Igor Shesterkin backstops Rangers revenge win over Maple Leafs
TORONTO This was a much different game and a much different Rangers team than the Maple Leafs saw just a week ago in New York.
Instead of open ice, free lanes and an easy first period, the Maple Leafs got hard puck battles, little room to work with and a top-notch opposing goaltender in the Blueshirts 5-2 victory Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
We had it circled and thought we owed them one, said Braden Schneider, who notched the game-winning goal on an authoritative move and finish at the net. It was a game that we wanted to get back at them for and I thought we did just that.
Rematches dont always carry weight.
When its against top competition in the same conference in the aftermath of a run-up score in your own building like this one was, however, it always does.
The Rangers rebounded with the help of some puck luck and a make-up performance from goalie Igor Shesterkin.
4 Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers stops Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on Dec.19 Getty Images
4Alexis Lafreniere #13 of the Rangers celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with teammates Erik Gustafsson #56, Blake Wheeler #17 and Jimmy Vesey #26 during the second period at Scotiabank Arena on December 19, 2023. NHLI via Getty ImagesAfter giving up six goals on 29 shots in the meeting with Toronto at the Garden, Shesterkin made 16 stops in the second period alone en route to 31 saves on the night.
The Russian netminder stepped up in big moments and fared much better against the Maple Leafs star players than he did last week.
That is, aside from Auston Matthews, who scored on two of his five shots to keep his team competitive throughout the night.
The Toronto center now has four goals and two assists in two games against the Rangers this season.
Theyre a skilled team upfront, so we know theyre going to come with speed through the cycles in their own end, said Erk Gustafsson, who led the Rangers with three assists. We had to have good sticks and stuff like that. I think we did a pretty good job in front of Shesty tonight and Shesty was great in net, too. He saved us a couple times. Theyre a hell of a team, so it feels good to have those two points.
4Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) scores a goal and celebrates with left wing Chris Kreider (20) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConMatthews netted his second of the game less than a minute and a half into the third period to knot the score at two-all, but the Rangers have shown a sort of third-period resolve all season that has powered the team to wins.
Once Schneider notched the go-ahead score on just his second goal of the season, the Rangers only pressed further from there.
Artemi Panarin then scored a power-play goal before Mika Zibanejad recorded an empty-net goal his second goal of the night to give the Rangers a comfortable cushion.
Head coach Peter Laviolette noted how disappointed the Rangers were in their effort in the first period of their 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs in New York.
Getting off to a better start than the 4-1 hole they fell into last week was clearly a priority.
It may have been a low bar to clear, but the Rangers contained Toronto in a scoreless first frame on Tuesday.
A couple of fluky goals, one that pinballed off Zibanejad and one that ricocheted off a Leafs defenseman from Alexis Lafreniere, allowed the Rangers to take a one-goal lead into the middle frame, in addition to a strong showing from Shesterkin.
4Rangers’ Blake Wheeler (17), Erik Gustafsson (56), Chris Kreider (20), Braden Schneider (4) and Mika Zibanejad (93) celebrate a goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Martin Jones (31) during the third period on Tuesday. APStill, the visitors created their own luck with disciplined play and some high energy on offense.
Tonight was a better start, Laviolette said. It was a tight game. They pressed the whole night, theyre dangerous. I really liked our guys, the way we came out, I thought they caught us a couple times when we were just off a little bit. Tied it up once, tied it up a second time and then a really nice goal to put us ahead.
The regular-season series finale is up for grabs on March 2 back in Toronto.
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