MAPLE LEAFS 4, DEVILS 2:

OLOS ANGELES — For seven weeks beginning on Jan. 19, the Rangers’ power play was in an otherworldly funk. They converted on just three of 59 man-advantage opportunities over a 22-game stretch before finally breaking out for three power-play goals against the Hurricanes on March 9.

Alain Vigneault was confident less than a week before they snapped out of it that if his club could just get one goal across, have one good night on their power play that it would start going in the right direction. They’re now 7-for-21 in their last seven games, scoring a power-play goal in five of those contests.

Now the coach is hoping the same turnaround occurs with his penalty killing, which has surrendered at least one power-play goal in each of the last eight games and 10 goals total over that stretch after allowing two to the Islanders in the third period Wednesday night in a 3-2 loss.

The Rangers, who are 2-3-2 in their last seven games, are 17-for-27 (63%) on the kill in those eight matches.

“It’s something that we obviously need to get better,” Vigneault said after the loss, the Rangers’ seventh straight at home. “A few weeks ago we were talking about our power play, and I told you we’re gonna keep working at it and sooner or later it’s gonna turn the corner, and it has. And I believe the same exact thing for our penalty killing. We’ve got the personnel to get the job done, and we will.”

After the Rangers finished 26th in the NHL last season on the penalty kill at 78.2%, Vigneault’s goal was for his PK to finish as a top-10 unit this season. Entering Thursday they were 23rd in the league at 79.3%.

Before Wednesday’s game Vigneault expressed a belief that some of his penalty-killing personnel were

Auston Matthews had two assists and William Nylander had a goal and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the visiting New Jersey Devils for their seventh win in nine games.

Nylander set a franchise rookie mark by extending his points streak to 10 games, while equaling another team record for power-play points with 25. Mitch Marner also matched a club rookie record for assists with his 40th, setting up James van Riemsdyk’s 23rd of the season.

Josh Leivo and Connor Brown also scored for the Leafs, and Curtis McElhinney made 30 saves to earn the win.

John Moore scored both goals for the Devils, with Keith Kinkaid allowing three goals on 29 shots.