North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes faced a setback in their final home game of the 2024-25 regular season, succumbing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Despite an aggressive start, which saw Carolina outshooting Toronto 11-4 in the first period, the Canes couldn't find the back of the net and ended the period trailing after a late Toronto goal.

Auston Matthews extended the Leafs' lead with a second-period goal, and William Nylander pushed it to 3-0 early in the third period. Carolina responded with a power-play goal by Sebastian Aho, his 68th career goal, tying him for fifth place in franchise history with Sylvain Turgeon. However, Toronto's John Tavares added an insurance goal, cementing the win for his team.

Carolina goalkeeper Frederik Andersen made 16 saves out of 20 shots. Notable mentions include Logan Stankoven's milestone of playing his 100th NHL game. Carolina recorded only two shots in the second period, tying a season-low.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour was disappointed by the team's performance, especially give their initially strong start. He stated: "It was one of our better starts. I liked how we played the whole period until the last 20 seconds."

Jordan Staal echoed similar sentiments, recognizing the team's initial dominance but acknowledging their drop in intensity as the game progressed. Staal also spoke about the challenges of maintaining focus when the team's playoff fate is already determined.

Looking ahead, the Hurricanes will take a day off before resuming practice and traveling to Montreal. Their next game is scheduled against the Canadiens on April 16. The Canes are preparing to face the Devils in the first round of the playoffs. Fans are encouraged to secure their seats for the upcoming playoff games.