Maple Leafs Secure 6-3 Victory Over Hurricanes with Early Offensive Surge
Toronto builds a commanding first-period lead, with Alex Steeves notching his first NHL goal and Pontus Holmberg contributing two goals and an assist.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs scored four goals in the first period, establishing a dominant lead over the Carolina Hurricanes at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.
- Alex Steeves, in his 12th NHL game, recorded his first career goal and added an assist, while Pontus Holmberg tallied two goals and an assist for Toronto.
- John Tavares, David Kampf, and Auston Matthews also scored for the Maple Leafs, with Matthews and Holmberg sealing the win with empty-net goals in the third period.
- Carolina attempted a comeback with third-period goals from Shayne Gostisbehere, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jaccob Slavin, but fell short despite a more urgent second-half effort.
- Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves, while Carolina's Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 17 shots; the Hurricanes have now lost four of their last five games.