NEW YORK — This was supposed to be a killer portion of the schedule for the Rangers, who were struggling coming into it.
But they’ve found a way to not just survive the gauntlet of Western Conference-leading Vegas, Stanley Cup champion Colorado, Metropolitan Division-leading New Jersey and now Toronto, but actually thrive, and climb the standings. Jimmy Vesey had two goals, the first which broke a tie late in the second period and the second into an empty net to seal a 3-1 win over the previously hot Maple Leafs Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers extended their winning streak to five games, while they snapped Toronto’s at four. The Rangers improved to 16-10-5 (37 points) and moved into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
