Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves Thursday night and the New York Rangers recorded a 3-1 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, who took their first regulation loss in more than a month.
Shesterkin helped the Rangers get their season-high fifth straight win by stopping red-hot Mitchell Marner three times. Marner saw his team-record 23-game points streak stopped with his best chance at getting a point occurring with 5:31 remaining in the third.
Marner was sprung on a breakaway when he eluded New York defenseman Jacob Trouba down the left wing. He cut slightly to the middle of the ice but Shesterkin made a pad save and then covered up the loose puck in the crease to prevent Toronto from scoring on a rebound.
After scoring the game-winning overtime goal to beat New Jersey Monday, Filip Chytil scored an early power-play goal in the first period and Jimmy Vesey netted the tiebreaking goal early in the second. Vesey also added an empty-net tally in the third to seal the win while Vincent Trocheck collected two assists.
Michael Bunting scored for Toronto, which took its first regulation loss since a 4-2 setback at Pittsburgh on Nov. 11. The Maple Leafs were 12-0-3 since their previous regulation loss and missed a chance at matching the 2003-04 team record for the longest points streak in team history.
Toronto goaltender Matt Murray made 18 saves.
Chytil opened the scoring at 3:52 of the first when his shot from the left circle sailed over the stick side, as Murray dove back late to cover the vacated left side of the net.
Toronto evened the game when, seconds after prying Trouba’s stick loose, Bunting moved down the right side and was in position to sweep in the rebound of a shot by David Kampf after his tip-in try caromed off Shesterkin’s right pad at 14:06 of the first.
After New York defenseman K’Andre Miller intercepted Matthews’ pass in the slot, he moved the puck to Trochek. Trochek made a lead pass to Vesey who motored down the left wing, sped past falling defenseman T.J. Brodie and lifted the puck over Murray’s left shoulder with 4:27 left in the second.
–Field Level Media
