Takeaways - Leafs at Hurricanes - 12/11/18

LEAFS TAKE GAME'S FIRST LEAD ON ENNIS' GOAL
The Maple Leafs were focused on ending their two-game losing streak - and answering back for Carolina's 5-2 win over Toronto at Scotiabank Arena Nov. 21 - and got off to a stellar start to Tuesday's game: The Buds outshot the Hurricanes 15-8 in the first 20 minutes, and the Leafs scored the only goal of the first period, when winger Tyler Ennis netted his fifth of the season and the second in his past five games:

CANES PULL EVEN WITH POWER PLAY GOAL, BUT RIELLY PUSHES BUDS AHEAD AGAIN
The Hurricanes had a 7-4-3 home mark entering Tuesday's game, and the home team got some momentum of their own at the 12:44 mark of the second period, when winger Justin Williams produced his sixth goal of the year to even the score at a goal apiece.

    However, 1:07 after Williams scored, the Leafs re-took the lead when blueliner Morgan Rielly's attempted pass to winger Andreas Johansson was re-directed into the Canes' net by D-man Dougie Hamilton:

The goal was Rielly's 10th of the season, setting a new personal best for him (he'd netted nine in 2015-16). And it re-established Toronto's lead at a point in the game the Hurricanes could've taken the lead themselves and put the Buds on their heels. Carolina did outshoot the Leafs 10-7 in the frame, but the visitors were opportunistic, and that was a difference-maker through the first 40 minutes of play.
LEAFS SECURE WIN WITH GOALS FROM MARLEAU, TAVARES IN THIRD
Once again, Toronto was outshot by Carolina in the first half of the third period (by a margin of 7-3), but once again, the Leafs were the ones finding ways to score. They got two additional goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period - including winger Patrick Marleau's eighth goal of the year at 5:49 of the frame:

Marleau finished off a 2-on-1 rush with winger William Nylander on the scoring sequence, giving Marleau his fourth goal in his past eight games, and giving Nylander (who had the secondary assist on Rielly's goal in the second period) a two-point night. But then, the Leafs extended their lead at 8:29 of the third on a (and stop us if you've heard this before) phenomenal passing play by winger Mitch Marner that led to centre John Tavares' team-leading 19th goal of the year:

Marner was mesmerizing as he carried the puck behind Carolina's net before finding a charging Tavares, who tapped it past Mrazek for Toronto's fourth goal - and a goal in Tavares' 700th career regular-season NHL game. Marner, meanwhile, garnered his 35th assist of the season, and he now trails only Colorado's Mikka Rantanen in that department, and only by a single point.
Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen kept Carolina off the scoresheet the rest of the evening, and Toronto snapped its losing streak as they turned their attention to the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning, who they'll play in Florida Thursday night. The Bolts are 14-4-0 at home, and they're riding a seven-game win streak, so it will take a huge effort by the Leafs to produce a win. But they're proven themselves capable of just such an effort, which will make the showdown a must-see contest.