Maple Leafs Edge Hurricanes, Stars Defeat Devils in Action-Packed NHL Saturday

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — In a thrilling National Hockey League (NHL) Saturday, the Dallas Stars edged the New Jersey Devils 4-2 while the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3.

The Stars capitalized on key moments, beginning with Yevgeni Dadonov’s opening goal just 3:58 into the game. Dallas quickly doubled their lead as Thomas Harley scored on a power play, wrapping up the first period with a 2-0 advantage despite being outshot 20-13 by New Jersey.

The scoring resumed in the third period, where Jack Hughes put the Devils on the board with a goal at the 10-minute mark, reducing the deficit to one. However, the Stars restored their two-goal cushion only 35 seconds later when Matt Duchene found the net.

Hughes rallied again shortly afterward, capitalizing on assists from Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton to make it a tight contest. But time was not on the Devils’ side as the Stars’ Wyatt Johnston sealed the game with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

The victory maintains the Stars in second place in the Western Conference, now nine points behind the conference-leading team. Meanwhile, the Devils dropped to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs took control early against the Hurricanes, scoring four times in the first period. Alex Steeves and Pontus Holmberg were among the early scorers, giving Toronto a commanding 4-0 lead by the period’s end.

Despite being outshot 58-30, the Leafs exhibited efficiency that proved crucial as the Hurricanes clawed back with goals from Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrei Svechnikov in the third period, narrowing the score to 4-3.

However, with less than two minutes remaining, Auston Matthews found the net, solidifying the Leafs’ victory. Holmberg added another goal in the final moments, securing the win and pushing Toronto ahead of Carolina in the Eastern Conference.

The Maple Leafs have now solidified themselves as a formidable playoff contender, having won four of their last five games. Conversely, the Hurricanes are struggling with four losses in their last five, raising concerns about their playoff aspirations.