Rangers 8, Sabres 4: Brad Richards recorded his first career hat trick as visiting New York used a five-goal outburst to span the first and second periods to eliminate Buffalo from playoff contention.

Ryane Clowe and Rick Nash each had a goal and an assist while Carl Hagelin, captain Ryan Callahan and defenseman Anton Stralman also scored. Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves for the eighth-place Rangers, who moved within one point of the New York Islanders and two ahead of Winnipeg.

Rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk scored his first career goal and Cody Hodgson, Drew Stafford and Nathan Gerbe also tallied for Buffalo, which missed the playoffs for a second straight season. Ryan Miller was pulled after allowing the first four goals on 14 shots and Jhonas Enroth stopped 11 of 15 in relief.

The Rangers opened the floodgates late in the first period when centering feeds from Hagelin and Richards deflected off the skates of Buffalo defenders and between Miller’s pads 57 seconds apart. Clowe made it 3-0 with four seconds remaining in the session after Miller fanned on a clearing attempt.

The outburst continued 1:13 into the second, when Stralman’s shot from the right-wing boards ended Miller’s night, and Richards added his second of the game 27 seconds later on the first shot Enroth faced. Richards flipped a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle past Enroth’s glove to complete his hat trick with 7:28 remaining in the contest.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Entering Friday, Richards had the most goals of any active player without recording a hat trick (252). ... Lundqvist assisted on the opening goal for his 12th career point. ... Buffalo RW Patrick Kaleta left the game midway through the third period after blocking a shot with his right hand.