CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 12, 2017

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1 Rielly scores in OT, Maple Leafs down Canes 3-2 BY CHIP ALEXANDER RALEIGH The two head coaches are close friends. The two teams have some of the NHL s best rookies. The Toronto Maple Leafs believe they have a playoff-caliber team this season, and the Carolina Hurricanes will have to wait at least another year, but both played it Saturday like much was at stake for each team. It took overtime to decide it, and a goal by defenseman Morgan Rielly at 2:13 of the extra period gave the Leafs a 3-2 victory at PNC Arena. Rielly s goal came about 30 seconds after the Leafs Auston Matthews knocked the puck away from Canes center Victor Rask, who was caught on the ice too long in the overtime. Rielly first carried the puck behind the net, pivoted near the right circle, then made another stop-and-start move and unleashed a low shot past Rask that beat goalie Cam Ward. I had a couple of chances, but I couldn t put it in the net, Rask said. Then my man scored. So it s my bad. It was the rubber game in the three-game season series, matching Canes coach Bill Peters and Mike Babcock of the Leafs, who dined together Friday night. The game almost seemed like an NHL rookie showcase, with so much attention given this season to Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander of the Leafs and the Canes Sebastian Aho. The Leafs ( ), getting 36 saves from Frederik Andersen, slipped past the New York Islanders and into the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 76 points. It was a bit of a grind, but in the end we stuck with it, Babcock said. While it was a loss, Peters said there was lots to like about the Canes game. The Canes scored on a second-period power play when Teuvo Teravainen winged a long shot that glanced off Rielly s stick in front of Andersen. Carolina s penalty killers killed off both penalties in the game, and Peters liked the play of his defensemen-- Jaccob Slavin played almost 30 minutes and had five takeaways. Peters praised Rask, who scored his 15th in the first period with a sharp shot past Rielly that beat Andersen shortside. Rask, centering a line with Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm, also won eight of 10 faceoffs. I thought Victor Rask skated very well, he said. I thought that line was dangerous. Told Rask accepted responsibility for the loss, Peters said, I liked his game. I liked the fact he had more pace to his game. Peters didn t like losing rookie forward Valentin Zykov early in the game. Zykov, who scored his first goal Thursday in his NHL debut against the New York Rangers, was banged into the boards by the Leafs Roman Polak and left the game with an upper-body injury. Peters did not criticize the officiating for the Polak hit the defenseman was not penalized or for an interference call against Ward in the second period when the goalie went behind the net to play the puck and then collided with Leafs forward Nazem Kadri. Asked how often he had seen a goalie knocked down behind the net and then penalized, Peters said, In the last decade that would be the first. While the Canes ( ) twice took the lead, the Leafs responded. Marner scored 53 seconds after Rask s goal with a one-timer from the right circle, and James van Riemsdyk, who assisted on the Marner goal, scored on a quick burst into the zone in the second period after the Leafs won a faceoff in the neutral zone. Marner missed the Feb. 19 game in Raleigh with an injury as the Leafs won 4-0, getting a sensational goal from Matthews. Marner s goal was his 16th. I thought it was a real good hockey game, Peters said. I thought there was real good pace and skill both ways.

2 Hanifin: Leafs Matthews has that swagger BY CHIP ALEXANDER Auston Matthews has 31 goals in his rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but No. 28 was special. It came against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 19 at PNC Arena, it came on a show-stopper of a move by the Leafs forward and replays of it quickly went viral. Canes coach Bill Peters recalled it this way Saturday after the morning skate: There was a lot going on there. We had a bad line change, we took a penalty on the play and he still scored. He s impressive. Canes forward Phil Di Giuseppe was trailing Matthews as he powered to the net. Di Giuseppe hooked Matthews, who fell forward but scored with a forehand-to-backhand shot that beat goalie Cam Ward. It was the kind of moment, coming in a 4-0 Leafs victory, that could help Matthews win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, although the competition is stiff. Patrik Laine of Winnipeg has 32 goals and 59 points, four more points than Matthews and in six fewer games. Defenseman Zach Werenski of Columbus has played well. The Leafs Mitch Marner is in the Calder conversation. And the Canes like the play of forward Sebastian Aho, who scored his 19th and 20th goals Thursday to spur a 4-3 comeback win over the New York Rangers. Canes defenseman Noah Hanifin, who played with Matthews and Werenski in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, smiled Saturday when asked which of the Calder candidates might get his vote, if he had one. Oh, I don t know, Hanifin said. There are so many. It s going to be really close. Obviously, Auston has done great. Laine is doing really well. I think Zach Werenski is having a great year, as well. It s going to be cool to see what happens. Matthews, the No. 1 pick in last year s NHL Entry Draft, has gone the past four games without a point. Hanifin and the Canes want to make it five Saturday as they play the third and final game of their season series at PNC Arena, but at 6-3 and 216 pounds, Matthews has the power, the speed and the ability to finish that makes him tough to handle every time out. He has great hands, especially in tight with the goalies, Hanifin said. As a defenseman you have to have a tight gap on him throughout the whole game and not give him much. Hanifin said he first met Matthews when he 7 years old, when the two played for the Boston Junior Bruins. Matthews grew up in Arizona but the two were reunited in the USA Hockey program and were teammates in the 2015 World Junior Championship and 2016 World Championship. With his style of play he s adjusted very well to the league, Hanifin said. He s a smart player, big body, strong guy in the corners. He s a very confident player and he s a hardworking guy, too. He s pretty calm and knows what he s capable of doing. He has that swagger about him. I m not shocked to see what s he doing. Cam Ward, coming off his 40-save effort against the Rangers, will be the starter for the Canes. The lines at Saturday s had Jordan Staal with Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, Victor Rask with Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm, Derek Ryan centering Valentin Zykov and Lee Stempniak, and Jay McClement at center with Joakim Nordstrom and Patrick Brown. The defensive pairs were Jaccob Slavin-Justin Faulk, Hanifin-Brett Pesce and Klas Dahlbeck-Ryan Murphy. Forwards Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe, who both have upper-body injuries, wore yellow, no-contact jerseys at the skate. McGinn has missed four games and Di Giuseppe two.

