Rangers top Maple Leafs in rematch as Braden Schneider breaks third-period deadlock

TORONTO — A week after they allowed a season-high seven goals against the high-flying Maple Leafs, the Rangers came into Scotiabank Arena for the rematch looking for a little payback.

“We had it circled [on the schedule] and we thought we owed them one,’’ Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider said. “So that was a game that we wanted to get back at them for and I thought we did just that.’’

They did, and Schneider played a huge part in it. He scored the go-ahead goal at 8:08 of the third period and the Rangers went on to beat the Maple Leafs, 5-2, Tuesday night for their third straight win.

Schneider took a pass from his defense partner Erik Gustafsson (three assists) just outside his own blue line, and skated unchallenged up the middle of the ice before beating Toronto goalie Martin Jones for his second goal of the season.

Auston Matthews’ second goal of the game had tied it, 2-2, at 1:16 of the third period. Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal at 15:08 (his 17th goal of the season) put the Rangers ahead 4-2 and Mika Zibanejad’s second goal, into an empty net with 3:13 remaining in the game, sealed the matter.

Igor Shesterkin, who had allowed six goals in the 7-3 loss to Toronto last Tuesday at the Garden, was sharp throughout and made 31 saves to earn his second straight win (after he lost three in a row) as the Rangers improved to 22-7-1. Toronto fell to 16-7-6.

For the last two days, as this return match against the Leafs approached, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had harped on the need for his team to get off to a better start than it did in the first game. In that one, the Rangers trailed 2-0 5:07 into the first period, and were down 4-1 with 15:41 gone in the opening period.

“I think what we were disappointed about was the way we started that game,’’ Laviolette said after this one. “We didn’t give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful. Tonight was a better start, and it was a tight game . . . I really liked our guys, the way we came out. I thought they caught us a couple of times, where we were just off a little bit. Tied it up once, tied it up a second time, and then a really, really nice goal [by Schneider] to put us ahead.’’

After a scoreless first period, the Rangers opened the scoring in second period when Zibanejad was credited with his 10th goal of the season. Blake Wheeler’s attempted feed to the net front hit a couple of Maple Leafs defenders, bounced off Zibanejad and trickled past an out-of-position Jones at 6:11. It was the first of Wheeler’s two assists.

Matthews, who returned to the Toronto lineup after missing Saturday’s game with flu-like symptoms, tied it up with his first goal — his league-leading 24th of the season — at 7:32 of the period, but Alexis Lafrenière’s power-play goal at 9:50 of the second period put the Rangers back in front 2-1. The goal, a shot that was headed wide before it deflected off a Toronto defender, was the first in 13 games for Lafrenière.

Matthews’ second goal, though, re-tied the game, and the Rangers, who improved to 15-2-1 when they score the first goal, needed to find the resolve to shake that off.

“We’ve been great when we scored the first goal,’’ said Gustafsson. “And after that, even if they tie it up or make it 2-1 for them, I think we always bounce back. We stick to our structures, keep the game simple, [have a] hard forecheck and stuff like that.

“So we have good confidence in our team, and I think we showed that tonight.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.