Rangers' home woes continue in loss to red-hot Buffalo Sabres

This had the feel of one of the Rangers’ home games from October, when every night, it seemed, the script was the same: They played well enough to win and generated enough scoring chances to win but somehow didn’t win.

Playing without injured goalie Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox, and down by two goals at the start of the third period, the Rangers got a goal from Vincent Trocheck in the first minute that pulled them within one. Then, with 5:36 left in regulation, they got a four-minute power play when Trocheck was clipped and cut by a high stick from Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs.

“We really had that feel like we were gonna win that game, especially after we get that early one in the third,’’ fourth-line center Sam Carrick said. “I felt like there’s no way we’re losing this one.’’

But instead of scoring a power-play goal to tie it, the Rangers allowed a soul-crushing shorthanded goal by Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and an empty-netter by Ryan McLeod that doomed them to a painful 5-2 loss to the red-hot Sabres, who won for the 12th time in 13 games.

Jonathan Quick, starting in goal in place of Shesterkin, stopped 16 of 20 shots. He lost his eighth straight game (the Rangers have scored only 13 goals in those losses). His last victory was Nov. 7 at Detroit.

The Rangers (20-19-6) were left to repeat some of the same old lines they were throwing out after the season’s first few games, when they couldn’t seem to win — or even score — on their home ice. Their record at the Garden fell to 5-11-4.

“We felt pretty good about the way we played the game today,’’ said J.T. Miller, who returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a shoulder injury. “I think we had a lot of chances that didn’t quite go in.

“We had our looks. We had our looks on the power play. It just didn’t go in for us.’’

It was a familiar postgame soundtrack.

“That’s just the way things have kind of gone,’’ said Carrick, who bemoaned the fact that he personally hasn’t scored enough (one goal all season) and that the fourth line hasn’t chipped in.

“You know, I thought we’ve done a pretty good job of generating enough scoring chances to win games,’’ he said. “Our goalies have been awesome for us all year. That’s one we probably deserve.’’

The Rangers were wearing their special Centennial jerseys and celebrating players who have been fan favorites over the years. But the jerseys, which so many fans have admired, have not been good luck for them this year. The Rangers are 1-6 when wearing them.

The Sabres (23-15-4) took the lead at 4:07 of the first period on a goal by Josh Doan that came after Samuelsson’s shot snapped Will Cuylle’s stick in half. Samuelsson was able to retrieve the puck and dish back to Doan, who was uncovered and scored his 14th of the season from close range.

Alex Tuch made it 2-0 at 6:58 of the second, taking a drop pass from Bowen Byram and whipping a shot past Quick from the top of the slot. Trocheck was given an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after the goal was scored, apparently for arguing that he had been fouled before the goal, but the Rangers killed the penalty.

Thirty-six seconds after the penalty expired, the Rangers got on the board on a goal by Mika Zibanejad, who one-timed a pass from Artemi Panarin past Buffalo goaltender Colten Ellis (30 saves) at 9:34.

But Buffalo restored its two-goal lead on a power-play goal by Jason Zucker at 12:34 with Matthew Robertson in the box for a holding penalty.

Trocheck’s goal at 51 seconds of the third period, which came 23 seconds after the Rangers’ first power play expired, gave them life. They outshot the Sabres 14-3 in the third period as they pressed for the equalizer.

They thought they’d get it when they went on the power play with 5:36 left. But Alexis Lafreniere turned the puck over at the offensive blue line and the Sabres came away on an odd-man rush with Samuelsson carrying the puck up the left side. He lifted a shot over Quick’s shoulder and into the small space in the top near corner at 14:38 to make it 4-2.

“Obviously, we need the points,’’ Zibanejad said. “But . . . I feel like there’s more to build on or take away from this game than others.’’

Notes & quotes: Panarin’s second assist, on Trocheck’s goal, was the 600th of his career . . . Referee Peter MacDougall left the game in the second period when a shot by Trocheck hit Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram, ricocheted and hit MacDougall. He did not return.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.