3 Leafs getting overtime winner to knock off Hurricanes, 3-2 Morgan Rielly's goal helps Toronto keep pace in playoff hunt By Cory Lavalette March 11th, :09 pm RALEIGH The Carolina Hurricanes played another tight game against a team jockeying for playoff position in the Eastern Conference, but they couldn t play spoiler Saturday night at PNC Arena. Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly scored 2:13 into overtime to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over Carolina. The Hurricanes outshot the Leafs 38-26, but again struggled to turn those chances into goals. A little more finishing around the net, obviously, is what we're needing and lacking right now, Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. The Hurricanes and Maple Leafs exchanged goals near the first period s midway point, with Victor Rask scoring his 15th goal on a wrist shot that beat Frederik Andersen on the short side at 8:59, followed by Toronto rookie Mitch Marner zipping a one-timer past Cam Ward 53 seconds later to tie it. The Carolina power play picked up where it left off Thursday when it scored twice, by converting on its first chance. Toronto defenseman Nikita Zaitsev penalty for crosschecking carried over from the end of the first to the beginning of the second, and Teuvo Teravainen s point shot was tipped and went past Andersen just 45 seconds into the period to push Carolina ahead, 2-1. The goal was originally credited to Jordan Staal, but was changed back to Teravainen before the third period. It's all about confidence, Teravainen said of the power play getting its third goal in two games. You want to feel good about yourself, you want to make some plays and have the confidence to make some moves. And either way you have to shoot the puck... like my goal, I just throw it in there and bounce it in. But the Maple Leafs ( ) responded again. Off a faceoff just outside the Carolina blue line, Toronto pushed the puck forward and it wound up bouncing to Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk in the slot. Van Riemsdyk released a quick shot that beat Ward at 7:37 of the second to tie the game. Carolina ( ) outshot Toronto in all three periods, then possessed the puck to start overtime but couldn t get another goal past Andersen (36 saves). Rask turned the puck over then chased Rielly around the Carolina zone. Rielly got to the middle and flipped a shot that Ward (23 saves) had clear view of but had bounce of his left pad and in to end it. It's definitely a tough pill to swallow on that one, Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin said of the loss. You've gotta give props to their goalie, he played a pretty good game. But we definitely had our opportunities to score and we just got to take advantage of that next time. Slavin played a season-high 29:47 seven seconds shy of his career high set in an overtime loss to Tampa Bay on March 5, 2016 due in part to an injury to Hurricanes forward Valentin Zykov in the first minute of the game. Zykov who scored in his NHL debut Thursday lasted just 37 seconds against the Leafs after he was violently slammed into the boards by Toronto defenseman Roman Polak. Zykov went to the Carolina locker room favoring his right arm/shoulder and did not return. Carolina played the balance of the game with 11 forwards, using defenseman Ryan Murphy up front on the fourth line and playing with five defensemen. It didn't look good, Peters said of Zykov s injury. It looked like it was a hard hit. He went in awkward, obviously. Tough one, tough play on a kid. First shift for Z in the game and obviously coming off a pretty exciting game for him in his last game. Notes: Ward was called for interference in the second period after he was kicked over behind the net by Nazem Kadri, a call Peters said, In the last decade that'd be the first [he'd seen]. Noah Hanifin finished with 11 shot attempts, including six on goal. Rask won 8 of 10 faceoffs, while Jay McClement lost 7 of 9.

4 Recap: Canes Fall to Leafs in Overtime by Michael / CarolinaHurricanes.com March 11th, 2017 Analysis from Raleigh The rubber match of the season series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs required more than 60 minutes to settle. The Hurricanes earned a point but fell to the Maple Leafs, 3-2, in overtime. Victor Rask and Teuvo Teravainen tallied for Carolina, while Morgan Rielly scored the game-winner in 3-on-3 action. "It was a good game. We didn't find a way to get the two points, but we had a couple chances 3-on-3," Jordan Staal said. "There were a lot of good things throughout that game." "I thought there were a lot of positives in our team game, and I thought some individuals played outstanding," head coach Bill Peters said. "There was lots to like. A little more finish in and around the net is what we're needing and lacking right now." Nearly midway through the five-minute overtime period, Rielly cut towards the middle of the ice from the far boards and beat Cam Ward on a quick shot to lift the Leafs to victory. After the game, Rask reflected on the goal. "Had a couple chances there, but I couldn't put it in the net. Then my guy scored, so it's my bad," he said. Peters, though, praised Rask for his game. "Victor Rask skated very well, and he was 8-for-10 on draws. I thought that line was dangerous. Skinner-Rask-Lindholm I really liked," Peters said. "I hope he (Rask) plays like that again. I thought he played very well." The Hurricanes got off to a quick start tonight, out-shooting Toronto 7-0 in the first six-and-a-half minutes of the game. Then, the Canes struck first where it counts. Rask beat Frederik Andersen, a former seventh-round pick of the Hurricanes, short side high from a tough angle to open the scoring. "I had the D-man screening the goalie, so I shot it between his legs and luckily it went in," Rask said. "Credit to the guys for being ready to start on time," Peters said. "They did a good job there." Just 53 seconds later, Toronto answered to tie the game, via rookie Mitch Marner's 17th goal of the season. A similar script played out on the scoresheet in the second period. Early on carry-over power play time from the first, Teuvo Teravainen's point shot found twine after Leafs' defenseman Morgan Rielly redirected the puck while trying to defend Staal in the slot. Seven minutes later, Toronto again tied the game, this time off the stick of James van Riemsdyk. "I thought it was a good hockey game," Peters said. "There was some real good pace and a lot of skill both ways." The Hurricanes went down a forward very early into tonight's contest. On his first shift of his second career game, Valentin Zykov absorbed a big hit from Roman Polak along the near boards. It was a dangerous play, as Zykov was sent hurdling face-first into the boards. No call was made on the play, but Zykov did not return to the game with what was deemed an upper-body injury. "It didn't look good. It looked like it was a hard hit. He went in awkwardly," Peters said. "It's a tough one, a tough play for the kid. First shift for Z in the game coming off a pretty exciting game for him." The Hurricanes will face off with the New York Islanders in a back-to-back, home-and-home set on Monday and Tuesday. "We'll just keep working and taking advantage of what we have to do off the ice to help us keep our legs and keep us going," Staal said. "It's a lot of hockey, but it's been good, and we've been working hard." "I thought they were competitive tonight, and I think they're going to be competitive each and every night. They've got a lot to prove, these guys," Peters said. "It's the best time of year to make an assessment on a player because teams are desperate for points, absolutely desperate and hungry big time. So if you can play at this time of year, then you're an NHL player. If you fall off and struggle at the most important time of the year when the intensity of the games is very high, we have to be aware of that and make decisions on that."

