The Carolina Hurricanes rode a strong first period and solid performance from their goalie Curtis McElhinney to a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena Wednesday night.
The Hurricanes (10-8-3) got goals from defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forwards Justin Williams, Micheal Ferland, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov against the Maple Leafs (15-7-0). It was a bizarre night for the high-shooting Canes in that regard. They fired 29 shots on goal in the first period, the highest single-period total in team history, but were outshot 12-2 in the second.
“I thought it was a great game,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Great first period and then not a great second, and I thought we played really well in the third. With the lead, we did it right. We didn’t sit back; we played it right. Even in the second period we were doing things right and we knew how they were going to come out.”
McElhinney played a strong game in net for the Canes, stopping 30 of 32 shots against the team that put him on waivers days before the season started.
“It feels good,” McElhinney said. “I’m not going to lie, it was a tough way to leave Toronto with the situation. I certainly understand what the circumstances were. But it’s a huge win for us considering where they are in the standings.”
Van Riemsdyk poked home a backhander from the slot to make it 1-0 about 11 minutes into the game to cap off a strong shift with a number of good chances for the line of Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook and Lucas Wallmark. Svechnikov did not get an assist on the goal, but was instrumental in setting it up with his forechecking and cycling behind the net.
“It’s my game, play behind the net and on the forecheck,” Svechnikov said. “No question at the start of the season I didn’t have that kind of confidence, but right now, the way I’m going, creating those plays increases my confidence.”
The Maple Leafs challenged for goalie interference after goalie Frederik Andersen’s glove was knocked off on the scramble, but a quick review upheld the call.
Williams made it 2-0 22 seconds later, tapping in a perfect feed from defenseman Calvin de Haan, who swooped in from the point off a faceoff. Williams’ goal was his 100th with the Hurricanes, making him the ninth player in NHL history to score 100 goals and win a Stanley Cup with two different teams (he also did it with the Los Angeles Kings).
The Leafs cut the lead in half with 4:30 to play in the opening frame on a breakaway from forward John Tavares after Williams turned it over at the blueline.
The Canes went up 3-1 on their first power play of the game about eight minutes into the third period. Forward Teuvo Teravainen corralled a clearing attempt by former Canes defenseman Ron Hainsey at the point and zipped a pass to Ferland at the right circle, who one-timed it through Andersen’s five hole. Ferland is off to a blazing start to his first season in Carolina, with 11 goals in 21 games.
Carolina won the special teams battle emphatically, going 1 for 1 on the power play and holding the Maple Leafs’ man advantage off the scoreboard on two opportunities.
“It was a good play from [Teravainen] to keep the puck in,” Ferland said. “I was getting ready for it, get open and get a shot off. It was a nice play. Special teams was huge tonight. It wasn’t where we wanted it to be early in the season, but I think we’ve just got to keep building on it, keep chipping away and try to get better.”
Toronto cut it to 3-2 with a four on four goal from forward Kasperi Kapanen with 8:03 to play; he beat McElhinney with a tight-angle shot from the circle that the veteran goalie would probably like a second chance on.
McElhinney redeemed himself with a couple strong saves to keep Toronto from tying the game.
“Curtis has come in and he’s been solid,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. It’s not an easy situation for him. He’s got to leave his family. He comes down here; I think he’s still in a hotel. It probably sucks for him, but the fact that he’s a professional. There’s a reason why a guy lasts that long. You can see it.”
Toronto pulled Andersen for an extra skater with about two minutes to play, but empty net goals from Aho and Svechnikov in the final 1:18 of the game sealed the win.
Svechnikov played the best game of his rookie season Wednesday, racking up a whopping eight shots on goal (five in the first period) before finally being rewarded with the final tally. The Russian winger is starting to heat up as the season goes along.
“He’s coming on; I think you can see that,” Brind’Amour said. “I didn’t like his game the other night. I thought it was one of his worst ones. I love that he bounced back. You see the confidence starting to come out of him, hanging on to pucks in the o-zone, taking it to the net really hard. He’s still got to work on the d-zone, but he’s trying. I love it. He wants to learn. I’ve said all along, if he’s willing to learn and he wants to do it, he’s just going to keep getting better.”
The Canes will wrap up their six-game homestand Friday with a visit from the Florida Panthers.
