Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner scored two goals apiece as the Toronto Maple Leafs scored four times in the first period en route to a 7-3 victory over the host New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Matthews reached 20 goals for the eighth time in as many seasons since entering the league in 2016-17 and got his sixth goal in five games by starting the outburst 3:52 into the first.
Conor Timmons, Calle Jarnkrok and Marner also scored in the period as Toronto improved to 5-0-2 in its past seven games. Matthews and Jarnkrok each added an assist in the frame, as did John Tavares, who became the 98th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points on Monday.
Marner and Matthews both scored again in the third period ahead of David Kampf’s empty-netter that capped the scoring.
Blake Wheeler scored twice and Mika Zibanejad netted a power-play goal, but the Rangers lost for the third time in four games.
Martin Jones made 28 saves in his first start as a Maple Leaf.
New York’s Igor Shesterkin tied a career worst by allowing six goals for the third time in his career. He finished with 23 saves.
The Leafs scored their first-period goals in two quick bursts to speed out to a 4-1 lead.
Matthews opened the scoring during a delayed penalty by finishing off a cross-ice pass from William Nylander, lifting a shot over Shesterkin’s right shoulder. Just over a minute later, Timmons scored on a blast from the left point that Shesterkin did not appear to see.
The Rangers made it a one-goal game with 14:18 left when Wheeler’s shot caromed off the bottom of Toronto defenseman TJ Brodie’s jersey.
Nearly 10 minutes later, Jarnkrok swept in a backhander after New York defenseman Zac Jones cleared the rebound of a Tavares shot. Marner made it 4-1 by putting a shot from near the crease under Shesterkin’s left leg just 21 seconds after Jarnkrok’s goal.
Zibanejad made it 4-2 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second by burying a one-timer from the right circle. Wheeler made it a one-goal contest by slipping past Toronto defenseman Max Lajoie and sending a shot from the left circle over Jones’ left shoulder.
The Maple Leafs reclaimed a two-goal lead when Marner redirected a shot by Morgan Rielly at 1:29 of the third. Matthews struck at 17:11, and Kampf followed at 18:33.
–Field Level Media