5 Maple Leafs defeat Hurricanes in overtime Morgan Rielly scores at 2:13; Frederik Andersen makes 36 saves for Toronto by Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent RALEIGH, N.C. -- Morgan Rielly scored at 2:13 of overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Saturday. Rielly skated behind the net and worked up the boards before cutting to the slot to beat Cam Ward with a low shot for his fourth goal of the season. "In this overtime, you want to hold onto [the puck] as long as you can," Rielly said. "You don't want to turn it over if you don't have to. It's just a matter of holding onto it, try to find a teammate or a lane to shoot it. I got lucky and it just happened to go in." Frederik Andersen made 36 saves for the Maple Leafs ( ), who have won three in a row. Toronto moved one point ahead of the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes ( ) are in their past 14 games. "We've got to find a way to finish some plays," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "I thought there were a lot of positives to our team game. Just a little more finish around the net is what we're needing and lacking right now." Victor Rask's 15th goal of the season gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 8:59 of the first period. He carried the puck to the bottom of the right faceoff circle and scored on a short-side wrist shot past Andersen. Mitchell Marner tied the game 1-1 at 9:52 after a strong cycling play. James Van Reimsdyk and Tyler Bozak worked the puck in the corner before Bozak fed Marner for a shot that fooled Ward. "We were moving it around pretty good," Van Riemsdyk said. "When we're skating and moving around like that, it makes it tough for the other team." Carolina scored 45 seconds into the second period to take a 2-1 lead on Teuvo Teravainen's 13th goal of the season. With the Hurricanes on the power play, Teravainen took a pass from Jordan Staal and sent a long shot through traffic that deflected off Rielly's stick. "I was going for Staal's stick and [the puck] hit mine," Rielly said. "I went over to [Andersen] and said sorry." Van Reimsdyk made it 2-2 at 7:37 when he took a touch pass from Marner and scored on a wrist shot over the blocker of Ward, who was screened by Klas Dahlbeck. "It's a fun time to play and it gets more and more fun the more you win," Andersen said. "We just have to go out and enjoy it and play the right way." Goal of the game Rielly's game-winner was a great individual effort. After skating halfway up the boards he stopped and changed direction on Rask, who had trailed him the entire way. Rielly then cut to his left and found a shooting lane in the slot. Save of the game With the game tied 2-2 at 5:10 of the third period, Andersen reacted quickly to Elias Lindholm's redirect of a Jaccob Slavin shot. Highlight of the game Marner scored less than a minute after Carolina opened the scoring, one-timing a pass from Bozak from the right corner. Unsung performance of the game Toronto blocked 18 shots, six by Roman Polak, who also had two hits in 22:59. They said it "For this past month or two he's been our best player. He's really risen to the challenge. The more games we play the more important they get, and he seems to get better and better. He's a huge part of this team. We're very happy for him that he's playing well and keeping us in it." -- Morgan Rielly on goaltender Frederik Andersen "I was on [the ice] kind of long, but I felt good. [Rielly] just shook me off a little bit and he scored, so it's my bad." -- Victor Rask, who was checking Rielly on the game-winning goal Need to know Hurricanes forward Valentin Zykov, who scored in his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on Thursday, sustained an upper-body injury on a check from Polak on his first shift of the game. Andersen improved to against Carolina, which selected him in the seventh round (No. 187) in the 2010 NHL Draft.... Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews had six takeaways.... Slavin played a season-high 29: Hurricanes defenseman Noah Hanifin had 11 shot attempts. What's next Maple Leafs: At the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, TSN4, FS-F, NHL.TV) Hurricanes: At the New York Islanders on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV)

6 Rielly scores in OT to lift Maple Leafs over Hurricanes Posted 11:05 p.m. yesterday Updated 11:07 p.m. yesterday By KYLE GLASER, Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the playoff picture, and they're playing like they can stay there. Morgan Rielly scored 2:13 into overtime to lift the Maple Leafs over the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Saturday night. Mitch Marner and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Maple Leafs, who moved one point ahead of the New York Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 15 games remaining. Toronto has won three straight. "We know how critical each game is," said van Riemsdyk, who added an assist. "It seems like we're going game-forgame with all these other teams around us, and everyone seems to be keeping pace. We did our job tonight, and now we've got to be ready for the next one." Frederik Andersen made 36 saves for Toronto, including 25 straight to finish the contest. "We don't put too much pressure on ourselves," Andersen said. "It's a fun time of year. We just need to play the right way and the results take care of themselves." Victor Rask and Teuvo Teravainen scored for Carolina, which has lost 11 of 15 games. Ward made 23 saves but couldn't steer aside Rielly's shot, which bounced off his left leg pad and angled into the back corner of the net. The Hurricanes, fighting to stay out of last place in the Metropolitan Division, led twice but couldn't hold it either time. "We've got find a way to finish plays," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "I thought some individuals played outstanding.... A little more finishing around the net is what we're needing and what we're lacking right now." Rask opened the scoring when he corralled a rolling puck below the right faceoff dot and flipped it over Andersen's left shoulder 8:59 into the first period. The Maple Leafs evened it less than a minute later when Marner connected on a one-timer with a hard wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that zipped past Ward. Carolina retook the lead in the second period, but Toronto charged back quickly. Teravainen scored 45 seconds into the second when his wrist shot from the point was accidentally deflected in by Rielly, but van Riemsdyk got even for Toronto when he sneaked a wrist shot over Ward's blocker at the 7:37 mark. "That (van Riemsdyk) line was our best line," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "Mitch Marner was skating, James was skating. They were just real effective." That was all the scoring in regulation despite a fast-paced third period of frenzied shots and tough saves. Rielly broke through in the extra session. The Toronto defenseman carried the puck behind the Hurricanes net and circled back around in between the faceoff circles, and his attempt on net found its way in off Ward's pad. "We knew what kind of game it was going to be when we play against them, it's always tight-checking, not a lot of room out there," van Riemsdyk said. "Gotta stay patient, try to stick with it, and when you get your chance try to capitalize. We played a pretty good game in that regard and it was a great play by Morgan there to get us the win." NOTES: Carolina Fs Brock McGinn and Phillip Di Giuseppe were both scratched with upper-body injuries. It was McGinn's fifth straight game missed and Di Giuseppe's third. Both are day-to-day.... Hurricanes F Valentin Zykov left in the first period with an upper-body injury after a hit along the boards from Roman Polak. He did not return.... Van Riemsdyk has scored twice in three games after 14 straight without a goal. UP NEXT Maple Leafs: Play at Florida on Tuesday night. Hurricanes: Visit the Islanders on Monday night.

7 Canes fall to Leafs in overtime Andrew Schnittker, Assistant Sports Editor Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly scored the game-winner in extra hockey, and the Carolina Hurricanes got goals from forwards Victor Rask and Teuvo Teravainen in a 3-2 loss to the Leafs at PNC arena Saturday night. In overtime, Rielly entered the zone, circled the net, cut open between the faceoff circles and beat Canes ( ) goalie Cam Ward five-hole to give the Leafs ( ) the win in an intense, back-and-forth game. Carolina fell despite outshooting Toronto and getting plenty of quality chances. Credit to the guys for being ready to start on time; they did a good job there, head coach Bill Peters said. We ve got to find a way to finish some plays. I thought there were a lot of positives in our team game. There s lots to like; a little more finish around the net is what we re needing and lacking right now. The Canes came to play out of the gate tonight, generating an early 9-1 edge in shots and spending extended time in the Leafs zone. Carolina cashed in with a sharp-angle shot from the side boards by forward Victor Rask that beat Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen on the glove side to make it 1-0 8:59 into the first. The Leafs evened it up just over a minute later; rookie forward Mitch Marner beat Ward low on the stick side with a shot from the left circle for a 1-1 game, after multiple failed clearing attempts by the Canes defenders. Rookie forward Valentin Zykov left the game in the first period after being hit into the boards by Leafs defenseman Roman Polak and did not return. With the injury, the Canes moved defenseman Ryan Murphy to forward, going down to five defensemen. As a result, Jaccob Slavin, who has been by far the Canes best blueliner this season played a seasonhigh 29:47. I feel like the more I m out there, the more I get in the game, Slavin said. I definitely don t mind logging that many minutes. It s tough here with [games] every other day, but hopefully I just stay consistent out there and smarten my play. The Canes power play struck early in the second period for its third goal in two games. Forward Teuvo Teravainen wristed one in through a screen from the point less than a minute in, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead. It s all about confidence, Teravainen said of the power play. You want to feel good about yourself; you want to make some plays and have the confidence to make some moves. Either way, you have to shoot the puck too, like my goal, I just threw it in there and it bounced in.. Toronto tied the game again about eight minutes into the middle frame. Marner carried the puck into the Canes zone off a neutral-zone faceoff when defenseman Justin Faulk poked it off Marner s stick; however, it went right to Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk, who snapped a shot past Ward to make it 2-2. The Canes had some good chances the rest of the way, but could not break Andersen, a Canes draft pick originally, who played a very strong game in net. The Canes played better throughout much of this game, although the goalie battle ultimately ended up being the difference. Just keep shooting, eventually they re going to go in, forward Jordan Staal said. Get 40 shots I guess. Obviously, there s always a thing with getting in front of goalies and getting in front of his eyes. Goalies are good in this league, and they re going to stop it if they see it for the most part. We have to do a better job of getting in front of them. Despite some poor results, the Canes have played well in many of their recent games. Even with another playoff miss all but certain and the team playing out the string, there is still something to play for down the stretch. Pride and individual evaluations from the team going into a long offseason are still on the line. I thought they were competitive tonight, Peters said. I think they re going to be competitive each and every night. They ve got a lot to prove, these guys. To me, it s the best time of year to make an assessment on a player. Teams are desperate for points, absolutely desperate and hungry. If you can play at this time of year, then you re an NHL player. If you fall off and struggle at the most important time of year, when the intensity of the game is very high, we have to be aware of that and make decisions on that. There s lots of motivation for me and we want to finish strong. The Canes will be back in action Monday night with a trip to Brooklyn to face the New York Islanders.

