The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period, thanks to a breakaway goal by John Tavares. They extended their lead to 3-0 before the Hurricanes scored two goals of their own, one of which was scored right before the buzzer, taking the score to 3-2 at the end of the second period.

The Maple Leafs scored again in the third period, with David Kampf pushing their lead to 4-2. However, the Hurricanes refused to give up and pulled their goaltender out of the net to create an extra attacking player in the dying minutes of the game. This tactic paid off as they scored two quick goals, tying the contest at 4-4 and forcing overtime.

The Maple Leafs had several chances to win the game in overtime, including a power play where they launched a barrage of shots at Hurricanes goalie Pytor Kochetkov, however, they were unable to convert any of their chances.

The game eventually went to a shootout, where Guentzel scored the decisive goal, securing the win for his side in a game that likely had fans flooding the sports betting sites in both the United States and Canada.

There was a very familiar face on the Carolina side on Saturday.

Former Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen recently returned to the ice after recovering from deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. He has won all three of his starts since returning to the game.

“It was something I never dealt with before, brand new for me, having to get through it and deal with that,” he said before the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes clashed at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. “That was a very scary time dating back to when I got diagnosed. I’ve had really good support around me with the team and their doctors and family and friends and so it has been really heartwarming.”

Andersen began experiencing pain in November, and subsequent tests revealed that he had a blood-clotting issue. He was unable to fully participate in practice until mid-February and made his first start on March 7 against the Montreal Canadiens, where he made 24 saves in a 4-1 win for the Hurricanes. Andersen had not played since November 2 when he suffered a loss to the New York Rangers.

His optimistic outlook on life helped him get through his difficult recovery period. "Taking it day by day was key," he said. Although he did not reveal too much about his daily routine and how he deals with the potential of blood clotting, he said he trusted the process and the doctors who helped him through it.

While Carolina had three goalies, Kochetkov was the first goalie off the morning skate, suggesting that he would start versus Toronto. Andersen caught up with his former teammates, Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly, and was impressed by Matthews' performance, with the latter flirting with a 70-goal pace.

Although Andersen was not slated to start against the Leafs, he has been instrumental for the Hurricanes.

During his five seasons with the Leafs before signing with Carolina in free agency in 2021, the Dane was known as a levelheaded person who never wavered from staying on an even keel. His calm and collected demeanor helped him get through his recovery, and it has made him an asset to the Hurricanes.

“It sucks not being able to play for that long and having to deal with something new, but trusting the process and what the doctors helped me through was really big,” he explained.

“I tried not to get too ahead of myself and was happy that I was in a situation to still fight to get back and keep being around the team as much as possible.”

The 34-year-old claimed to have treated his time on the sidelines like it was the offseason given he spent three months away from the game. Having him back has been huge for the Hurricane, not least inspiring.

As for the Leafs, they will return to the ice for a fixture against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and will follow that up with a game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.