Maple Leafs 5-4 Rangers: Stecher strikes at minute 60 to settle a nine-goal night

Highlights

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Nine goals, 35 shots against 25, and the decisive one at minute 60 — off the stick of a defenseman. Troy Stecher's late strike lifted Toronto Maple Leafs past New York Rangers 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena, a one-goal finish to an evening that refused to hold a shape.

Easton Cowan opened inside two minutes, Jake McCabe setting up 1-0. Mika Zibanejad answered at 6 with Adam Fox assisting, and Teddy Blueger restored the lead at 11 off Brandon Duhaime — 2-1 after twenty. The second period swung both ways: Oliver Bjorkstrand tied it at 23, Tye Kartye nudged the Rangers in front 2-3 at 27, and Duhaime replied within a minute, 3-3 at 28. Kirill Marchenko closed the period's account at 40, Gavin McKenna assisting, 4-3 Toronto, with Alexis Lafrenière's two-minute minor at 38 sandwiched in between.

The third kept the pattern. Vladislav Gavrikov sat at 43 and Jack Roslovic at 50, yet the specials never tilted the night: Toronto's power play finished 1/2, New York's 0/1. Lafrenière made amends at 55, Zibanejad setting up 4-4, before Stecher struck at 60 with Duhaime again the provider. Toronto outshot New York 35-25; Dylan Garand made 30 saves and lost anyway, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21.

Duhaime owned the decisive thread: a goal at 28, assists on Blueger's 2-1 and Stecher's winner — a hand in three of Toronto's five goals. The cruelest line belonged to Adam Fox, four assists in a losing cause. Garand's 30 saves deserved better; minute-60 timing does not apologize.