Staal Scores Twice As Hurricanes Beat Maple Leafs
Posted December 28, 2010 9:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Patrick Dwyer scored the game-winner with just over five minutes remaining in regulation Tuesday as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.
Eric Staal, with two, and Jeff Skinner had the other goals for the Hurricanes (16-15-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Phil Kessel scored twice and Mikhail Grabovski had the other goal for the Maple Leafs (13-18-4). Carolina goalie Cam Ward stopped 34 shots for the victory, while Jonas Gustavsson made 23 saves for Toronto.
The Maple Leafs worked hard under tough circumstances after being stuck on a bus in a winter storm for five hours Sunday following a victory in New Jersey. The team didn’t arrive back in Toronto until Tuesday morning.
Dwyer’s winner at 14:49 of the third came off a scramble in front of Gustavsson as the Leafs simply ran out of gas.
The game began fast and furious with five goals in the final 13 minutes of the first period.
After Skinner made it 1-0 at 7:34 of the first, Kessel answered less than five minutes later with a one-timer from the left circle during a 5-on-3 power play.
Staal’s first came courtesy a John Mitchell giveaway in the Hurricanes’ zone. The Carolina captain stripped the puck from Mitchell and streaked down the wing before cutting in front to beat Gustavsson at 14:08.
Kessel tied the game 2-2 with his second of the night just 1:22 later. Tyler Bozak stole the puck from Carolina defenceman Jay Harrison in the corner. Joey Crabb shovelled it to Kessel for a backhander from the high slot.
Stall added his second goal with 10 seconds left to play in the period when Sergei Samsonov made some shifty moves before passing to Staal for a one-timer.
Mikhail Grabovski tied the game 3-3 on the power play at 8:17 of the second. A tipped point shot fell to Grabovski, who beat Ward.
After being outshot 25-15 through two periods by Toronto, the third was all Carolina with the tough travel schedule seemingly catching up to the Leafs.
The Toronto finished the game 2-for-8 with the man advantage, while Carolina was 1-for-3.
Toronto hosts Columbus on Thursday before heading to Ottawa for a New Year’s day clash.
Notes: Returning to Toronto were former Maple Leafs defencemen Ian White, Jay Harrison and centre Jiri Tlusty, who was a healthy scratch. … Tomas Kaberle added to his Leafs-leading points total versus Carolina, he now has 29 in 40 career games. … Crabb’s assist on Kessel’s second goal was his first point as a Maple Leaf. … Attendance at Air Canada Centre was 19,309.
