RALEIGH, N.C. — Curtis McElhinney got a measure of revenge against the team that placed him on waivers after training camp, turning aside 30 shots Wednesday to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was the first time McElhinney faced Toronto since he lost his job to Garret Sparks. The veteran posted the best save percentage among NHL backups last season, but Sparks is 10 years younger and was coming off a Calder Cup win when the Leafs chose to keep him instead.
Here in Carolina, McElhinney is part of a three-man crease with Petr Mrazek and Scott Darling, but he’s now posted a victory in consecutive starts. This is his seventh NHL stop and he harbours no ill will toward the Leafs.
“I think there is always disappointment when you’re pushed out the door,” said McElhinney. “That’s just the nature of the game. They had a younger, more viable option with Garret and I think he has done a tremendous job to start the season, so it was the right decision, but there is certainly frustration with it.
“But you move on and I have another opportunity here. It has been nice, I get to see the sun on a daily basis, so you don’t complain about that.”
The Hurricanes jumped on the Leafs early and often, firing 29 shots on Frederik Andersen in the opening 20 minutes while building a 2-0 lead. Trevor van Riemsdyk slid home a slow roller after a scramble in front at 10:56 while Justin Williams broke free of Nikita Zaitsev at the edge of the crease to convert a Calvin de Haan pass at 11:18.
John Tavares got one back for Toronto before the intermission, batting down a Williams pass in the neutral zone before scoring blocker side on a breakaway.
Not long after Micheal Ferland scored on Carolina’s only power play of the night, Kasperi Kapanen beat McElhinney high off the rush with eight minutes remaining.
But McElhinney slammed the door shut from there, kicking out a tipped shot by Nazem Kadri before Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov both hit the empty net.
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