Marco Scandella and Vladimir Sobotka scored for the Sabres (8-2-1), who had their three-game winning streak end. Carter Hutton made 18 saves and his six-game winning streak to start the season also ended.
Scandella and Jimmy Vesey left the game in the second period. Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said they were still being evaluated postgame and for now they are listed as day to day.
"Nothing looks long-term there but they're still being appraised," Krueger said.
Panarin stole the puck from Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the neutral zone, took it in alone through the right circle, avoided Hutton's poke check and scored his fifth goal of the season to make it 1-0 at 11:41 of the first period.
"I got the puck a little far from my body and I should just place it," said Dahlin, who finished minus-3. "I tried to make a pass but it didn't work and they scored. That's one to learn from for me."
The Rangers felt they gained energy from Panarin's goal. They allowed the first goal in their previous three games.
"Where we were at mentally it was a big deal to get the first goal," Quinn said.
Another Sabres turnover led to Howden's goal from the slot that made it 2-0 at 14:32.
Strome, who had 18 goals in 63 games with the Rangers last season, scored his first on a tip of Brady Skjei's shot from the left point at 19:22 to make it 3-0. It was his 200th career NHL point.
"We put ourselves in the hole for sure with the puck management, or lack of," Krueger said.
Scandella cut it to 3-1 at 4:17 of the second period, scoring with a shot from the top of the left circle off a defensive-zone turnover by Kaapo Kakko.
DeAngelo scored his third goal in the past two games at 13:20 to give the Rangers a 4-1 lead before Sobotka made it 4-2 at 19:11.
