By The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C.

The Carolina Hurricanes claimed their sixth victory in seven games with a score of 2-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday evening, thanks to goals from Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho.

On March 7, after returning from an injury, Frederik Andersen made 31 saves and claimed his sixth consecutive victory as the Hurricanes extended their streak of earning points in seven games. However, Carolina suffered a loss to Washington on Friday evening.

Nicholas Robertson scored and Joseph Woll stopped 41 shots for Toronto, which was coming off a 6-3 home win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and had its two-game winning streak halted.

In general, it was an excellent display of effort,” commented Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour. “We had numerous chances, as did they. Despite the low score, there were plenty of opportunities.”

Despite Brent Burns receiving a tripping penalty, the Maple Leafs were unable to convert on their power play chance, even after pulling their goalie for an extra skater. The team ended the game without a successful power play, going 0 for 4.

Andersen’s return to the Carolina team has greatly contributed to their efforts to catch up with the New York Rangers in the battle for the top position in the Metropolitan Division. After being sidelined for four months due to a blood-clotting problem, Andersen has made an impressive comeback by stopping 154 out of 162 shots and conceding no more than two goals in each of his six starts.

“If you’ve been away for that duration, it doesn’t matter what role you have, there will most likely be a bit of rust, but it’s clear that he doesn’t show any signs of it,” Brind’Amour stated.

Aho stated that the team has confidence in Andersen, their top goalie, but was uncertain about what to anticipate following his extended absence due to a serious health concern.

Aho expressed that there was some anxiety for him, but he appeared composed as always. This is a huge moment for our team, as he is known as one of the top goalies globally, and we are thrilled to have him on our team.

Skjei scored for the Hurricanes in the first period, taking only 66 seconds. He shot from the point, through three players from Toronto, and scored under Woll’s glove into the net. Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook assisted on the goal.

At 13:55 in the first period, Aho scored a power play goal to make it 2-0. His shot from the left circle went off of Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe’s skate and into the net. Jake Guentzel and Burns both earned assists on the play.

On Friday, Aho scored three goals in the game against the Capitals, but unfortunately, the team lost in a shootout with a final score of 7-6. Aho currently holds the top spot for goals on the Carolina team with a total of 31.

In the first period, Carolina was close to scoring two additional goals. However, Woll prevented a penalty shot by Guentzel at 9:41 and another shot by Martin Necas hit the post two minutes later.

“The team came out with strong determination and built a solid lead. However, I believe we could have extended it even further,” Andersen stated. “Our opponent’s goalkeeper, Woll, made impressive saves and kept them in the game, giving them a chance to bounce back.”

During the second period, Andersen displayed his stellar skills against his ex-team. He denied Toronto’s top player, Auston Matthews, with a close-range save at 6:14.

Andersen’s failed clearing attempt resulted in Matthews having a great opportunity from the right circle, but Andersen managed to block the shot with his glove.

At the conclusion of the second period, Timothy Liljegren took a shot during the Toronto power play that Andersen successfully blocked.

At 8:51 into the third period, Robertson reduced Carolina’s lead to 2-1 by scoring off a pass from Matthews in the slot and beating Andersen.

UP NEXT

Canada’s Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing against the New Jersey team on Tuesday at their home arena.

On Tuesday, a hurricane is expected to hit Pittsburgh.

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“The AP NHL hub can be found at: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl”

Source: wralsportsfan.com