8 Site contains a lot of content that relies on images and video not possible to include in clips. Notes and Quotes: Maple Leafs 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT) The Carolina Hurricanes fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night. Hear what the coaches and players had to say following the game. by Kyle Morton@k_morton9 Mar 11, 2017, 10:49pm EST From the Coach: Bill Peters: (On generating offense) Credit to the guys for being ready to start on time. They did a good job there. Gotta find a way to finish some plays. I thought there was a lot of positives in our game, in our team game. I thought some individuals play outstanding. Victor Raskskated very well, 8-for-10 on draws... Little more finishing around the net is what we re needing and lacking right now. (On Rask) I hope he plays like that again... I thought he played very well so he did a good job. I like the fact that he had more pace to his game. They re a very quick team. (On Polak-on-Zykov hit) Yeah, upper body for sure, didn t look good. It looked like it was a hard hit, he went in awkward obviously. So, tough one, tough play. First shift for (Zykov) in the game, and obviously coming off a pretty exciting game for him in his last game. From the Locker Room: Jordan Staal: I thought we played a solid game. It was a good game, we didn t find a way to get the two points, had a couple chances 3-on-3... a lot of good things throughout that game. (On converting shots into goals) Keep shooting, eventually they re gonna go in. Obviously, there s always a thing of getting in front of goalies, and getting in front of his eyes. Goalies are good in this league, and they re gonna stop it if they see it for the most part. (On the schedule) We ll just keep working, and taking advantage of what we have to do off the ice to help us keep our legs and keep us going. It s a lot of hockey, but it s been good. We ve been working hard, and I think we ve continued to play pretty well the last couple. Teuvo Teravainen: It was a good battle, but it was tough we didn t get the win. (On playing with a short bench) Of course it makes a difference, I think Murph played a little forward, so it s new for him so it s of course a little hard, but I think our guys did a good job either way. (On offense) We ve been talking. We want to shoot a lot and create traffic around the net, and that s how we score goals so that s good. If we re shooting the puck, it ll go in. (On the power play) It s all about confidence. You want to feel good about yourself. You want to make some plays, and have the confidence to make some moves. Either way you have to shoot the puck too, like my goal I just threw it in there and it bounced in. Jaccob Slavin: (On depth on the penalty kill) They re just smart players. They re talented, and they can play in every situation, so it s nice that we can have reliable players like that all down the bench. (On play he made on Marner) It was kind of an instinct play I guess. It was reading and reacting a little bit I guess, to him. Like I said, he s a really skilled player, so you can t respect him too much, but you ve got to be able to respect what he can do, and just try to take away his time and space there. It was a tough pill to swallow on that one. Gotta give props to their goalie, he played a pretty good game, but we definitely had our opportunities to score, and we just gotta take advantage of that next time. (On his minutes) I just play until we either get the two points or the buzzer blows, so I just try to play consistent all the way through. Game Notes Valentin Zykov was knocked out of the game on his first shift on a nasty hit from Roman Polak. Forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Victor Rask scored goals to give them each points in two consecutive games Defenseman Jaccob Slavin set a new season high for ice time, as he fell just short of the 30 minute mark, coming in at 29:47. With an assist tonight, forward Elias Lindholm got his 27th of the season. He s now one short of tying the career high that he set last year. With tonight s loss, the Hurricanes have now lost their last three games that have gone to overtime. They have not won since Ron Hainsey s overtime winner in Brooklyn.

9 Recap: Maple Leafs Top Hurricanes in Overtime, 3-2 CAROLINA HURRICANES Following an exciting win over the New York Rangers, the Hurricanes welcomed the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs to PNC Arena by Kyle Mar 11, 2017, 9:47pm EST The Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes have one thing in common. They re both undergoing a rebuilding process to attempt to bounce back from years of fruitless hockey. What they don t share, however, is the way they have gone about their respective rebuilds. In fact, while the Hurricanes have focused heavily on building from the back end on defense around the likes of Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk, and Noah Hanifin, the Maple Leafs have spent the last few years loading up on forwards with elite offensive skill sets such as 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews, playmaking wizard Mitch Marner, and emerging sniper William Nylander. The last time the Leafs visited the Hurricanes, it was Toronto s offensive firepower that won out, as Matthews scored a goal that we will be subjected to having to watch time and time again on highlight reels in the coming years. Tonight, it would once again be the offensive style of the Maple Leafs that won out, as they came out on top against the Hurricanes by a 3-2 score in overtime. The game started off with a physical edge as Leafs defenseman Roman Polak sent Canes rookie forward Valentin Zykov into the boards on a hit that went uncalled. Zykov went straight to the room favoring his shoulder. While the Leafs may be the team most known for their offensive prowess, it was a young Hurricanes forward who kicked off the scoring on this one, as Victor Rask drove down the wing on Morgan Rielly and beat Frederik Andersen to the short side from a tough angle with a wellplaced wrister. Assists on the goal went to Elias Lindholm and Brett Pesce. The Leafs answered quickly though, as Mitch Marner got a sneaky shot through Ward for his 17th of the season to draw his team even. At the time of the Rask goal, the Hurricanes held a 9-1 advantage in terms of shots on goal. The Maple Leafs had a strong run, though and the period ended with the shots sitting at 12-9 in favor of the Hurricanes. In the dying moments of the first, Leafs defenseman Nikita Zaitsev was called for cross-checking Elias Lindholm. The Maple Leafs were able to kill off the penalty that took place in the first period, but the second period started with a power play goal for Carolina. Justin Faulk fed Teuvo Teravainen at the point, and Teravainen unleashed a shot that deflected off of Morgan Rielly s stick and into the net. It was the team s third power play goal in the last two games. Things took a bizarre turn, as when Ward went to play the puck behind his net, he was run into by Leafs center Nazem Kadri. Instead of Kadri going for goalie interference, the call was on Ward for interfering with Kadri. The 12,300-plus unofficial officials in attendance didn t like the call, but it ultimately didn t matter as the Hurricanes were able to kill off the infraction. Despite not scoring on that power play, the Leafs once again found a quick answer, this time it was James van Riemsdyk putting home his 21st goal of the season. The second period wore on as the teams traded chances looking for a tie-breaking goal, but neither group was able to make it happen. The second period ended with shots at in favor of Carolina, and the score tied at two goals apiece. The third period certainly happened, as the first half of the period saw the teams once again went back-and-forth with opportunities that had a chance to amount to something but ultimately didn t. Most of the chances that happened were the result of sloppy turnovers by the defending team, but the Canes had a couple nice rushes from Skinner and Teravainen. The game went to overtime without many threatening chances in the third, where Morgan Rielly beat Cam Ward for the game winning goal at 2:13 of the overtime period.

