Carolina Hurricanes: Three takeaways from 4-1 win over Toronto

Canes win! Carolina emerges from a tough game against Toronto victorious in a 4-1 fashion. A promising win over the Maple Leafs yet again sparks optimism in the fan base as the Carolina Hurricanes are now 5-0-0 through 5 games. There’s so much to take from this game, but let me start with something that is a criminal offense and something that we cannot be having.

Jaccob Slavin took a tripping call. His first stick infraction since the COVID-19 shutdown as the reigning Lady Byng winner was uncharacteristically sloppy for even half a second and it was very unlike the Colorado native. However, his dominant performance in this game and his deke for the 3rd goal were just outstanding.

Brett Pesce also received a particularly ugly hit and crashed into the end boards after being speared in the groin. He continued to play on, but these were major events that I felt needed to be talked about. How the NHL Department of Player Safety can justify not at least reviewing this incident, I do not know, but it doesn’t look like there will be any justification for this.

However, let’s not get too caught up in the bad parts of this game from a Canes perspective. There was not a lot to complain about in general. It was a well-played game from the organization, with a lot of dominant displays across the board. It inspired a quote from the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach saying that “This is what a Stanley Cup Contender looks and feels like”.

With that in mind and the confidence boost from beating the Toronto Maple Leafs while being called a Stanley Cup contender, let us dive into the three takeaways from this 4-1 win over the blue and white.

Freddie Andersen haunts his old team

With his 5th straight win on the season, Frederik Andersen became the 2nd netminder in NHL history to win his first 5 starts with his new team and the first in Carolina Hurricanes history to accomplish the feat. With the netminder playing like this, we’re seeing that he’s worth every penny that was invested into him in free agency.

Andersen was the story going into this game. How would he fare up against his old team? Well, we know the answer to that question now. Very well. After asserting dominance over his old team, Andersen now has a .946 save percentage and a 1.60 goals-against average. He’s been nothing short of remarkable on the year, but we’re here to talk about this one game.

Andersen’s goaltending was a major reason Carolina stayed in this game. Freddie was beaten early on a wraparound that you probably want him to have. However, after that went in, the Maple Leafs never really looked like they were going to beat the big Dane. It was very much a case of Freddie keeping the team in the game in the first period, then having the game off.

It’s been an incredible run for the Dane and long may that continue into the next game against Boston. I’m going to assume that Andersen plays the first half of that back to back, but that is an assessment for that keys to the game piece. As for now, we appreciate Andersen’s 24 stops on 25 shots as the Canes overcome his one mistake to win 4-1 at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Steven Lorentz is a monster

While many, including myself, were doubtful about Steven Lorentz‘s chances to make the starting lineup on a nightly basis this season. In this game against Toronto, he proved exactly why I write about the team and am not a head coach in the National Hockey League. I was highly doubtful about Lorentz’s ice time given the depth of the team.

Lorentz’s goal in this game was a sensational solo effort and it’s a testament to his drive and one of the reasons he got into the NHL despite being passed over the first time he was eligible to be drafted. Lorentz’s effort was the game-winner and it was a big part of the demotivation of the Maple Leafs, who struggle with their own confidence occasionally.

This goal is just everything you want it to be from your 4th line. Lorentz wins a race to the puck against the Leafs defenseman, but he loses the puck in his skates. Not knowing where it is, he spins around and finds it. With not a lot of time, Lorentz just throws it on and it squeaks through the Toronto netminder for a beautiful solo effort goal from Lorentz.

With a great effort, Lorentz managed to successfully get to the net to record the game-winner before the defenseman could track him, and it helped the Carolina Hurricanes achieve two points in the standings. It’s something that the Canes need, depth production. I mentioned that in the keys to the game. Depth scoring would decide this game, and Lorentz was there when the team needed it.