NEW YORK — Alexis Lafreniere scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in the third quarter, and the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 on Thursday night to earn their first regular win at home in more than three months.
This was the Rangers’ 19th game at Madison Square Garden since defeating St. Louis on November 24. They have lost 13 of their 18 games since then, with their only win coming in overtime or a penalty shootout.
Down by 13 seconds, they had won for just their eighth time in 28 home games all season.
Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first NHL goal minutes after Lafreniere set up the Rangers, bringing joy to the team and the crowd three-quarters of the way through a season that had long gone off the rails.
Playing out of uniform to protect New York and Toronto from injuries on the eve of the trade deadline was as notable as the players on the ice.
The Rangers scratched centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick. For the second straight day, the Maple Leafs decided not to dress defenseman Oliver Ekman Larsson, instead turning to forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. The reason was roster management.
Toronto, which traded center Nicholas Roy to Colorado on Thursday morning, has lost six in a row coming off the Olympic break. The Leafs’ longest playoff streak is heading into the ninth inning.
The Rangers have been missing for several years in a row, reorganizing. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the backbone of the organization for the foreseeable future, made 29 saves to give general manager Chris Drury a glimpse of what the future could look like if he can successfully retool the roster.
Maple Leafs: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
Rangers: Visit New Jersey on Saturday.
