Miller leads Rangers to overtime win in Winter Classic

JTMiller scored a power-play goal with 2:17 remaining in overtime to liftthe New York Rangers to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres in the NHLWinter Classic on Monday afternoon at Citi Field in New York. PaulCarey and Michael Grabner each scored during regulation for the Rangers.New York (21-13-5) notched at least one point for the third game in arow and the seventh time in the past eight contests. Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen scored for Buffalo (10-20-9). Rangersgoaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots to improve to 18-9-4.Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner made 39 saves but fell to 9-14-6. Millerstood in front of the crease and punched in the game-winner for hiseighth goal of the season. A tripping penalty by Sabres centre JacobJosefson set up the 4-on-3 man advantage for New York. The teamsplayed under clear skies with occasional sunshine and temperatures inthe teens. The wind chill dipped to single digits at the stadium, whichis home to the New York Mets.  New York opened the scoring 4:09 into thefirst period on a wrist shot by Carey. The shot marked the BostonCollege product’s fifth goal of the season and his third in the past sixgames. Less than five minutes later, Grabner increased New York’s lead to 2-0 with his team-leading 18th goal. Buffalotrimmed the deficit to 2-1 on the power play in the first minute of thesecond period. Reinhart beat Lundqvist with a wrist shot for his sixthgoal of the season and his first since Nov 22. The Sabres evened the score at 2 on a long wrist shot by Ristolainen only 27 seconds into the third period. Thegame marked the 10th anniversary of the NHL Winter Classic, whichdebuted Jan. 1, 2008, at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium. The lone playeron the Sabres’ current roster who played in the inaugural New Year’sDay event is 35-year-old right winger Jason Pominville, now in his 14thseason. Six baseball stadiums and four football stadiums have hostedthe 10 Winter Classic. Next year’s game will feature the Boston Bruinsand Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.