Detroit’s three-goal first period, and the Red Wings rolled to a 5-2 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Patrick Kane, with an empty-netter, also scored. Detroit, coming off a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday, snapped a two-game skid and moved into a tie in points with the Senators for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings — and a point back of the New York Islanders.

John Gibson stopped 28 shots.

Tage Thompson — registering his 400th career point — and Rasmus Dahlin scored and Buffalo dropped to 0-1-2 — its longest skid since losing three straight in regulation in early December. Alex Lyon made 15 saves and dropped to 6-1-1 since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.

The Sabres came out flat and undisciplined and wound up trailing 3-0 with 3:54 left in the opening period when Marco Kasper converted his own rebound in front.

Detroit’s first two goals came on the power play.

DeBrincat opened the scoring by converting a rebound in front five seconds after Josh Norris was penalized for high sticking. Raymond scored with Logan Stanley in the box for interference, and was set up by Moritz Seider leaping at the blue line to bat down Ryan McLeod’s clearing attempt.

Detroit entered the day scoring an NHL-low 40 goals in the first period.

RANGERS 6, BLACKHAWKS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonny Brodzinski scored twice, Adam Sykora scored his first goal and Dylan Garand made 27 saves for his first NHL win as New York downed Chicago.

J.T. Miller, Matthew Robertson and Alexis Lafreniere also scored as the Rangers snapped a six-game losing streak.

The 23-year-old Garand, who made his debut Sunday at home against Winnipeg, a 3-2 shootout loss, allowed only a goal by Chicago’s Nick Lardis late in the first period.

Chicago has lost four of its last five.

Lardis finished off a passing play with Tyler Bertuzzi and Alex Vlasic late in the first. But Miller tied it less than a minute later with his 15th goal of the season.

Sykora, who debuted in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Toronto, beat Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom cleanly at 8:20 of the second. The 21-year-old Sykora was a second-round pick in 2022.

Brodzinski scored 16:07 into the second period, then added his second of the game with 4 minutes left.

The victory was just New York’s fifth home win in regulation. New York is 10-18-7 at the Garden.