Hurricanes defeat Maple Leafs, run winning streak to three
Dec 30, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (22) battles for position with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi (59) in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. credits: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists and the visiting Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Saturday night.
Michael Bunting and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes, and Andrei Svechnikov added two assists. Aho has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his past three games.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 25 saves as the Hurricanes won their third straight game.
Timothy Liljegren had a goal and an assist and Nicholas Robertson also scored for Toronto, which has lost three in a row (0-2-1). Max Domi added two assists, and Martin Jones stopped 25 shots.
Bunting, a former Maple Leafs player, scored during a power play at 2:24 of the first period. Aho's pass from the end boards into the slot set up Bunting, who slid the puck through the five-hole for his eighth goal of the season. Matthew Knies was off for hooking.
Toronto had an 11-9 advantage in shots on goal after one period.
Knies had a good chance on a break during a Toronto flurry midway through the second period.
Jarvis scored his 13th goal of the season during a power play at 13:52 of the second period to finish a two-on-one with Svechnikov. Domi was serving a holding penalty.
Each team had 21 shots on goal through two periods.
Liljegren scored his first goal of the season on a shot from the left faceoff circle at 4:16 of the third period.
Toronto did not have a shot on goal during a power play midway through the third period.
Toronto's Mitchell Marner took a tripping penalty at 15:45 of the third period. It interrupted Toronto's comeback attempt.
Toronto killed the penalty, but Aho clinched the win with his 15th goal of the season into an empty net at 19:05.
Robertson scored his fifth of the season at 19:50.
Toronto forward David Kampf was a healthy scratch Saturday because of defensive lapses in the 6-5 overtime loss to the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
—Field Level Media
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