MAPLE LEAFS (20-9-1) at HURRICANES (13-11-4) 7 p.m. ET; FS-CR, TSN4, NHL.TV
The Maple Leafs will try to avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time this season. They had won five in a row before a 5-4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and a 6-3 loss to the Bruins on Saturday. Carolina forward Micheal Ferland, who leads the team with 11 goals, returns to the lineup after missing four games with a concussion. Goalie Petr Mrazek will start for the Hurricanes, who defeated Toronto 5-2 in Raleigh on Nov. 21.
Players to watch
Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in a five-game point streak. Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen has nine points (three goals, six assists) in nine games against the Maple Leafs.
They said it
"We had enough dressed the last game and the game before to play better than we did. You want your lows to be very short. We've had an off day, we've had a practice day. There's no reason not to play well." -- Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock "Their high-end skill is what scares you. You can't take a breath against these guys. You're kind of on your guy and you're there, but that's not good enough against these kind of players." -- Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour
McElhinney practiced after Carolina's morning skate. The Hurricanes recalled Darling from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
Stat pack
Tavares will play in his 700th NHL game. Gardiner has one goal and six assists during a four-game point streak. Marner has 12 assists in his past seven games. Toronto is the least penalized team in the NHL (6.7 minutes per game); Carolina ranks third (7.5). ... Bishop scored his first NHL goal and had his first assist in Carolina's 4-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
