Robertson had a goal in the final moments of the game, but the Maple Leafs couldn't find another, closing out 2023 with a loss.
Robertson had a goal in the final moments of the game, but the Maple Leafs couldn't find another, closing out 2023 with a loss.
Michael Bunting returned to Toronto smiling and is leaving Scotiabank Arena with the same smile on Saturday.
The 28-year-old forward signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract this summer and played against his former team for the first time before ringing in the new year.
Prior to the game on Saturday, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said David Kampf would be scratched, citing the 28-year-old's defensive struggles in Friday's game against Columbus.
Kampf is one of the Maple Leafs' strongest penalty killers and Toronto missed him on Saturday against the Hurricanes as they gave up two goals on the man advantage.
After a Matthew Knies hooking penalty early in the period, it was Michael Bunting scoring the power play goal for Carolina, in his first game against his former team.
Bunting's eighth goal of the season put the Hurricanes up 1-0 on just their second shot of the game. Judging by the 28-year-old's celebration, he loved everything about scoring this goal in Toronto.
The Maple Leafs' best chance of the period came late after Auston Matthews threw the puck off a Hurricanes defender, which then hit the crossbar and somehow stayed out of the net.
Carolina, in the second period, would get on the board again on the power play after a Max Domi holding penalty. It's another defensive breakdown for Toronto as they let two Hurricanes players in behind for a two-on-one.
Seth Jarvis would receive the pass from Andrei Svechnikov with Mitch Marner on his tail and put it past Martin Jones, giving the Hurricanes the 2-0 lead.
It wouldn't get any better for the Maple Leafs as late in the second period, Auston Matthews takes his first penalty of the season, tripping up Jordan Martinook behind Toronto's goal.
Though as the Maple Leafs do in the third period, they went on a quest for a comeback.
Just over four minutes into the third period, Max Domi came down the left side and found Timothy Liljegren, who ripped a shot past a puzzled Pyotr Kochetkov for his first goal of the season.
Domi makes a smart play to chip the puck by two Hurricanes players before recovering the it and finding Liljegren. Domi now has 17 assists in 34 games this season with Toronto.
Sebastian Aho would add an empty net goal, and although Nick Robertson would find the back of the net for the second-straight game, the Maple Leafs fell to the Hurricanes 3-2 in their final game of 2023.
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