Recap: Canes Defeat Maple Leafs

Buoyed by a two-goal first period and a solid performance in net from Curtis McElhinney, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2.
Micheal Ferland's power-play tally in the third period was the game-winner, and McElhinney made 29 saves on 31 shots against his former team.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's Thanksgiving appetizer at PNC Arena.

One
The Maple Leafs sat atop the Eastern Conference coming into tonight's game, and the Hurricanes were up to the task right from the drop of the puck. The Canes dominated the first period, Toronto pushed back in the second and the Canes closed out strong in the third.

The win improved the Canes to 4-1-1 in their last six games, and the team has collected seven of a possible 10 points through five games of a season-long, six-game homestand.
"It was huge," Ferland said. "Coming into tonight, we wanted to make a statement that we could play with any team. I thought we played really good tonight."
Two
A game removed from scoring two goals in eight seconds, the Canes struck twice in 22 seconds tonight to take a 2-0 lead in the first period.
The game's opening tally came off the stick of Trevor van Riemsdyk. Svechnikov centered the puck from behind the net, and a mad scramble ensued in the slot. Lucas Wallmark and Jordan Martinook had whacks at it, but it was van Riemsdyk creeping into the slot and gently backhanding in his first goal of the season.

Soon after, Calvin de Haan skated down along the near wall and centered the puck to an uncovered Justin Williams in the slot for the tap-in, the veteran's second goal in as many games and 100th with the Hurricanes. Williams is now just the ninth player in NHL history to score 100 goals and win a Stanley Cup with multiple teams.
"We had a great game today. The boys were on fire," Andrei Svechnikov said. "We scored the first couple of goals. That's important for us to score first."

Three
That two-goal output was the tangible result of firing 29 shots on goal in the first period, marking the most single-period shots in team (since relocation) history. While three shots shy of a franchise record (set in March 1984, also against Toronto), 29 shots on goal is the most in any first period in the NHL since 1997-98.
"It was a huge start for us," McElhinney said. "29 shots for us in the first period, which is unbelievable. If we're funneling pucks to the net, good things are going to happen."
Of the Hurricanes' 29 first-period shots, Andrei Svechnikov had five of them. The Russian rookie was dynamic in the opening frame. On his first shift of the game, he put his shoulder down on a defender and drove the net with the puck. And, though not appearing on the scoresheet, Svechnikov played an integral role in van Riemsdyk's tally.

Svechnikov was rewarded for his solid performance with an empty-net goal in the game's waning moments.
"He's coming on. You can see that," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "You can see the confidence starting to come out of him. Hanging on to pucks in the O-zone, taking it to the net really hard. Still got to work on the D-zone stuff, but he's trying. I love it. He wants to learn."
Four
The Canes dipped in the second period, registering just two shots on goal, the first coming in the final two minutes of the period. But, they rediscovered their game in the third period and stretched their lead back to two goals on their first and only power play of the game.
Teuvo Teravainen had a nice keep at the blue line while Sebastian Aho scampered to the bench for a new stick, and Teravainen slid the puck over to Ferland for the one-time blast that beat Frederik Andersen five-hole.

"It was a good play by Turbo to keep the puck in. I was getting open to get a shot off," Ferland said. "It was a nice play."
"I liked the way we competed in the third," Brind'Amour said. "We went after it."
At the other end of the ice, McElhinney continued to stand tall. Kasperi Kapanen scored on a laser wrist shot to bring the Leafs back within a goal at 3-2, but that's as close as they would come. The veteran netminder finished the night with 30 saves in his fifth win of the season.
"It feels good," McElhinney said. "I'm not going to lie, it was a tough way to leave Toronto, but I certainly understand what the circumstances were. It's a huge win for us considering where they are in the standings."
"He's been great," Ferland said of McElhinney. "It all starts from back there. Hopefully we can keep battling in front of him, keep grinding and keep building something here."
"Curtis has come in and been solid. He's done everything we've asked him to do. It's not an easy situation for him. He has to leave his family. He comes down here. I think he's still in a hotel. It sucks for him probably," Brind'Amour said. "He's a professional. There's a reason why a guy lasts that long. You can see it."
Aho and Svechnikov potted empty-net goals late in regulation to seal the victory for the Hurricanes.
Five
Victor Rask returned to game action tonight after missing the team's first 20 games of the season with a right-hand injury. In his season debut, Rask logged two shots, one hit and a 57-percent faceoff win rate in 10:32 of ice time.
"I thought he looked great. He didn't play much, but the shifts he had were productive. I think we'll still probably ease him in a little bit, but he looks like he's right where he probably needs to be," Brind'Amour said. "I know he would have loved to play a little more, so we'll have to figure that out as we go, but there's no real rush to bury him right away. This was a good step in the right direction."
Up Next
The Hurricanes close out their season-long, six-game homestand on Black Friday against the Florida Panthers.