Recap: Canes Lose To Leafs In Home Finale

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes came out firing in the first 20 minutes but came up short after 60, falling 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in their final home game of the 2024-25 regular season.

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Carolina got the start it was seeking in the first period, outshooting Toronto 11-4 and carrying much of the play, but failed to convert on its chances and found itself behind at the break after a late Leafs goal broke the ice. Toronto then picked up the pace in the second stanza and struck again at 10:20, with Auston Matthews finishing off a give-and-go to make it 2-0 after two periods.

Looking for a jolt at the start of the final frame, Carolina was instead dealt a dagger when William Nylander made it 3-0 just 1:25 in. Still, the Canes pushed and were ultimately rewarded with a Sebastian Aho one-time tally on the power play. But any comeback hopes fizzled from there as John Tavares netted an insurance marker for the Maple Leafs shortly after.

Frederik Andersen finished with 16 saves on 20 shots.

Stats & Standouts

• Despite his rookie status, Logan Stankoven appeared in his 100th NHL game on Sunday. He's the 17th member of the 2021 NHL Draft class to reach the century mark in games played.
• Carolina recorded just two shots in the second period, tying their lowest total in a period this season and marking the fourth time they've done so.
• Sebastian Aho scored his 68th career power-play goal in the second period, tying Sylvain Turgeon for the fifth most in franchise history.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour when asked if having the great first period, yet trailing afterward, was the story of the contest...

"Yeah, probably. It was one of our better starts. I liked how we played the whole period until the last 20 seconds. We had two other mishaps that led to two-on-ones in that period, so it wasn't perfect, but (giving up the late goal) took a little out of the boys. The second [period] wasn't very good. It wasn't terrible, but we just never really generated anything and then we were down again, so it was tough to come back."

Jordan Staal sharing similar thoughts...

"It was a great first, and we were playing the way we wanted to play. I think after that, we just expected that to keep going, and we kind of got a little complacent. They obviously started playing a little better in the second, and they made their push. They get two quick ones and then we're chasing the game. My line gave up a bad one in the third..."

Jordan Staal on the challenges of playing regular-season games when the team already knows its first-round opponent...

"Yeah, it's challenging. Obviously, everyone's a pro here. Everyone wants to be feeling good about their game going into the real deal. So we'll learn from this and we'll make sure that we're sharper next time. When it matters, everyone will be ready to go."

Jordan Staal showing love to the fans after a historic season on home ice...

"It's been a lot of fun. Our fans are a huge part of that. It's always a pleasure playing in front of this group of fans. They're just so passionate and so loud. Momentum shifts are huge at home and we ride those as hard we can. Playing in this building has been a joy this year."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to be off on Monday before returning to practice on Tuesday. They'll head to Montreal that afternoon ahead of Wednesday's tilt against the Habs.

Next Game: Wednesday, April 16 at Montreal | 7:00 p.m. | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights