The Toronto Maple Leafs believe they can play even better than they already are.
That could mean trouble for the Carolina Hurricanes when the teams meet Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The Maple Leafs head to Carolina on a five-game winning streak after Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Philadelphia. They’ll return to Toronto for three games after wrapping up their two-game trip Thursday.
“It has been a good trip so far,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said. “Another tough challenge Thursday.”
Matthews has produced seven points (two goals, five assists) across three games since returning from a two-week absence due to an upper-body injury. He scored to even Tuesday’s game at 2-2 in the second period before Matthew Knies delivered the game-winner with 6:39 left in the third.
“I think every night I feel better,” Matthews said. “Just want to continue to build off our game and what we’re doing.”
The Hurricanes could use a dose of Toronto’s consistency.
Carolina’s 3-2 setback at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night continued the Hurricanes’ trend of alternating wins and losses, a streak that’s reached seven games. They haven’t won two straight since Dec. 15 and 17.
“That has been the story of the season for me,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “When we’ve lost, we’ve played well enough to get something, but we’re getting nothing out of those games. We’ve got to find a way even when we’re not playing our best to get something out of these games.”
Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored in the second period Tuesday to snap a nine-game goal drought. Jordan Staal delivered the tying tally for Carolina midway through the third, but goalie Pyotr Kochetkov surrendered Tampa Bay’s game-winner with 52 seconds left.
It marked the first time in seven games this season in which Kochetkov faced at least 30 shots but shouldered a regulation loss.
Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll has won his last five starts, allowing more than two goals in only one of those outings. Three of those games involved 30 or more saves.
Woll said likes the workload of being Toronto’s primary netminder. The fourth-year veteran has made 19 starts this season and is on pace to eclipse his career-high of 23, which he set last season.
“It’s a mix of staying in the moment and focusing on one game at a time,” Woll said. “Just taking care of myself the best that I can. It’s fun to play in a lot of games. It’s easy to get in more of a rhythm when you’re playing more.”
Carolina defenseman Brent Burns is set to appear in his 885th consecutive game on Thursday night, which would put the 21-year veteran alone in sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list.
“That’s the hardest part about playing in the NHL, getting yourself mentally prepared,” Brind’Amour said. “You have to be ready at the highest level. Years and years and years of that prep and the amount of work you put in.”
The Hurricanes can benefit from the work ethics of many of their established players. That’s a good mix for the experienced players, such as Burns and others, to set examples for the younger core of players, Brind’Amour said.
“The veteran guys we have here are just top-notch,” he said.
This will be the first of three meetings between Toronto and Carolina. The Hurricanes have won four of their last five home games.
–Field Level Media
