TORONTO (AP) — On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, effectively eliminating the Rangers from playoff contention. Dakota Joshua notably contributed to the win with a goal and an assist, while goaltender Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, marking his first NHL point.

In addition to Joshua, the Maple Leafs saw goals from Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson, and captain John Tavares, who scored his 26th goal of the season late in the third period. Matias Maccelli played a key role as well, providing two assists during the match. This victory left the Maple Leafs ranked 21st overall in the standings and on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

On the other side, the Rangers had a standout performance from Mika Zibanejad, who netted two goals. Alexis Lafreniere also played a significant part in the game, contributing one goal and two assists. Despite Igor Shesterkin stopping 14 shots, he and the Rangers defense were unable to contain the Maple Leafs' early offensive surge.

Toronto built a commanding 3-0 lead by the midpoint of the second period before Tavares scored to extend it to 4-2 at 11:57 in the third. New York managed to fight back with Zibanejad's goals and Lafreniere's contributions, but was ultimately unable to catch up. They now stand second-to-last in the league and will miss the postseason for the second consecutive year.

Adam Sykora, the Rangers' 21-year-old winger, made his NHL debut in this matchup after his call-up from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Selected 63rd overall in the 2022 draft, Sykora had recorded impressive numbers in the AHL, with 12 goals and 17 assists in 62 games this season.

Additionally, the spotlight was on Toronto's William Nylander, who is just one point away from surpassing the career point total of his father, Michael Nylander. The younger Nylander currently has 679 points in 741 regular-season games, while his father achieved the same total in 920 games.

Although New York had previously tied a franchise record with only 10 shots in their loss to the Ottawa Senators, they directed 14 shots on Woll in the opening period and added 17 more in the second. Despite this aggressive offense, they could not erase Toronto's lead.

Up next

The Maple Leafs will face off against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, aiming to bounce back and improve on their standing as the regular season moves deeper into its final stretch.