Troy Stecher scored with 28 seconds left in regulation as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Rangers 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, erasing Alexis Lafrenière’s late equalizer. Brandon Duhaime led Toronto with a goal and two assists for three points.
The Maple Leafs built a 4-3 lead late in the second period on Kirill Marchenko’s goal, but the Rangers tied it when Lafrenière beat Sergei Bobrovsky with 5:35 left in regulation. Adam Fox set up that goal, giving him four assists on the night. Morgan Rielly fed Stecher for the decisive goal less than a minute later, with Duhaime picking up the secondary assist to cap his three-point outing.
Key Moments: How Toronto Won It
Easton Cowan opened the scoring just 1:36 into the game on a wrist shot assisted by Jake McCabe and Jack Roslovic. Mika Zibanejad answered for New York at 5:39 of the first, tipping in a shot set up by Vladislav Gavrikov and Fox. Teddy Blueger restored Toronto’s lead with a tip-in at 10:01, assisted by Duhaime and Zack MacEwen, sending the Maple Leafs into the first intermission up 2-1.
The second period produced four goals in less than 17 minutes. Oliver Bjorkstrand tied it 2-2 for New York at 2:37, then Tye Kartye put the Rangers ahead 3-2 at 6:30. Duhaime tied it 3-3 less than 90 seconds later, and Marchenko’s goal with 51 seconds left in the period gave Toronto a 4-3 lead heading to the third.
New York pushed back when Lafrenière scored his eighth of the season at 14:25 of the third to make it 4-4. Toronto answered with Rielly and Stecher combining for the winner at 19:32, holding off the Rangers in the final half-minute.
Top Performers
Duhaime finished with a goal, two assists and a plus-2 rating in 14:14 of ice time. Fox led all skaters with four assists and a plus-4 rating over nearly 24 minutes for New York. Bobrovsky stopped 21 of 25 shots for an .840 save percentage, while Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand made 30 saves on 35 shots for an .857 mark.
Toronto outshot New York 35-25 and blocked 16 shots to the Rangers’ six. The Maple Leafs also converted on their only power-play chance of the night, going 1 for 2 overall, while New York’s lone man-advantage opportunity came up empty.
What It Means
Toronto improved to 6-4-2 and sits fourth in the Atlantic Division with 14 points, four behind division-leading Boston. New York fell to 7-4-1 but remains second in the Metropolitan Division at 15 points, two behind Carolina. Toronto now leads the season series between the two clubs 1-0.
What’s Next
Toronto hosts its next game while the Rangers travel to their next opponent.
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