10 Hurricanes fall 3-2 in overtime to Maple Leafs By Peter Koutroumpis3/11/2017 RALEIGH, N.C. It was a battle of the young guns when the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs faced off at PNC Arena on Saturday. Led by rookie Sebastian Aho, Carolina hosted fellow NHL top-scoring rookies Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner, along with the rest of the Leafs into a highpaced matchup that kept the crowd of 12,328 in attendance on the edge of their seats throughout. I thought it was a good hockey game, Carolina head coach Bill Peters said. There was some really good pace and a lot of skill both ways. I thought some guys on both teams had really good nights. Aho, Matthews and Nylander put shots on net, but didn t produce any goals on the night. Victor Rask and Tuevo Teravainen notched goals for Carolina while goaltender Cam Ward made 23 saves in the losing effort. At the other, Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen had to contend with a shelling from the Hurricanes who unloaded 38 shots on him. It was a physical game too with 42 combined hits dished out, one of which claimed an early victim in Carolina s Valentin Zykov who went flying into the boards after getting thrown by Leafs defenseman Roman Polak at the 37-second mark. The rookie forward was playing in only his second career NHL game, following a one-goal performance in Carolina s 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday. After the collision, he proceeded to the dressing room and didn t return for the remainder of the game, and was listed with an upper-body injury (likely shoulder). Rask opened the game s scoring with his 15 th goal of the season at 8:59 of the first period. I thought it was a good game we had a lot of shots, Rask said. I had a D-man screen the goalie and shot it between his legs, and it went in. Mitch Marner initiated the Leafs offense by tallying a goal that matched Rask s just 53 seconds after to tie the game 1-1. Still tied at the beginning of the second, Teravainen s 13 th goal of the year, a power play marker, put Carolina back ahead 45 seconds in. James Van Riemsdyk scored an unassisted goal at 7:37 and tied it on a well-placed snap shot over Ward s blocker that made it around an attempted shot-block from Hurricanes defenseman Klas Dahlbeck. Once again, both sides remained tied at the end of the period and didn t slow their pace during the next one. Andersen and Ward were kept busy throughout as both teams sought to gain the lead into the dying minutes of play of regulation. In overtime, led by Rask, Carolina dominated puck possession for the first few minutes as he, Teravainen, and defenseman Noah Hanifin buzzed around the Toronto net. However, only putting one shot on Andersen, a turnover by the Swedish forward just inside the Toronto blue line eventually provided the Leafs with the opportunity they needed. Morgan Reilly skated with the puck deep in the Hurricanes zone, marked by Rask who didn t have a chance to change as play transitioned. After skating past and around Ward s net to the right sideboards, the Toronto defensemen stopped, and while Rask turned in the other direction, cut towards the top of the slot before letting a low wrist shot go. While Rask reached to try to block the shot, the puck made it past him, eluded Ward and ended up in the net, and gave the Leafs the overtime win. I had a couple of chances there, but I couldn t put it in the net, Rask said. Then my guy (Reilly) scored, so it s my bad. I was on for a little long, but I felt good. My guy shaked me off a little bit and scored, so it was my bad. Posting points in consecutive games, particularly after enduring a significant multi-game drought, Rask felt he was working hard to increase his production. I ve been trying to shoot more and more, and when you put the puck on the net, it s gonna go in sometime. In hearing about Rask owning the losing result as his, Peters thought his center had nothing to feel bad about. I hope he plays like that again, Peters said. I thought he played very well, so he did a good job. I like the fact he had more pace to his game. They re a very quick team.

