Maple Leafs at Hurricanes
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to continue their surprising surge when they visit the struggling Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Maple Leafs, who also visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday, have won four of their last five contests after a 5-1 victory over Colorado on Tuesday and have gained at least a point in seven of nine games in November.
Goaltender James Reimer has gone 4-0-2 in his last six decisions and center Tyler Bozak has seven points during a five-game streak while Toronto coach Mike Babcock has changed the atmosphere around the team. “It’s just a change of mentality,” Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly told the Toronto Sun. “There’s no question it’s been different. The guys are looking forward to coming in. (Babcock) is doing something that all the guys are agreeing with. We all want to win for him and compete every night.” Toronto hopes to snap a four-game losing streak against the Hurricanes. However, Carolina has not posted a regulation victory since Oct. 30 and has gone 1-4-2 this month.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SNET-Ontario (Toronto), FSN Carolina
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (6-9-4): Toronto has gotten a boost of late from Bozak along with right wing P.A. Parenteau, who has produced four goals in the last five games to push his season total to six. Rielly and captain Dion Phaneuf share the team lead in assists with Bozak (nine) and have led a blue line corps that has played better than expected in front of Reimer, who allowed 10 goals in his last six outings. Versatile forward Nick Spaling missed the last game with an upper-body injury, but was back at practice Wednesday and might play Friday.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (6-10-2): Carolina’s scoring average has crept to less than two goals per game (1.94) after it managed only five tallies in the past four contests. Captain Eric Staal has put up three points in the last three games to tie defenseman Justin Faulk for the team lead with 12, but neither has been able to carry a sputtering power play (13.1 percent). Defenseman Ryan Murphy, who has recorded four assists in 17 games, missed Monday’s 4-1 loss to Anaheim with a concussion and is questionable.
OVERTIME
1. Carolina has signed D Tim Gleason, who has played 727 NHL contests, to a professional tryout contract.
2. Toronto C Nazem Kadri registered a season-high seven shots on net for the fourth time Tuesday and is still sitting on one goal in 19 games.
3. The Hurricanes have outscored the Maple Leafs 16-4 during their four-game winning streak.