Rangers Rattle The Sabres

Brian Leetch's good hearing and touch passing led to a momentous goal.

Theo Fleury scored a pair of goals to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-2 victory Friday night over Buffalo that snapped the Sabres' three-game winning streak.

Fleury's second goal was set up by Leetch, who moved into second place on the Rangers career point list with 818. Leetch broke a tie with Jean Ratelle when he heard Fleury scream that he was open.

"I was yelling as loud as I could and Leetch has been making those plays for years," Fleury said. "Leetch made a great play and I just tried to put it on net."

The Rangers, who once again moved over the .500 mark (15-14), scored three times in the third period against nemesis Dominik Hasek.

"We just didn't play a full 60 minutes," Hasek said. "They are a talented offensive team and if you give them too many chances they will score."

Mike York's ninth goal made it 3-2 at 2:35 of the third when he back-handed a rebound from defenseman Dale Purinton past Hasek. The assist was Purinton's first NHL point.

"I was just going to the net," York said. "It kind of bounced to me and Dale put it right on net, which is a great play. It just bounced to me and I got the rebound."

Fleury's second goal of the game and 19th this season gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead at 3:59 of the third period.

"I have so much confidence now, I looked up, made sure the puck was settled and shot it," Fleury said.

With New York o the power play, Fleury intercepted a clearing attempt from Stu Barnes in the slot and wristed the puck past Hasek.

Jan Hlavac made it 5-2 with his ninth goal at 12:28, converting a pass from Radek Dvorak on a two-man breakaway.

"You line up for a faceoff, get a bad bounce and give them a two-on-none," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "I don't think we gave them more than five even strength chances the whole night and four of them went in."

Fleury and Leetch worked a beautiful crossing pattern in the Buffalo zone to set up the tying goal. Leetch back-handed a pass through the middle to an open Fleury, who sent a back-hander through Hasek's pads.

"It looked like Leetch had eyes in the back of his head," Rangers coach Ron Low said.

New York, which held a 27-25 shots advantage, took a 1-0 lead at 9:16 of the first period on Michal Grosek's second goal of the season.

Mark Messier won the puck from Richard Smehlik in the left corner and fed Grosek, who skated across the goalmouth, deked Hasek to the ice and roofed the puck.

Buffalo evened it 51 seconds later when Jean-Pierre Dumont slipped Miroslav Satan's rebound past Mike Richter from point-blank range for his ninth goal.

Dumont put Buffalo ahead 2-1 at 8:34 of the second period, following a slick series of passes back and forth with Barnes, by converting his own rebound.

"It was a physical game, a very tough game," Dumont said. "We were playing a good road game until the third period."

Barnes has points in eight of nine games.

Notes