11 Aho Brings Steel to Hurricanes MARCH 11TH, 2017 MARK SHIVER Sebastian Aho was the hero in giving the Carolina Hurricanes the win Thursday night. It was memorable not just for him, but also for those of us who cover the Canes. The game itself was one to remember, also, as the home team Hurricanes defeated the visiting New York Rangers 4-3. At this point in the season, memorable moments are hard to come by, and Hurricanes fans have to grab hold of whatever good they can find. Side note: The 11,404 in attendance were zealous in their support, with possibly more Rangers fans present than Hurricanes fans. The Rangers fan base in Raleigh is fairly large, and they typically turn out en masse to support their team. (Hurricanes fans would do well to be so loyal.) Rangers fans, however, might learn some respect and not scream Let s Go Rangers! multiple times during the singing of the National Anthem. Just a thought. Aho and Steel The youngster Aho is proving to be quite the NHL player, with plenty of skill and a lot of steel. Steel in this sense meaning unflappable nerves, grit, and determination. He has what some people call, that it, which is an immeasurable and unteachable steel inside that says give me the puck and I ll take the winning shot. It is a rare quality that only a handful of professional athletes have or had. Kobe Bryant in the NBA had that it, as does Tom Brady in the NFL. It is that little something extra that true champions possess, and I believe Aho is one of them. He is still a teenager, but already he has shown that he is not afraid of the moment, no matter the tension or situation. So far this season, Aho has shown that he can score. In the face of great adversity against the Rangers, he did so two times. The first on a power play: The long-range blast by Aho was challenged by the Rangers as goalie interference, but the goal held after the official review. The goal tied the game 3-3. A few minutes later, Aho did it again, scoring another power-play goal that was the game-winner: Though young, Aho is not to be taken lightly by other teams. He is growing in his confidence and with each spurt of growth, will become more dangerous as an offensive force for the Hurricanes. The second goal scored against the Rangers was certainly the result of great teamwork and effort, especially by Jordan Staal. But, Aho was in the right place, ready to shoot the second he got the chance. Aho More Than Numbers Aho did not score until the 14th game of the season. Since that time, he has moved into second place on the team with 20 goals, one behind Jeff Skinner s 21. Of course, having a couple of 35-plus goal-scorers on the Canes would be nice, but for where they are right now as a team, Aho s numbers are especially encouraging. The team has expected Skinner to score, and he started out on fire as a rookie. Unfortunately, concussions have knocked him off center a bit, and it is questionable if he will ever be a 30-plus scorer again. Certainly it is possible, but for my money, the future of the Hurricanes is gaining focus on the young Aho. He is a champion at heart. He has the steel, the it to make him great. Aho s only limitations will be from three areas: if he has a run of injury situations like Skinner has had, if the team does not improve and he becomes frustrated, or if he places limitations on himself (which I do not see happening). If he were not so young and a rookie, I d plant the C firmly on his sweater and not think twice about doing so. These observations are not just based on what he did to beat the Rangers. I ve watched him all season and his confidence is growing. When I talk with him after games I can see the steel in his eyes. He is a young player that has potential that is extremely high. He brings steel to the Hurricanes, and if it can rub off on a few of the players, they just might break the streak of non-playoff appearances that they are in. This kid is for real.

12 Hurricanes Sebastian Aho playing his way into Calder consideration After slow start, Finn heated up and now has 20 goals, third best among NHL rookies. By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter Sat., March 11, 2017 RALEIGH, N.C. Not that Noah Hanifin gets a vote, but the Carolina Hurricanes defenceman would be torn between his friend and Saturday s foe Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets when it comes to the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. It s going to be really close, said Hanifin, who was part of an impressive rookie crop. Auston s done great, Laine s done really well. There s a lot of young guys coming in and being successful right away. But there s another player he hopes doesn t get overlooked when members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association start putting names to paper: Sebastian Aho. His hockey IQ is off the charts, Hanifin said of Aho. He s a great guy to have in the locker room, great person and he s a great offensive talent. The 19-year-old Aho got off to a slow start, but has been on fire lately. Aho had 20 goals heading into Saturday s action only Laine (32) and Matthews (31) had more among rookies. He said seeing Laine s success early in the season helped him get through a rough start. After the first 20 games, I got more comfortable, said Aho. I got some confidence. That helped me a lot. The Finn was Laine s centre at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship but is a winger with the Hurricanes. I play where the coach says I play, said Aho, who played in Finland s top league at 17. He can do it all, Carolina coach Bill Peters said. His role is going to expand down the stretch. We have him on the penalty kill now. He s a competitive player, and smart. He can play multiple positions. We ll play him in the middle. He s a versatile guy. He can play up and down the lineup. Leafs coach Mike Babcock said the Leafs considered taking Aho in the 2015 draft. Aho went 35th overall to Carolina. The Leafs took defenceman Travis Dermott 34th overall. He was a guy we seriously considered taking, said Babcock said of Aho. He s a real good player. As for the rookie of the year award, Aho thinks it s between Laine and Matthews. There s good competition with the rookies. Especially Laine and Matthews. They push each other, said Aho. There are a lot of young guys who show they can play this game. I think it s good for the league.

