Ales Kotalik had a goal and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-1 victory over the Rangers last night.

Kotalik scored 1:53 into the third period after Rangers defenseman Marek Malik gave up the puck in his own end. Kotalik scooped up the loose puck, wheeled, and fired a wrist shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist.

Ryan Miller made 23 saves for Buffalo.

Thomas Vanek gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 11:13 of the first period. Lundqvist stopped Kotalik’s slap shot from the left point, but lost sight of the rebound long enough for Vanek to chip the puck high to the glove side for his 13th goal.

Lundqvist prevented the Sabres from adding to that lead in the final minute of the period when he stopped Maxim Afinogenov on a breakaway with a deft poke check as Afinogenov tried to deke across the goalmouth.

Lundqvist made his fourth consecutive start after being named NHL Defensive Player of the Week Monday. The 23-year-old Lundqvist posted a 1.62 goals against average in victories over Pittsburgh, Boston, and New Jersey, becom ing the first Rangers rookie with 20 wins since Mike Richter in 1990-1991.

Jaromir Jagr’s 30th goal of the season made it 1-1 at 6:55 of the second period. With the Rangers on the power play, Jagr took a pass from Fedor Tyutin and wristed a shot from the slot that Miller could only get a piece of. Jagr has now scored 30 goals in 14 consecutive seasons. Rangers forward Marcel Hossa was scratched after suffering a facial injury January 21 in Boston and is listed as day-to-day.

Before the game, the Rangers sent center Jeff Taffe back to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for minor-league forward Martin Sonnenberg.

Shipped to New York for Jamie Lundmark on October 18, Taffe appeared in two games with the Rangers before being assigned to Hartford of the AHL, where he recorded six goals and 16 assists in 36 contests.

Sonnenberg, 28, signed with the Coyotes as a free agent in September 2004 and spent this season with San Antonio, registering 10 goals and seven assists in 41 games.