Leafs cough it up late on Broadway

NEW YORK — Mats Zuccarello scored with 58.3 seconds left to give the New York Rangers their ninth straight win, 4-3 over the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night.

Zuccarello also had two assists as league-best New York improved to 14-2-2, the best 18-game start in franchise history in wins and points (30).

The Rangers’ winning streak is their third-longest overall and longest since winning 10 straight in the 1972-73 season.

Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard also scored for New York and Antti Raanta made 23 saves.

Peter Holland, Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf scored for Toronto, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Jonathan Bernier stopped 26 shots.

Bernier was shaky throughout the game, surrendering rebounds. That was costly on Zuccarello’s gamewinner.

McDonagh fired a shot from the left point that Bernier couldn’t control and Zuccarello poked the puck into the net to decide a wild, backand-forth contest.

Holland opened the scoring with 2:03 left in the first period with a backhander from in close. The goal was his third of the season and his second in four games.

McDonagh tied it 44 seconds into the second period with his third of the year off of a cross-ice feed by Zuccarello.

New York took a 2-1 lead at with 6:05 left in the second when Bernier misplayed Stepan’s shot from centre-ice and the puck rolled under the Toronto goaltender’s pads. It was the second goal from centre ice Bernier allowed in less than a year. Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored on a similar shot Jan. 30.

Lupul’s goal with 2:22 left in the period tied it again.

Brassard scored 3:37 into the third to put the Rangers ahead 3-2. The goal, his sixth of the season, came off Zuccarello’s pass from behind the net.

Phaneuf tied it again 1:38 later with his second of the season.

NOTES: Prior to the game, there was a moment of silence for the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, followed by the singing of the French, Canadian and American national anthems. … Dan Boyle and Emerson Etem were scratched by New York. … Toronto scratched Brad Boyes, Frank Corrado and Martin Marincin.