Matthews rewrites team history, Holmberg scores twice, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs won 6-3 over Carolina Hurricanes

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their first game back following the 4 Nations Face-Off break with a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs led 4-0 before the Canes stormed back to get to within a goal.

However, the Leafs held the Hurricanes back, getting two late empty-netters to put the game away for good in the final moments of the third period.

Pontus Holmberg scored twice for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Alex Steeves, David Kampf, John Tavares, and captain Auston Matthews (EN) getting the others for Toronto. Meanwhile, Shayne Gostisbehere, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jaccob Slavin scored roughly three minutes apart in the third period for the Carolina Hurricanes.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Carolina Hurricanes:

---

Three reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Carolina Hurricanes

#3 Stolarz’s 31 saves

Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz played a far more solid game than his stat line would indicate. While Stolarz surrendered three goals, two of those were fluke goals that Stolarz could have easily saved.

With the game 3-1, a shot from the slot by Svechnikov hit defenseman Jack McCabe, redirecting the puck past Stolarz on the blocker side.

A few moments later, a fluke shot hit a Hurricanes forward in front of the net, lifting the puck high in the air. As the puck settled down, Slavin stood at the side of the net, putting the puck into the open net.

Here’s a look at the goal:

Stolarz shut the door in the final moments of the game, allowing the Leafs to pull away from the Canes and nab the two points.

#2 Holmberg scores twice

Pontus Holmberg got two goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending a 17-game goalless drought. Holmberg ended the night with three points (2G, 1A), playing a crucial role from the bottom six.

It’s worth pointing out that fellow bottom-six forwards David Kampf and Alex Steeves also got in on the act, scoring key goals for the Leafs. The depth scoring was most welcome as the lack of bottom-six scorers has been a consistent issue for Toronto.

#1 Matthews passes Sittler

With the game 4-3 late in the third, Leafs captain Auston Matthews made a strong play to beat two Carolina defenders and deposit the puck in the open net, providing the Leafs with a critical insurance goal.

Beyond the insurance goal itself, the tally allowed Matthews to pass Leafs franchise legend Darryl Sittler for second on the team’s all-time goal-scoring list. Matthews has 389 goals, second only to former captain Mats Sunding (420).

Here's a look at the milestone goal:

The Leafs will be back on the ice on Sunday night when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center to open a seven-game road trip.