BUFFALO — The Rangers are in the hunt for Merrimack’s undrafted free-agent center Stephane Da Costa, who is expected to make his decision among more than a dozen NHL suitors by tomorrow.
“The Rangers are certainly in consideration,” Wade Arnott, Da Costa’s agent, said in an email to The Post last night. “I believe Stephane will make his decision before week’s end.”
The Islanders also are in the mix for the 21-year-old, 5-foot-11, 180-pound native of Paris who came to the United States when he was 17 years old. Da Costa recorded 45 points for Merrimack this season (14-31) after getting the same number (16-29) a year ago.
It is believed Ottawa and Minnesota are the front-runners in the derby for Da Costa, who is likely to sign an entry-level contract that will carry a $3.5 million salary cap hit (including bonuses) per.
That would seem a prohibitive number for the Rangers, who are going to face summer cap issues, but that apparently hasn’t kept from either bidding, or remaining in contention for the sophomore.
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Moments before Tim Connolly beat Henrik Lundqvist with a power-play blast from left wing at 5:24 of the second period for the only goal in the Sabres’ 1-0 victory over the Rangers last night, Brian Boyle was on a two-on-one shorthanded rush with Ryan Callahan in which he failed to headman the puck to his winger.
Boyle then could not maintain control, thus allowing the Sabres to streak the other way.
“I tried to find [Callahan] back door, but I couldn’t, and then I lost the battle, and they go down and score,” a disconsolate Boyle said. “One mistake I can live with, but two on the same play, that’s something I can’t let happen.
“I’ll be thinking about it all night. But I’ll forget about it by the time we’re ready to play [tonight at the Coliseum vs. the Islanders]. I have to.”
Lundqvist, who is 2-1-1 over the past four games despite allowing a total of two goals over that stretch, said Connolly, “Beat me fair and square. It was a bomb.”
The King has allowed 18 goals on 325 shots in 669:20 over his past 11 games for a 1.61 goals against average and .945 save percentage.
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Mats Zuccarello was scratched for the second straight game, and Matt Gilroy sat out his third in a row. Rangers are 6-1-1 in their past eight (scoring 22 goals, allowing 12).