Maple Leafs Top Rangers 4-3, Eliminate Them from Playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, officially eliminating the Rangers from NHL playoff contention for the second consecutive season.

Joseph Woll made 40 saves in net for Toronto, including a season-high mark, while adding an assist on Dakota Joshua's goal for his first NHL point. Jake McCabe, Nicholas Robertson, Joshua and John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who built a 3-0 lead in the second period before holding on against a late Rangers rally. Matias Maccelli contributed two assists. The victory marked Toronto's second straight win and completed a successful mentors trip, following a 4-2 triumph over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. The annual event allows players to bring mentors and family members to games.

For the Rangers, Mika Zibanejad tallied two goals, and Alexis Lafreniere added one goal with two assists. Adam Fox provided two assists, but Igor Shesterkin stopped just 14 shots in the loss. New York, now 28-35-9 and second-to-last in the overall standings, has dropped six consecutive games and has not won since March 14. The defeat came after a 2-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday, in which the Rangers tied a...