Evgeny Kuznetsov slams Toronto media for their treatment of Ilya Samsonov

Carolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov didn't hold back in criticizing the Toronto media's treatment of his fellow Russian player, Ilya Samsonov.

"You guys have been so hard on the players here in general," Kuznetsov said. "I’m so happy he doesn’t speak English well, so he doesn’t understand everything. That’s life here, more than life is for me. He doesn’t watch it, doesn’t read everything."

Despite concerns over Samsonov's injury during the morning skate, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe reassured reporters that the goaltender was alright and would be playing that evening against the Hurricanes.

"Sammy's fine. He'll play tonight. Leave me alone," Keefe said.

Samsonov's departure from practice after an apparent injury raised initial concerns, but reassurances from both Keefe and the subsequent confirmation of his participation in the upcoming game gave a sense of relief to Maple Leafs fans.

Evgeny Kuznetsov scores debut goal for Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes triumphed over the Florida Panthers with a 4-0 victory, marked by Evgeny Kuznetsov's debut goal for the Hurricanes and Frederik Andersen's first shutout in over a year.

“I understand why I’m here and why this team (acquired) me, It’s nice to score once in a while. It’s a relief,” Kuznetsov said.

Andersen, with 21 saves, attributed the success to solid defense, while Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour emphasized the significance of strong goaltending.

“If we can get that kind of goaltending or even close to it, it’s a good sign for us," Brind’Amour said.

The Panthers, despite Sergei Bobrovsky's 32 saves, struggled offensively. Center Sam Reinhart acknowledged Carolina's superior performance.

Carolina's Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, and Andrei Svechnikov each scored goals, with Jarvis emphasizing the significance of their early advantage. Necas scored off a rebound, and Svechnikov secured the game with an empty-net goal.

Jake Guentzel earned his first point with the Hurricanes, following his trade from Pittsburgh.

Florida faced challenges with injuries to forwards Sam Bennett and Evan Rodriguez, though Panthers coach Paul Maurice downplayed their absences.

Despite the setback, the Panthers remain resilient, with Maurice noting the commonality of injuries in NHL play.

“It’s just standard operating procedure in the NHL — you always have three or four guys that are either banged up or are out, So I don’t think that’s a factor in our game," Maurice said.

The Hurricanes will play the Leafs next game.