Kessel leads Maple Leafs past Rangers 4-3

TORONTO: Phil Kessel scored twice to snap a nine-game goalless drought and added an assist to lead host Toronto four points clear of idle Ottawa for fifth with a 4-3 victory over New York on Monday in the Eastern Conference.
New York’s Derek Stepan tied the game 3-3 midway through the third before Kessel struck 38 seconds later.
James van Riemsdyk recorded a goal and an assist while defenseman Ryan O’Byrne scored in his first game with the Maple Leafs. James Reimer made 31 saves in his fifth consecutive start.
Rick Nash had two goals and Stepan registered a tally and an assist for the Rangers, who remained two points behind the sixth-place Senators.
Bruins 6 Hurricanes 2: Brad Marchand scored twice while Rich Peverley and defenseman Andrew Ference recorded a goal and an assist apiece as Boston extended its home point streak to nine games (8-0-1).
Tuukka Rask made 40 saves for the Bruins, who climbed within one point of first-place Montreal in the Northeast Division.
Patrick Dwyer and Drayson Bowman scored 45 seconds apart midway through the third period for Carolina, which has lost five in a row and fell to 1-11-1 in its last 13 contests.
The Hurricanes remained eight points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining.