Rangers 4 - 5 Maple Leafs
Final
  for this game

Komarov's late goal boosts Maple Leafs over Rangers

Nov 9, 2014 - 7:40 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Leo Komarov scored the go-ahead goal with 5:34 remaining in the third period to boost the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers.

Richard Panik, Peter Holland, Roman Polak and Phil Kessel also lit the lamp for the Maple Leafs, who snapped a two-game skid. Jonathan Bernier made 31 saves in the win.

Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Rick Nash and Carl Hagelin also scored for New York, which is 1-1-2 in its last four contests. Cam Talbot turned aside 26 shots in defeat.

Jake Gardiner took the puck away along the left boards and skated to the left circle before firing the puck over to Komarov near the slot. It resulted in Komarov's first goal of the season.

"Basically, we've used him as a fourth-line penalty killer, but now we're using him as a regular in our top nine," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said of Komarov. "We feel that he could go higher in our lineup. It seems he's a lot more confident with the puck right now."

Talbot was pulled from the net for an extra attacker with 1 1/2 minutes left, and Bernier made a pad stop off a scramble in front with about 30 seconds to go to preserve the winning margin.

"We played right into their hands," Zuccarello said. "We have to get into lanes and back each other up."

The Rangers scored just 53 seconds into the contest. Kevin Klein's shot from above the right circle was deflected into the net by Kreider, who was stationed in front.

The Maple Leafs went on a 5-on-3 power play when Conor Allen (roughing) and Hagelin (hooking) were sent off the ice 22 seconds apart. Kessel tied the game at the 8:27 mark when he banged in a cross-crease feed from James van Riemsdyk.

Josh Leivo was later sent off the ice for goaltender interference, but Toronto went ahead with a short-handed tally at the 15:11 mark of the opening period. Komarov picked up a deflected puck at center ice and skated to the bottom portion of the right circle before directing a pass to Holland, who veered in front before depositing the disc past Talbot.

Panik made it 3-1 with 61 seconds left in the period, but Zuccarello got the Rangers back within a goal when his shot from in front went between the legs of Bernier with 39.9 seconds remaining.

The Rangers capitalized on a turnover to tie the game at 3-3 when Hagelin got the puck in front and put it past Bernier with 2:16 left in the middle period.

Nash scored on a tip-in at 4:33 of the third before Polak equaled the score nearly three minutes later.

Game Notes

Rangers center Derek Stepan made his season debut after missing the first 12 contests due to a broken leg ... Talbot started this game because the Rangers will play back-to-back nights. Henrik Lundqvist is slated to start Sunday night's home game against Edmonton ... The Maple Leafs honored Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower, who turned 90 on Saturday ... Kessel, who played in his 600th NHL game, extended his point streak to six contests ... Prior to Saturday, Talbot had posted a 4-0-1 record, along with a 0.60 goals-against average in five career regular season appearances in Canada.






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