Marner Lifts Maple Leafs Over Rangers In Wild Third Period
TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner scored twice during a wild third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Saturday night.
The teams combined for six goals in the final period, including Marner's empty-net goal with 20 seconds left after Chris Kreider cut the margin to 4-3.
Morgan Rielly had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Marleau and Andreas Johnsson also scored for Toronto (23-10-2). Frederik Andersen made 25 saves, and John Tavares and Johnsson each had two assists as the Leafs won their third straight game.
Neal Pionk and Kevin Hayes had a goal and an assist each for New York (15-13-5). Alexandar Georgiev made 31 saves.
Johnsson snapped a 1-1 tie at 1:37 of the third on a goal originally credited to Marner. After Toronto won an offensive zone faceoff to the left of Georgiev, the Rangers backup goalie stopped an initial tip by Tavares off Jake Gardiner's point shot, but the rebound squirted out to Marner. His shot deflected in off Johnsson standing at the top of the crease.
Rielly leads all NHL defenseman with 42 points and made it 3-1 at 5:26 when he took a pass in the slot from Johnsson and fired his 12th. Johnsson was promoted to Toronto's top line alongside Marner and Tavares in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Florida Panthers with Zach Hyman out a minimum of three weeks with an ankle injury.
Hayes and Marner exchanged goals before Kreider slimmed the margin to one, but Marner's second goal iced it.
NOTES: The 39-year-old Marleau is the fourth player in NHL history to register at least 10 goals in 21 or more consecutive seasons. ... Leafs D Martin Marincin, in the lineup for a second straight night for Igor Ozhiganov (illness), played his 100th game with Toronto. ... Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe was in attendance.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Maple Leafs: Host Detroit on Sunday.
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