Maple Leafs 3, Hurricanes 1
TORONTO -- Left winger Josh Leivo ended a tie with a second-period goal and the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Thursday night.
Right winger Brad Boyes scored a first-period goal for the Maple Leafs (21-28-10), who had lost their four previous games, one in overtime, and right winger Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau added a goal in the third period. Parenteau also had an assist.
Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier stopped 29 shots.
Defenseman John-Michael Liles scored for the Hurricanes (28-24-10) while Cam Ward made 25 saves.
The Hurricanes lost center Jay McClement with an upper-body injury after his first shift.
Carolina could not take advantage of a power-play opportunity when Toronto center Daniel Winnik took a two-minute penalty for slashing at 11:43 of the third period.
The Maple Leafs came back with an even-strength goal when Parenteau knocked in a pass from center Nazem Kadri at 15:59 of the third period for his 16th goal of the season. Defenseman Jake Gardiner picked up the other assist.
Boyes scored his seventh goal of the season on a power play at 10:12 of the first period after Liles was penalized for tripping. Center Colin Greening and defenseman Morgan Rielly, whose shot at goal started the sequence, picked up assists.
Liles tied the game at 16:01 with his sixth goal of the season. He wired a slap shot to the glove side from the left point after center Eric Staal won the faceoff in the Maple Leafs zone.
Toronto had a 15-6 advantage in shots on goal in the first period.
The Maple Leafs regained the lead at 5:33 of the second period on Leivo's fourth goal of the season. He was set up by Parenteau on a two-on-one after Leafs defenseman Viktor Loov broke up a play.
Carolina center Andrej Nestrasil was helped from the ice late in the second period after he went into boards after a hit by Toronto center Nazem Kadri. There was no penalty.
NOTES: The Hurricanes put C Brad Malone on waivers. The 26-year-old had two goals and three assists in 37 games. He had been a healthy scratch for 11 straight games. ... Carolina D Justin Faulk (ankle) was out with complications from the injury that sidelined him for six games. He returned Tuesday in the win over the Philadelphia Flyers and practiced Wednesday, but the ankle has not responded to treatment. ... The Maple Leafs confirmed that LW James van Riemsdyk (non-displaced fracture in left foot) and LW Joffrey Lupul (sports hernia surgery) are out for the season. ... The Hurricanes won 1-0 in overtime on Jan. 21 in their previous visit to Air Canada Centre and the Maple Leafs won 2-1 at Carolina on Nov. 20. ... The Leafs will play Saturday in Montreal against the Canadiens. The Hurricanes are home to the Boston Bruins on Friday.