Rangers get 3-1 win over Leafs

Mats Zuccarello's hat trick sent the New York Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.

Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves as the Rangers improved to 7-2-2. New York has won four of its last five, earning 10 points in its last six games.

The Rangers played for the first time since defeating Calgary, 4-1 on Oct. 25.

During the break, coach Alain Vigneault reconfigured his top two lines, reuniting Zuccarello with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash and putting Chris Kreider back with Derek Stepan.

Zuccarello opened the scoring at 9:41 in the first with his fifth of the season. Stationed inside the right circle, he one-timed a Brassard feed past Jonathan Bernier. New York held onto the 1-0 lead until Zuccarello finished a 2-on-1 by driving a Brassard feed over Bernier at 5:34 of the third.

His empty netter with 48.6 seconds left sealed the scoring.

Bernier made 23 saves as Toronto fell to 1-6-2. The Maple Leafs have lost five in a row.

Joffrey Lupul's deflection at 18:09 spoiled Lundqvist's shutout bid. Toronto has only scored 20 goals in nine games this season.

Lupul appeared to tie the game at 12 seconds into the third, but the goal was waived off. The sequence began with a Leafs defenseman taking a slap shot from the point, as Lupul jostled with Rangers defenseman Marc Staal in front of Lundqvist. The puck appeared to change direction before going into the net, but the goal was immediately disallowed.

Leafs coach Mike Babcock used a challenge to review the play but the call was upheld.

The Leafs will return home for a Halloween night date with the Pittsburgh Penguins and former teammate Phil Kessel. The game marks Kessel's return to Toronto following a July 1 trade. The Leafs received Scott Harrington, Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spaling, a 2016 first round draft pick and a 2016 third round draft pick.

The Leafs and Penguins have already played once this season, a 2-1 loss for the Maple Leafs in Pittsburgh on Oct. 17.

NOTES: Rich Clune made his season debut for the Leafs. Toronto announced the signing of the right wing to a NHL contract Thursday. He had been under contract to the Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. ... New York scratched defenseman Dylan McIlrath and left winger Viktor Stalberg. The team cleared Stalberg Thursday after he suffered a head injury in a center ice check from Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas in the Rangers' 3-2 shootout loss on Oct. 24. ... Toronto's scratches were defensemen Frank Corrado and Scott Harrington, and right wing Brad Boyes. ... The loudest cheers from the announced 18,006 in attendance were for the highlights of two-run home runs by New York Mets David Wright and Curtis Granderson, and Michael Conforto's RBI single in Game 3 of the World Series at Citi Field against the Kansas City Royals.

Jonathan Bernier made 23 saves but Toronto fell to 1-6-2, losing five in a row.

Joffrey Lupul's deflection at 18:09 into the third spoiled Lundqvist's shutout bid.

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