The Carolina Hurricanes traveled up to Ontario to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first of three games during the 2025-26 season. It was a special night as it was the “Hall of Fame Game”, with a special ceremony before the game for the 2025 Hall of Fame Class introductions. The Hurricanes were winners of four of their last six, and were on a three-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs were winners of three straight before their latest loss to the Boston Bruins. It was two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference in a showdown that were looking to add a win before the weekend was over. After the final horn, the Hurricanes defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4 to claim their fourth straight win.
Game Recap
The first period saw five goals, three from the Maple Leafs and two from the Hurricanes. William Nylander bookended the scoring as he scored the first goal of the game, five minutes into the opening frame. He got a pass from Matthew Knies as he flew into the high slot in the Hurricanes’ zone. He then scored with 59 seconds left to give the Maple Leafs the lead once again to make it 3-2. In the middle of that, the Hurricanes got a 2-1 lead, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
Aho scored on the power play after a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers going across the ice, 65 feet to be exact. Jarvis made it a 2-1 lead after a great sequence of passing from Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov to find him by the Maple Leafs’ goal.
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John Tavares, in his 1,200th game, tied the game up 2-2 exactly a minute after the Jarvis goal. He picked up the loose change rebound following an initial save from Brandon Bussi. Bussi and Dennis Hildeby looked frazzled in the first 20 minutes of the game, with shots being 12-11 Hurricanes, but the score was 3-2 after one.
The second period saw two goals in the middle frame, one from each side. Auston Matthews made it a 4-2 lead for the Maple Leafs after he got a pass right beside the net and tucked it in with Bussi at the top of the crease. After hitting three posts earlier in the period, the Hurricanes finally got a goal, this one coming from Sean Walker. That’s his third goal in four games that brought the visitors to within one. After two, it was 4-3 Maple Leafs.
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In what was a back-and-forth two periods between the Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes, the visitors were able to score two in the final frame to complete the comeback. Taylor Hall tied the game 4-4 just 3:20 into the third period. Logan Stankoven would eventually get the game-winning goal, giving himself a multi-point night after the assist on the Hall goal, to make it a 5-4 lead for the Hurricanes. Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller with multi-point nights as well, following two assists each for the Aho goal and the Stankoven goal.
After the comeback win, the Hurricanes are now on a four-game winning streak, and are 11-4-0 on the season. They head back home to take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Regarding the Maple Leafs, they fall to 8-7-1 following the loss. Their next game is on Nov. 11 as well as they travel to Boston to take on the Bruins.
