Alex Zachman
Assistant Captain Jeff Skinner expresses frustration after a missed shot on goal. The Hurricanes lost their 3rd home game to the Tampa Bay Lighting 5-1 at the PNC Arena on Tuesday October 24.
Despite a spirited comeback attempt, the Carolina Hurricanes dropped their second-straight game with a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena Friday night.
The Leafs (15-8-1) beat Canes (9-8-4) goalie Cam Ward four times on 16 shots, leading head coach Bill Peters to pull him for Scott Darling entering the third period. Forwards Derek Ryan, Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin scored for Carolina, and forward Jeff Skinner chipped in two assists.
Trailing 5-2 with 6:02 remaining in the third, the Canes appeared to be on their way to a second-consecutive blowout loss. However, Lindholm and Hanifin scored 1:09 apart to bring Carolina within one. Peters pulled Darling with 2:08 to play, and the Canes mustered a few good chances but could not find the equalizer.
“We gave up too many goals to start,” Staal said. “There were a few too many defensive lapses. Little plays that they made us pay. When you let in five goals as a group, the odds of you getting the win are very slim. … I thought we did a good job trying to come back. … We had some good looks right at the end too, so that was good to see.”
The game-winning goal did not come without controversy in this one. As the Canes entered the third period trailing 4-1, Staal brought the team within two with on a delayed penalty sequence less than five minutes in.
Shortly after, Skinner was on the receiving end of a questionable goalie interference penalty, on a play with Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, who stopped 43 of 47 Hurricanes shots, outside the crease, and in which he appeared to initiate the contact. The Leafs took a 5-2 lead on the ensuing power play with a tap-in from forward Patrick Marleau, a tally that stood up as the difference after the Canes’ late push.
“That’s their winning goal,” Skinner said. “I think we did a good job to get a goal early in the period. Then they get one there on their power play, and we come back and we’re just a goal short. That’s tough. Those moments happen. There’s a lot of moments like that in the game. I think obviously that one gets a little more magnified given the circumstances.”
Carolina dominated the game’s first period, outshooting the Leafs 14-4. However, some excellent stops by Andersen and near misses kept the game scoreless.