Jason Blake scores winner, Maple Leafs beat Hurricanes for second win of season

Blake scores winner, Maple Leafs beat Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jason Blake scored on a power play with 8:24 left and Jonas Gustavsson made 34 saves to help the Toronto Maple Leafs win for the second time in 14 games this season, 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

John Mitchell and Nikolai Kulemin also scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs (2-7-5) have earned points in their last six games.

Brandon Sutter and Sergei Samsonov scored for Carolina, off to the worst start in franchise history. Last in the NHL at 2-10-3, the Hurricanes are winless in their last 11 games.

Blake scored on a wicked wrist shot from the slot. With Rod Brind’Amour off for holding, Blake’s shot ripped off the right post before ricocheting into the net.

Sutter opened the scoring midway through the first period. Brind’Amour kicked the puck toward Sutter, who backhanded it past Gustavsson’s glove from the slot.

The Hurricanes took a two-goal advantage a little less than 10 minutes later when Gustavsson couldn’t control Andrew Alberts’ shot from the point, allowing Samsonov to clean up the rebound in front of the net.

Toronto tied it early in the second.

Mitchell scored first when he slapped a shot from just inside the blue line past Cam Ward, who was screened by Brind’Amour. Some 6 minutes later, Alexei Ponikarovsky set up Kulemin with a nice centering pass from the corner, allowing Kulemin to tip the puck through Ward’s legs.

In addition to last place in the overall standings, Carolina also has scored the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. It hasn’t scored on its last 25 power plays.

The Hurricanes were without two of their leading scorers in Eric Staal and Ray Whitney. They are sidelined by upper-body injuries.

NOTES: The Maple Leafs have given up the first goal in 13 of 14 games. … Zach Boychuk played his first game of the season for Carolina. He had a breakaway in the second period, but couldn’t convert. … Carolina has been outscored 22-9 in the second period.