Rangers 4 - 5 Maple Leafs
Final
  for this game

Leafs try to halt home struggles vs. Rangers

Nov 8, 2014 - 3:39 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Home ice hasn't been much of an advantage for the Toronto Maple Leafs in recent meetings with the New York Rangers, but the Leafs hope to reverse that trend when they host their Original Six rivals on Saturday.

Although Toronto has won the last two encounters with the Blueshirts, including a 6-3 win in New York on Oct. 12, the Rangers have claimed five of the past six battles at Air Canada Centre.

The Maple Leafs are only 3-4-0 as the host this season, but will be glad to be home after going 0-1-1 on a recent two-game swing trip to Arizona and Colorado. Toronto was dealt a 3-2 setback by the Coyotes on Tuesday before dropping a 4-3 shootout decision Thursday against the Avalanche.

Alex Tanguay scored the deciding marker in the third round of the shootout to defeat the Leafs. Toronto did well to earn a point, however, as Richard Panik's game-tying goal with 1:16 left in regulation pushed the game to overtime.

Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel also scored goals for the Maple Leafs, who hope to avoid their first three-game skid since closing 2013-14 with four straight regulation losses.

Kessel, who leads the Leafs with 18 points this season, had a goal and two assists in Toronto's rout of the Rangers last month. The American winger has eight goals and 11 assists over 28 career games against New York.

Jonathan Bernier suffered the loss against Colorado despite making 31 stops.

"It was a great effort tonight to get a point. We played really well in overtime," said Bernier.

Toronto could use both Bernier and James Reimer in net this weekend. The Leafs also are in action Sunday in Ottawa.

There was a scary moment in Thursday's tilt as Leafs forward Daniel Winnik was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Winnik absorbed a hit from Avs defenseman Jan Hejda and smacked the back of his head on the ice as the two players were tangled up. Winnik was not taken to a hospital and he could play in tonight's game.

Defenseman Jake Gardiner also left the game with a lower-body injury and is questionable for tonight.

New York, meanwhile, will welcome Derek Stepan to the ice on Saturday, as the club's top centerman expects to make his season debut.

Stepan has missed the first 12 games of the season while recovering from a fractured fibula suffered during practice in late September. In 82 games last season, Stepan scored 17 goals and set career highs with 40 assists and 57 points.

The 24-year-old pivot has registered a point in nine of his 14 career games against Toronto, posting two goals and nine assists.

Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle also skated with the team Friday and could return next week after recovering from a broken hand he suffered in the season opener against St. Louis. Boyle, who signed as a free agent in July, was hurt while blocking a shot against the Blues.

Like Toronto, the Blueshirts are also playing on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning backup Cam Talbot will start over Henrik Lundqvist tonight. Talbot has seen action in three games this season and made his second start of 2014-15 in Monday's shootout loss to St. Louis. Lundqvist will start Sunday's game against Edmonton.

Talbot relieved Lundqvist in this season's earlier meeting versus the Leafs. New York's No. 1 netminder took the loss on Oct. 12 after yielding all six goals on just 24 shots. Talbot is 2-0 with a 0.80 GAA in his three games (two starts) against the Leafs.

Lundqvist helped his club halt a two-game slide Wednesday against Detroit. Lundqvist made 25 saves in the 4-3 overtime win and Derick Brassard delivered the game-winning goal to help the Rangers close a four-game homestand with a 2-0-2 record.

After Pavel Datsyuk went off for tripping, New York's Dan Girardi unleashed a blast from the point. Jonas Gustavsson made the initial save, but the rebound trickled across the crease to Brassard, who was present at the right side of the net to wrist it home for the win.

"We knew from the beginning we were facing a pretty good team playing some good hockey, but we found a way," said Brassard. "We made some hockey plays there and it is what it is. In overtime, we had the chance to get it done."

Martin St. Louis and Brassard finished with a goal and an assist apiece and Rick Nash and Lee Stempniak both scored for the Rangers.

Nash has 10 goals this season, leaving him one shy of Anaheim's Corey Perry for the league lead. The Brampton, Ontario native has notched five goals and six assists in 15 career games against Toronto.

The Rangers, who are 2-2-0 as the guest this season, are on the road for one game before playing their next three at Madison Square Garden.






Related News