Tonight the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Carolina Hurricanes for the 126th time, and the got their 48th win. The last time they met the Hurricanes dominated the game, winning 4-1 as the Leafs played the final game of their early season losing streak.

Leafs roll over for Carolina, losing streak continues

Tonight, was a different story.

The Maple Leafs faced off against former Leafs Frederik Andersen and Josh Leivo, who was called up today because you always need a former Leaf to score against the Leafs.

First Period

The Hurricanes take control early in the game with a lot of play in the Leafs zone. The Leafs do pick up their feet after a few minutes and even things up over the first five minutes. No really close chances for either team to make the few fans in attendance get to their feet.

It’s a very non-eventful first period (he types hoping to make something happen), as shown by the Leafs GM relaxing in his box.

We have a few good moments from the Leafs, Mitch Marner attempts to open the scoring and extend his streak:

Petr Mrázek keeps the Hurricanes off the scoreboard:

It doesn’t work every time though, as Nine Niederreiter scores by deflecting an Ian Cole shot past Mrázek who wasn’t quite expecting it to come from there.

1-0 Hurricanes.

After the goal, Ondřej Kaše gets hit knee on knee by Brendan Smith, and Wayne Simmonds takes some exception to that and Smith pays the price.

The Hurricanes continue to play dirty, as Vincent Trochek lays a post-horn hit on John Tavares which starts another scrum. Trochek will sit for two minutes to start the second period.

Second Period

The Maple Leafs are unable to score with the man advantage and John Tavares goes unavenged. They do get some chances, but nothing gets past [checks notes] Freddie Andersen?

The second period continues the safe, unsurprising play of the first. Not a lot of shots on net, no glaring errors from either team, no mind bending plays either.

Michael Bunting draws another penalty, as Brendan Smith gets called for hooking our dear boy. The Maple Leafs get their second power play of the game mid-way through the second period.

The PP plays great to start, but Matthews misses a pass and the Hurricanes take a short handed rush that sees Mrázek make two quick saves before sending the puck up to Nyander, who passes back to Matthews and the game is almost tied. No goal yet again for the special teams.

Third times the charm? The Leafs get another powerplay opportunity late in the second, and it doesn’t take long until Matthews, Marner, and Nylander team up to smack the puck around in front of the net until Nylander gets it past Andersen for his 18th of the season.

Update: Auston Matthews was given last touch on the puck, so this is his goal now. Sorry William.

1-1

The Hurricanes come back strong with Sebastian Aho coming in on Mrazek alone, but Petey makes the save and denies Aho a rebound, the Leafs clear.

Auston Matthews, who scored his first goal of the season against the Hurricanes and Andersen, scores his 31st of the season to give the Leafs the lead, and that’s how the second ends.

2-1 Toronto

This goal gives Matthews 230 all time, and ties him for 10th in Maple Leafs goals scored with Ted Kennedy.

Third period

The Hurricanes win the opening face off and Tony DeAngelo score right away. Hurrah.

2-2

The Leafs get a chance to tie the game when they get their fourth power play of the night after Aho trips Sandin, but it doesn’t last long because Morgan Rielly is called for holding Vincent Trochek. He was holding him so he didn’t get badly hurt, but whatever. Trochek is still hurt though, he goes to the room with assistance.

Neither team scores at four on four or on their brief power plays, and with 15 minutes to go we are still tied.

Canes are dirty. Confirmed.

Matthews makes a hit, and the puck slides down the ice where no one knows where it went. No one being Justin Holl, and where it went being right in front of him. Holl spins around to look for the puck, and while he’s doing that the Hurricanes get it, and Derek Stepan scores to take back the lead.

3-2 Carolina.

Pierre Engvall teams up with Rasmus Sandin to tie the game up again, but no dice. Freddie learned to save.

What isn’t saved? Mitch Marner scoring in his eighth straight game.

TIED 3-3

The Hurricanes whine and complain again about it being a hand pass but no challenge, no review, and the game is tied.

Andrei Svechnikov tries to frame Michael Bunting for hooking, by lying on the ice like it’s the World Cup, but no one falls for it and he gets called out by Bunting with an audible “Nice f’ing dive!”.

The Hurricanes throw a few shots at Mrázek but he stops every one of them. After this flurry, Auston Matthews goes down in the Carolina zone holding his head, and he takes a long time to get up from his knees.

Replay shows he was hooked by Niederreiter, went down on his knees then was kneed in the head by Martin Necas. Matthews leaves for the locker room.

Alexander Kerfoot tries to get the game winner in a kinda slow, kinda awkward, kinda interfered with way but despite tripping right over Andersen he doesn’t score.

Overtime

A couple shots for each before William Nylander almost scores the game winner, then Rasmus Sandin makes an impressive, important save for the Leafs. Ilya Mikheyev almost gets the winner, but blocked again and TJ Brodie takes the puck out to get Tavares and Marner on the ice.

Tavares and Marner battle around the net, Morgan Rielly tries a backhand, and Marner gets the rebound to give the Leafs the win.

Final score: 4-3

The Maple Leafs played well against their former goalie, and kept up with the Hurricanes for the most part. A much better effort than their last meeting. All eyes are on Matthews however, and hopefully he’s back for the next game.

Speaking of, the next game is Thursday night against the Calgary Flames. This one’s in Calgary so the game starts at 9PM Toronto time.

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