Leafs stymie Rangers at MSG
NEW YORK -- Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs stymied the New York Rangers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night to improve to 7-1-1 in their past nine games.
The Maple Leafs and Rangers were playing their first games since Saturday, as they both had their five-day bye weeks.
William Nylander, James van Riemsdyk and Connor Brown scored for the Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak had two assists.
Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers in the second period and J.T. Miller scored with 1:25 remaining in the third period. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 23 shots.
The Leafs grabbed a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Nylander and van Riemsdyk.
Nylander's ninth goal of the season at 4:49 made it 1-0. Nazem Kadri fed Nylander on a sudden 3-on-2 off a Rangers turnover at the blue line, and Nylander fired a quick wrist shot from the right wing that beat Lundqvist between the legs.
Van Riemsdyk's 15th goal at 17:28 pushed the lead to 2-0. Mitch Marner slid the puck to van Riemsdyk at the left post and Lundqvist moved into position while van Riemsdyk corralled the puck. But van Riemsdyk found room through the wickets of Lundqvist and gave the Leafs a two-goal lead.
New York pulled within 2-1 at 9:05 of the second period when Kreider scored his 17th of the season. There was a scramble around the Anderson's net and Kreider was able to backhand the puck from his knees to cut the lead in half.
Brown restored the two-goal lead at 14:27 with his 10th tally. He fired a long shot toward the net that may have been a pass for Auston Matthews, but the puck ricocheted off the skate of Rangers defenseman and past Lundqvist to make it 3-1.
Carrick put the game away with a power-play goal at 13:20 of the third period. Marner teed up Tyler Bozak for a one-timer that was denied by an incredible Lundqvist stop, but the puck fell right to Carrick, who buried the rebound for his second of the season.
NOTES: Leafs G Curtis McElhinney, who was claimed off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets this week, dressed as the backup. ... Toronto scratched LW Josh Leivo and D Frank Corrado. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash returned to the lineup after an eight-game absence due to a groin injury. ... New York LW Pavel Buchnevich was out 27 games while rehabbing a back injury before returning Friday. ... Rangers RW Jesper Fast missed practice Thursday with an illness but was able to play. ... New York D Marc Staal (concussion) missed his third straight game.