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 The New York Rangers win hockey games. All manners, all fashions.
The latest came Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, when right
winger Mats Zuccarello capped a three-point performance with a goal
with less than a minute left in regulation in a 4-3 win over the
Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We are at nine wins in a row," Zuccarello said of New York's
winning streak. "You feel it in the room. Everyone is comfortable."
The Rangers improved to 14-2-2. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh and centers
Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard also scored. Goaltender Antti
Raanta stopped 23 of 26 shots.
Center Peter Holland, left winger Joffrey Lupul and defenseman Dion
Phaneuf scored for Toronto (5-9-4), which had a three-game winning
streak come to an end. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves.
Zuccarello jammed a rebound through Bernier for the game-winning
goal.
"I let them down tonight," Bernier said.
The Leafs led 1-0 at the first intermission due to Holland's third
goal of the season and Bernier's play in net. In the first period,
Bernier was aggressive against New York's shooters, challenging
shots and cutting down angles after coming in with a 3.02
goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
Bernier's aggressiveness cost him and the Leafs, though, when New
York drew even on McDonagh's goal 44 seconds into the second period.
Bernier overplayed Zuccarello coming up the left side, leaving a
half-empty net for McDonagh to shoot at to make it 1-1
Nearly 15 minutes later, Bernier allowed a goal that could
summarized his tenure with the Leafs. The Toronto netminder allowed
Stepan's shot from the red line to slide under his pads and into the
net.
It was not the first time during his two-and-a-half seasons with the
Leafs that Bernier surrendered a goal from center ice. Arizona
defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored five seconds into the second
period of the Coyotes' 3-1 win over the Leafs on Jan. 30 at the Air
Canada Centre.
"It doesn't matter if the ice is bad or not, I've got to have that,"
Bernier said. "It cost two points for my team tonight."
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Maple Leafs left winger Joffrey Lupul evened things at 2 with 2:22
left in the second period, but Brassard's goal 3:37 into the third
gave the Rangers a 3-2 advantage. Brassard tapped Zuccarello's feed
home for his sixth goal of the season.
Phaneuf equalized just 98 seconds later after Brassard's goal for
the Leafs before Zuccarello's ninth of the season sealed it for New
York.
"We should have won tonight but that's life," Lupul said. "We're not
satisfied with getting close."
NOTES: Toronto scratched D Frank Corrado, D Martin Marincin and RW
Brad Boyes, while New York scratched D Dan Boyle and RW Emerson
Etem. ... When he met with reporters at his pregame press
conference, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault explained his rationale
for sitting Boyle. "(It's) our fourth game in six nights," Vigneault
said. "I had this conversation with Dan -- I told him (Saturday)
night and, obviously, he doesn't like it; he's a competitor, he
wants to play. I do think he understands, and I do want to get (D
Dylan McIlrath) in, also." ... Neither team accomplished anything of
note on the power play. Toronto was 0-for-3, and New York went
0-for-2. ... New York D Ryan McDonagh finished with a goal and an
assist. ... Toronto D Dion Phaneuf had a two-point night with a goal
and an assist. ... Leafs C Byron Froese had two assists. ... New
York outshot Toronto, 30-26, but the Leafs out-attempted the
Rangers, 55-50.
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