Andersen stops former team, streaking Hurricanes beat Leafs

RALEIGH, N.C. – Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in opposition to his former workforce and the unbeaten Carolina Hurricanes matched the very best five-game begin in franchise historical past by defeating the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Monday evening.

Sebastian Aho, Steven Lorentz and Nino Niederreiter scored second-period objectives for the Hurricanes. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-netter and Jaccob Slavin had two assists.

Carolina additionally was 5-0-0 in 2019-20.

“This group goes to work laborious each evening,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour mentioned. “We’ve nonetheless obtained some areas to wash up. It’s good that we’re discovering methods to win.”

Andersen has been the one goalie utilized by the Hurricanes this season. His newest efficiency got here with private connections to the opponent.

“I used to be attempting to not assume an excessive amount of about it,” Andersen mentioned. “It was type of powerful mentally to type of shut that off and never attempt to analyze each play and what they may do.”

Jack Campbell stopped 31 pictures for Toronto, which is 0-3-1 in its previous 4 video games and has managed only one purpose in three of them.

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“We’ve simply obtained to imagine,” left wing Michael Bunting mentioned. “I feel we’re assured to get out of this rut.”

Auston Matthews opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs together with his first purpose of the season. His wraparound got here 3:25 in.

With the Hurricanes failing to attain within the first interval, it meant they trailed getting into the second for the primary time this season.

“I believed our first interval was our greatest interval of play and we had been down 1-0,” Brind’Amour mentioned. “It was type of bizarre how the sport type of went that means.”

Aho and Lorentz scored lower than 2 1/2 minutes aside within the second. Aho has a degree in each Carolina recreation this season, whereas Lorentz obtained his first purpose of the season.

The Maple Leafs had been their busiest within the third interval, recording 9 pictures. However they couldn’t resolve Andersen once more.

“Freddie has simply been a rock,” Lorentz mentioned.

ABOUT TIME

Matthews was the NHL chief in objectives with 41 final season, so getting him within the scoring column was key. He was with out an help throughout his first three video games as effectively.

Matthews wasn’t happy with the result, however he tried to discover a optimistic together with his purpose.

“Hopefully, that’s a very good step for me shifting ahead,” he mentioned.

YOU MUST BE TRIPPING

Slavin, a defenseman, was known as for a second-period tripping penalty. That was his first penalty in additional than 1,074 minutes of ice time relationship to final March. The stretch included the 2021 playoffs and lined elements of 45 video games.

“It was me,” Slavin mentioned of the infraction. “I talked to the ref about it.”

GOALIE APPRECIATIONS

David Ayres, who made historical past in February 2020 by changing into the one emergency backup goalie to get an NHL victory when he rescued the Hurricanes in opposition to the Maple Leafs in Toronto, was honored once more in Raleigh. This time, he dealt with the pregame siren ringing to welcome the Hurricanes to the ice.

Andersen was on the Toronto aspect for that uncommon scenario.

“A enjoyable story for many individuals, however not in our room that yr,” Andersen mentioned.

A bit later Monday, Petr Mrazek, who was Carolina’s prime goalie for elements of the previous three seasons however is out of the Toronto lineup due to an damage, acquired an enormous ovation when launched through the first interval. He acknowledged the gang from an upper-arena field.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: End a three-game street journey Wednesday evening at Chicago.

Hurricanes: Host the Boston Bruins on Thursday evening within the opening a part of their first back-to-back of the season.

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Extra AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports