Samsonov makes 32 saves, Maple Leafs edge Rangers in shootout

TORONTO – Ilya Samsonov made 32 saves, including five in overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 in a shootout at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

Samsonov pushed the game to a shootout by stopping Artemi Panarin at 2:45 of overtime, when he sprawled to his right and got a piece of the Ranger forward's one-timer with his stick and blocker.

“That was amazing,” Toronto forward Mitch Marner said. “This game could be a very different result if ‘Sammy’ doesn’t make a couple big saves. So again tonight, he was massive, and it was good to hear the crowd give him some love.”

William Nylander scored to extend his point streak to 10 games, and Max Domi scored the deciding goal in the shootout for the Maple Leafs (35-17-8), who have won nine of their past 10.

“First, I like the two points,” Samsonov said. “We played together, we stayed hard fighting. It was an interesting game for fans, for everybody. Nice to get two points, probably first time for me in [a] shootout. Against [the] Rangers, those guys are doing very good in the shootout, so it was good for me.”

Alexis Lafrenière had a goal and two assists, Vincent Trocheck scored twice, and Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves for the Rangers (40-17-4), who are 10-1-1 in their past 12.

It was the first time in five starts Shesterkin allowed more than one goal.

“I mean, the game, the whole regulation was hard-fought playoff style hockey, and so you’ve got to expect this last quarter of the season and into the playoffs, and we’ll get ready for that kind of hockey,” Trocheck said.

“I’m proud of the way we played. We played well and played well defensively against a team like that. That’s obviously true and important. ... Anything can happen in the shootout, but proud of the way we played, but no moral victories when it comes to getting points.”

John Tavares put the Maple Leafs ahead  3-2 at 7:17 of the third period when Calle Jarnkrok’s shot deflected off him in front of the net.

“I think it was just a good hockey game overall. We stuck with it once we grabbed the lead and then gave it up late, but we battled hard to win in the shootout,” Tavares said. “It was just a great job by everyone sticking with it and getting two points, which are big at this time of year.”

Trocheck tied it 3-3 with 1:07 remaining. With Shesterkin on the bench for the extra skater, he put in a rebound at the side of the net after Lafreniere deflected a shot from Panarin in the slot.

Lafreniere gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 11:33 of the first period with a shot blocker side from the slot.

Marner tied it 1-1 at 3:54 of the second period. He carried the puck out of the left corner and shot five-hole on Shesterkin after fanning on his first attempt.

“I don’t know really what happened, to be honest,” Marner said. “Kind of the whole time I was trying to just take the puck across. I think the first time I tried to slide it five-hole and it slipped off a skate and came back to me luckily, so I took an extra step or two and thought I had the hole.”

Trocheck put New York ahead 2-1 at 5:03, shooting past Samsonov from the left circle off a pass from Lafreniere.

Nylander tied it 2-2 at 8:54 when his point shot deflected off Rangers defenseman Erik Gustafsson’s stick in the slot.

“‘Willy’ knows what we need from him, and in that moment (on the Lafreniere goal against), I met with that line yesterday on some very specific things, and that wasn’t it, so that’s the way it goes, but I loved how he responded,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Obviously, a great goal, an important goal for us, but I just thought he dug in and competed a lot harder.”

NOTES: Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin left the game late in the second period with a head injury after taking a hard hit from Matt Rempe. Keefe had no further update on his status after the game. It was Lyubushkin’s first game since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. … Jarnkrok recorded his 300th career point and played 17:11 in his return after missing 13 games with a broken knuckle. ... Nylander became the first player in Maple Leafs history to have three point streaks of at least 10 games in a single season. He also had a 17-game point streak from Oct. 11-Nov. 19, and a 13-game streak from Nov. 30-Dec. 29. ... Adam Fox tied Jim Neilson for the sixth-most assists by a defenseman in Rangers history (238).