Early look · NHL 2026-27

New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs: game preview

NY RangersRangers2026-27: 4-1-0 · 8 pts · 2025-26: 34-39-9 · 77 pts · 30that

TorontoMaple Leafs2026-27: 2-2-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 32-36-14 · 78 pts · 28th

Puck drop22 Oct · 7:00 PM ET

VenueScotiabank Arena

All-time meetings667 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

One points apart last season

NY Rangers finished last season 30th in the league on 77 points. Toronto finished 28th on 78.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 668

Across 667 completed games, Toronto lead the head-to-head 369-270-28.

All-time record369-270-28Toronto's record in the series

Meetings played667This is number 668

2025-26 series—

Last 54-1Toronto

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

25 Mar 2026NYR 3 – TOR 4——TOR

5 Mar 2026TOR 2 – NYR 6——NYR

16 Oct 2025NYR 1 – TOR 2 OT——TOR

20 Mar 2025TOR 4 – NYR 3——TOR

28 Feb 2025TOR 3 – NYR 2——TOR

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateNY RangersToronto

16 Oct 20252-3-1 · 5 pts18th3-2-0 · 6 pts12th

5 Mar 202622-25-6 · 50 pts28th24-19-9 · 57 pts18th

25 Mar 202628-35-9 · 65 pts31st31-29-13 · 75 pts21st

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 16 Oct 2025, NY Rangers were 18th in the league and Toronto 12th. By 25 Mar 2026 it was 31st and 21st.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

NY Rangers out-attempted Toronto 200 to 142

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

New York Rangers

200 att · 96 on goal · 10 G · 10.4%

Crease17 att · 2 G

Slot85 att · 5 G

Wing73 att · 2 G

Point25 att · 1 G

Neutral zone0 att · 0 G

Toronto Maple Leafs

142 att · 74 on goal · 8 G · 10.8%

Crease14 att · 2 G

Slot47 att · 2 G

Wing52 att · 4 G

Point27 att · 0 G

Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

NY Rangers have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

NY RangersToronto

3.44xG for per game3.40

2.77xG against per game3.21

55.4%xG share51.4%

−1.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals−2.6

+5.8GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.9

This season: 5 games for NY Rangers, 4 for Toronto. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

NY Rangers

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2721.4%

Power play · 2025-2624.7% · 5th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2787.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2679.9% · 15th

Faceoffs · 2026-2752.2% · 151/289

Drawn · 2026-2714 (2.80/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2716 (3.20/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Toronto

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2721.4%

Power play · 2025-2621.3% · 15th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2790.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.2% · 8th

Faceoffs · 2026-2751.1% · 113/221

Drawn · 2026-2714 (3.50/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

Forwards to watch

See all: Forwards to watch →

PlayerGPGAPP/GP

13Alexis Lafrenière53251.00

93Mika Zibanejad51451.00

94Gabe Perreault52240.80

88William Nylander43361.50

34Auston Matthews42351.25

91John Tavares41230.75

Points leaders

Defencemen to watch

See all: Defencemen to watch →

PlayerGPGAPP/GP

23Adam Fox50551.00

44Vladislav Gavrikov51340.80

5Sean Durzi51120.40

44Morgan Rielly40330.75

43Darren Raddysh40110.25

95Oliver Ekman-Larsson40000.00

Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

NY Rangers

Expected starter after their game on 19 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Toronto

Expected starter after their game on 20 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

NY Rangers crease

NYR · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 19 Oct

Igor Shesterkin.9264 GP · 3-1-0 · GSAx +4.6

Dylan Garand1.0001 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +1.4

No appearances against Toronto in the last meetings.

Toronto crease

TOR · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 19 Oct

Sergei Bobrovsky.8872 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx +0.1

Anthony Stolarz.9042 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +0.6

No appearances against NY Rangers in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.1 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

25 Mar 20267 · NYR 3–4 TOR

5 Mar 20268 · TOR 2–6 NYR

16 Oct 20253 · NYR 1–2 TOR

20 Mar 20257 · TOR 4–3 NYR

28 Feb 20255 · TOR 3–2 NYR

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

NY Rangers3.201.602.903.05

Toronto2.752.753.093.65

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.1Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.0Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

9 on the injury lists

NY Rangers · injuries

Adam SykoraLower BodyIRReturn25 Jan

Aidan ThompsonUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Joe VelenoLower BodyIRReturn13 Oct

Joonas KorpisaloLower BodyIRReturn9 Oct

Toronto · injuries

Cade WebberElbowIRReturn31 Oct

Dakota JoshuaAbdomenIRReturn24 Oct

Elvis MerzlikinsShoulderIRReturn30 Mar

Max DomiBackIRReturn21 Nov

William VilleneuveKneeIRReturn31 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

6 Oct · NYR

Recalled C Gabriel Beaudoin from Hartford (AHL). Placed C Joe Veleno on injured reserve.

5 Oct · NYR

Placed D Matthew Robertson on waivers.

1 Oct · NYR

Placed G Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve. Recalled G Dylan Garand from Hartford (AHL).

5 Oct · TOR

Placed RW Nikita Grebenkin on injured reserve.

30 Sep · TOR

Moved C Max Domi from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

29 Sep · TOR

Placed D Cade Webber on the injured non-roster list.

Injury report

NY Rangers · 2026 draft

See all: NY Rangers · 2026 draft →

#5Alberts SmitsRound 1 · MunchenD

#64Benjamin MacBeathRound 2 · CalgaryD

#67Danai ShaiikovRound 3 · GatineauG

#77Charlie MorrisonRound 3 · QuebecD

Full draft

Toronto · 2026 draft

See all: Toronto · 2026 draft →

#1Gavin McKennaRound 1 · Penn StateLW

#60Alexander BileckiRound 2 · KitchenerD

#69Ethan MacKenzieRound 3 · EdmontonD

#73Zach OlsenRound 3 · SaskatoonRW

Full draft

Thursday 22 October · the full slate

See all: Thursday 22 October · the full slate →

TORThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final