New York, NY – Marian Gaborik had two goals and two assists, and tallied the go-ahead score in the third period, to lead the New York Rangers in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Marc Staal and Brad Richards each posted a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who won for just the second time in five games this season. Henrik Lundqvist made 15 saves in the win.
James van Riemsdyk and Mikhail Grabovski each had a goal for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three of their last four. James Reimer gave up four goals on 41 shots.
"[Reimer] played his heart out there," said van Riemsdyk. "A couple of those goals, [there was] not much he could have done."
Toronto had a one-goal lead in the third, but Staal tied it on a pretty tic- tac-toe play. On the rush, Gaborik passed it from the left wing to the low left side. From there, Michael Del Zotto one-touched the puck to the slot and Staal finished it with a one-timer at the 7:36 mark.
The Rangers then went on top with 7:03 to play as a slap shot from Staal at the left point was redirected into the net by Gaborik for a 3-2 lead.
New York gave itself some insurance with 2:52 to play as Del Zotto blasted a shot from the right point that was blocked by a Leaf, but the puck came back and his second shot went off of Brian Boyle and past Reimer.
Gaborik's empty-net goal with 1:15 to play accounted for the final margin.
"You learn about team character and what you've got in the room," said Rangers center Brian Boyle on the team's third-period comeback. "I think that was the closest we've come to what we feel is our identity."
The first goal of the game went to Toronto at the 6:25 mark of the first period. Nikolai Kulemin had the puck at the right boards and threw it to the slot for John-Michael Liles, who then sent it down low where Grabovski out- waited Lundqvist before putting it into the net.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead on the power play later in the first period. Skating on the power play, Liles blasted a shot on net from the right point that was redirected by van Riemsdyk. Lundqvist made the initial save, but the rebound sat on the doorstep and van Riemsdyk shot it in off the left post with 2:45 to play in the frame.
New York cut its deficit in half in the second period. On a rush play, a shot from Rick Nash was stopped and Gaborik got a whack at the rebound before Richards put it in at the 5:43 mark.
Game Notes
Toronto next plays on Tuesday in Buffalo ... The Rangers host the Flyers on Tuesday ... Each team won twice in the series last season ... Toronto went 1-for-4 on the power play while New York was 0-for-4 ... The Rangers reportedly signed center Jason Arnott to a one-year contract, pending a physical, on Saturday.
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