Foligno's two goals guide Sabres past Rangers

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Marcus Foligno finally got back on track Tuesday night.

Jhonas Enroth did, too.

Foligno scored twice -- his first goals since Jan. 27 -- and Enroth made 32 saves to pick up his first win in 16 months as the Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Rangers 3-1 at the First Niagara Center. The Sabres (10-14-3) snapped a four-game losing streak.

"I think this was the game I needed to turn things around," said Foligno, who hadn't scored in his previous 20 games.

In a game that featured chances on both ends, it was Foligno who gave the Sabres a two-goal cushion with 8:12 remaining. New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist made the initial save on Andrej Sekera's shot from the point, but Foligno buried the rebound to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead. Foligno also scored Buffalo's first goal to tie the game at 1 in the second period.

Enroth was terrific in place of usual starter Ryan Miller, who missed the game with a sinus infection. The seldom-used backup rose to the occasion against the Rangers and picked up his first win since Nov. 26, 2011, when he beat against the Washington Capitals.

"He made some big saves for us," Sabres coach Ron Rolston said. "You could just see early in the game he was tracking things really well, not giving up a lot in terms of rebounds, he was making pucks stick to him. Just real happy for him, to see him come back and have a big smile is really gratifying."

It meant even more for Enroth considering the opposing goalie. Enroth bested his fellow Swede Lundqvist.

"Oh yeah, that's my big idol, and that's something special to me to beat him here," Enroth said. "It's something I'm going to remember forever."

Lundqvist made 19 saves for the Rangers, including two sensational stops on Thomas Vanek in the first period. Vanek eventually scored on Lundqvist in the second period, picking up his 14th goal of the season.

To say New York coach John Tortorella was disappointed in his team's performance would be a massive understatement. The Rangers mustered 33 shots but only scored once, on Derek Stepan's second-period strike, and Tortorella delivered a biting postgame rant.

"I don't think the Sabres are a hungry team, I thought we stunk," Tortorella said. "And I'm not going to give Buffalo any credit ... Well, I will give their third line credit. They outplayed our top players. That can't happen. I couldn't be more disgusted or disappointed with the way our top guys played, the way we handled ourselves through it. That team was ripe to be beaten, and we simply did not play the way we're supposed to play.

"We sucked. We sucked at a time that you can't suck. We have to get it straightened out. I don't know what else to tell you."

New York had won five of six leading up to the game.

The Rangers got on the board first thanks to Buffalo's struggling power play. New York's Ryan Callahan skated around Tyler Myers up the left side of the ice and found Stepan in front of the net for a short-handed tally at 4:17 of the second period.

Foligno answered just over a minute later. Christian Ehrhoff's shot caromed off the end boards and fell to Foligno beside the New York net, and the Sabres forward tucked the puck behind Lundqvist for his second of the year.

Vanek gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead at 12:40 of the second period. Buffalo captain Jason Pominville fed Vanek on a long breakout pass, and the forward made no mistake on his breakaway opportunity, beating Lundqvist to the goalie's blocker side.

Foligno's third of the season came at the perfect time for Buffalo after the Rangers came up short on a power play midway through the third period.

"It just felt like they got to pucks, especially in the second," Lundqvist said. "When you look at the goals, they were hungry around the net. That's how they created their chances, and that's how they scored their goals. A lot of times, that's how games get decided."

NOTES: Miller is expected to be fine for this weekend, when the Sabres play their next two games. Buffalo plays host to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, then travels to face the Capitals in Washington on Sunday... Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta missed his fourth game as part of a five-game suspension for boarding Brad Richards last week. ... Center Tyler Ennis and defenseman T.J. Brennan were scratched by the Sabres. Ennis suffered a head injury in Buffalo's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. ... Roman Hamrlik and Stu Bickel were scratched by the Rangers. ... This was the second of three meetings between the Sabres and Rangers this season. The Rangers won the first game 3-2 in a shootout on March 3. ... Tuesday's game was the 164th all-time between the teams. The Sabres lead the series 78-53-33.