Acciari scores late winner, Maple Leafs beat Rangers to reach 50 wins

Associated PressApril 13, 2023 - 9:56pm

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner and New York Rangers defenceman K'Andre Miller battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 13, 2023, in New York. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

NEW YORK (AP) — Noel Acciari scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period, Joseph Woll made 22 saves and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night in the season finale for both teams.

Acciari nudged the puck past goal Jaroslav Halak with 7:39 left to snap a tie and send the Maple Leafs into the playoffs with a 5-0-1 record in their last six games.

Rangers forward Filip Chytil appeared to it with 1.9 seconds left, but officials ruled he kicked the puck into the net.

Timothy Liljegren and William Nylander also scored for Toronto. Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko scored for the Rangers.

Panarin put the Rangers up 2-1 at 6:26 of the third with assists to Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad, but Nylander scored his 40th for Toronto at 7:48.

Kakko scored at 1:38 of the second as he beat Woll for his 18th of the season with an assist to Vincent Trocheck.

Liljegren tied it at 3:09 of the third with his sixth.

The Rangers finished 47-22-13, third in the Metropolitan Division with 107 points. New York will face the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs.

Toronto finished second in the Atlantic Division with 111 points, good for home ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round. The Maple Leafs are making their seventh-straight playoff appearance, but haven't won a series since 2004.

NOTES: Seven Rangers (Adam Fox, Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad) played all 82 games, the third time since 1958-59 New York had seven or more players play every contest. … The Maple Leafs rested captain John Tavares and also scratched forward Sam Lafferty, defensemen Mark Giordano and Erik Gustafsson plus goaltenders Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. The Rangers scratched defenseman Ben Harpur.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Vs. New Jersey in playoffs.

Maple Leafs: Vs. Tampa Bay in playoffs.

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