TORONTO – Alexander Nikishin scored 41 seconds into additional time because the Carolina Hurricanes downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Friday.
Eric Robinson, on a penalty shot, Okay’Andre Miller and Jordan Staal had the opposite targets for Carolina (44-19-6). Brandon Bussi made 23 saves. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho had two assists apiece.
John Tavares, William Nylander and Dakota Joshua replied for Toronto (29-28-13), which obtained 32 stops from Joseph Woll. Matias Maccelli added two assists.
Nikishin scored the winner within the further interval when he ripped a shot past Woll’s blocker.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes entered Friday third within the NHL’s total standings and first within the Jap Convention.
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The severely underperforming Maple Leafs, in the meantime, sat twenty sixth out of 32 groups, second-last within the East and on the backside of the Atlantic Division.
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TAKEAWAYS
Hurricanes: Aho grew to become the third participant to hit no less than 70 factors in 5 seasons with the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers. Ron Francis (11) and Eric Staal (seven) prime the checklist.
Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews underwent surgical procedure on his left MCL in New York on Thursday. Toronto’s captain was injured final week after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Geese defenceman Radko Gudas. The Maple Leafs stated the restoration time for Matthews is predicted to be 12 weeks.
KEY MOMENT
Robinson scored on a second-period penalty shot after being hooked on a breakaway by Maple Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher. The Carolina winger moved in on Woll as a sleepy Scotiabank Enviornment got here to life, and fired his twelfth aim of the marketing campaign previous the netminder’s glove.
KEY STAT
Benoit-Olivier Groulx picked up an help on the opening aim to present him some extent in three straight house video games since becoming a member of Toronto. 5 different gamers previously 20 years have had a run of no less than that size to begin their time with the Authentic Six franchise: Eric Lindros (six video games in 2005-06), Mike Van Ryn (5 video games in 2008-09), Ron Hainsey (4 video games in 2017-18), Michael Bunting (three video games in 2021-22) and Nikita Zaitsev (three video games in 2016-17).
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Go to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Hurricanes: Go to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 20, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
