Chmelar, playing in his seventh NHL game, was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. His goal in the third period was also his first NHL point.
Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and two assists in the third period. Will Cuylle scored two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov got one on the power play. Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves for the Rangers (24-29-8).
It was their first regulation win at home since a 3-2 win against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 24, a span of 19 games.
New York played without centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick. They were scratched for roster management purposes with the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m ET Friday.
Matias Maccelli and Easton Cowan scored, and Joseph Woll made 19 saves for the Maple Leafs (27-25-11), who have lost six consecutive games (0-4-2).
Toronto traded center Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche earlier Thursday. Forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson were scratched for the second straight game for roster management purposes.
Maccelli scored 13 seconds into the game to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.
Cuylle made it 1-1 with a netfront tip of Braden Schneider’s one-timer from the right point at 6:45.
Toronto regained the lead at 5:27 of the second, when Cowan scored from the top of the left face-off circle to make it 2-1.
The Rangers tied it 2-2 with Gavrikov scoring a power-play goal off a rebound of Taylor Raddysh’s shot at 7:29.
Lafreniere gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 5:38 of the third period by getting a piece of Zibanejad’s shot from the point, knocking it down and past Woll.
Chmelar extended the lead to 4-2, scoring on a breakaway off a Maple Leafs’ turnover at 10:27.
Zibanejad made it 5-2 at 11:19.
Cuylle scored an empty-net goal to make it 6-2 at 17:09.