13 Appreciation for Carolina rookie Sebastian Aho BY MIKE ZEISBERGER, TORONTO SUN FIRST POSTED: SUNDAY, MARCH 12, :20 AM EST RALEIGH, N.C. - Count Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock among those who are not surprised by the success Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho is having. While not getting the publicity of the likes of the Leafs Auston Matthews or the Winnipeg Jets Patrik Laine, Aho has enjoyed a fine freshman season, reaching the 20- goal mark Thursday by scoring twice to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. I can remember in the draft he was a real good player and someone we really considered taking, Babcock said Saturday prior to his team s game against Aho s Hurricanes at PNC Arena. During the 2015 entry draft, the Maple Leafs used the fourth pick of the second round (34th overall) to select defenceman Travis Dermott of the Ontario Hockey League s Erie Otters. Dermott, who has battled injuries this season, has 21 points in 45 games for the AHL s Toronto Marlies. The Hurricanes used the following pick to snap up Aho and are glad they did, even though he doesn t get near the publicity that players such as Matthews and Laine have received. Part of that comes from the fact that he doesn t play in a big market or a Canadian market like those other guys, Canes veteran Jay McClement said. But all of us in this room understand how good his future will be. Added Hurricanes coach Bill Peters: We knew he was good. We saw what he did at the world championships and at the World Cup. Like Matthews, he played in the World Cup before he played in the NHL. It shows just how good these players are. For Aho, he is part of a youth movement around the league which has now seem 30-year-old players labelled as old. It s fun to see how all the young guys are doing, Aho said. We re all still learning out there. It s a reflection of the speed of the game, Hurricanes defenceman Noah Hanifin said. It s crazy. BABS WINS BET Babcock was all smiles on Saturday when it came to his beloved McGill Redmen. Babcock and assistant coach D.J. Smith had a wager on the OUA Queen s Cup bronze-medal game Friday night, Babcock s alma mater against the University of Windsor. Smith is from Windsor and once coached the Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. McGill ended up winning the game by a score of 6-3. It was a big win for McGill, Babcock said Saturday. They have a chance to play again (at the U Sports championship next weekend at the University of New Brunswick). He then paused to chuckle before quickly adding: I m sure they re going to call for a cheque shortly. CHOWING DOWN Peters hosted Babcock for a barbeque on Friday. The two men are long-time friends, with Peters having once served as an assistant to Babcock with the Detroit Red Wings. Peters also was an assistant under Babcock for Team Canada during the World Cup of Hockey last September. I barbecued, Peters said. I hope we play better than I barbecued. We had chicken, salmon & lobster tails. The chicken was burnt, the lobster tails raw and the salmon was alright. Babcock disagreed with his pal s scouting report of the meal. Not true, Babcock said of Peters self-criticism of his culinary skills. He put on a cooking clinic. Salmon. Lobster tails. A little chicken. Pretty good.

14 TODAY S LINKS Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs start trip with OT win over Hurricanes By Kevin Sat., March 11, 2017 RALEIGH, N.C. Morgan Rielly has had better games. But the Maple Leafs defenceman had quite the finish Saturday night. With the game on the line, Rielly controlled the puck through the Carolina zone and scored the overtime winner in Toronto s 3-2 decision over the Hurricanes. It was the Leafs third win in a row and opened a three-game road trip that has make-or-break implications in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It s a big win for us, said Rielly. We knew how important this road trip is. To start with a win is definitely a good feeling. Rielly had a hand in two other goals, though both Carolina s. Victor Rask used Rielly as a screen to open the scoring. And Rielly wore the goat horns later, deflecting a point shot past Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen for Carolina s second goal, credited to Jordan Staal. Rielly wore a look of disgust after that marker and went to apologize to Andersen. I went over to Freddie and said sorry, said Rielly, relieved after scoring the winner. (It was) a big point we really needed. Andersen said Rielly had nothing to apologize for. That s one, I should have had, said the goalie. He shouldn t feel too bad, but I m glad he scored the (OT) goal. The win paired with a 4-3 loss by the New York Islanders loss in St. Louis moved the Leafs back into a playoff spot, holding down the second wild card with road games on tap Tuesday against the Panthers and Thursday against the Lightning. Both of those teams are also in hot pursuit. It was a win the Leafs perhaps didn t deserve. They were outshot and outplayed. Andersen had to be spectacular again, facing 38 shots. As long as we win, I don t care how many shots (I face), said Andersen. It s always fun to play. It gets more fun the more you win. We need the points, so it s nice to get away with a win, added Andersen. When they scored twice, it was good for us to show we can come back. Whenever the Leafs trailed, before Rielly s magic, it seemed to be Mitch Marner and Co. to the rescue on offence. Mitch hasn t been quite as good, but tonight was maybe his best game since he s been back (from injury), said coach Mike Babcock. He really had jump and pushed the pace of the game, and had the puck a lot. He had some excitement about him. Marner and James van Riemsdyk each had a goal and an assist. Tyler Bozak picked up a helper. That was our best line, said Babcock. Mitch was skating, James was skating. They were real effective. Bozak went through a bit of time where he wasn t feeling any good. He s feeling better now and that s important, that those guys are going for us. Since Marner returned from an upper-body injury, his line has been on fire. Marner has points in five straight games (two goals, five assists) as does Bozak, while van Riemsdyk has two goals and two assists in that span. All three of us were touching the puck. We were moving it around pretty good, said van Riemsdyk, referring to the hot streak. It s a combination of a lot of things. You re working hard. You re getting bounces. You re reading off each other pretty well. With our line, we re so adaptable and able to make smart plays with and without the puck. That s what gives us success. We can play in different styles of game. It was the Leafs sixth win in overtime they are 6-6 in three-on-three, 1-8 in the shootout. Overtime wins are as important as regulation wins in the standings as the first tiebreaker (designated ROWs for regulationovertime wins). The Leafs have 30. The Islanders, who trail by a point, have 31. The Leafs have come from behind to register wins in their last two games. Marner was simply happy to start a road trip with a win after going last time on the road. Obviously we weren t happy with how we played on that California trip, said Marner. We started playing the way want to, and things are going our way. Toronto Star LOADED: Toronto Maple Leafs Despite modest scoring slump, stopping Matthews a priority for 'Canes BY MIKE ZEISBERGER, FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, MARCH 11, :00 PM EST UPDATED: SATURDAY, MARCH 11, :23 PM EST RALEIGH, N.C. - When Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Noah Hanifin suggests a brief four-game pointless streak by rookie Auston Matthews is nothing for Maple Leafs to be concerned about, they should heed his words. After all, if anyone has learned how special Matthews can be on the ice over the years, it s Hanifin. In yet another example of how small the hockey world actually is, Hanifin recalls being just seven years old when he first played with Matthews. As