Woll makes 25 saves to help the Maple Leafs top the slumping Hurricanes 4-1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Joseph Woll made 25 saves and the Toronto Maple Leafs moved closer to clinching the Atlantic Division title by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Sunday, reaching the 50-win mark.

Pontus Holmberg, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares scored for Toronto, which has won three straight and seven of its last eight overall. Morgan Rielly had three assists.

Toronto has 104 points, and Tampa Bay, which began the day four points back, could equal that mark at best.

Sebastian Aho scored on a third-period power play, but the Hurricanes have lost five of their last six games. Frederik Andersen, who stopped 16 shots, lost his third consecutive game.

The Maple Leafs scored on their fourth and sixth shots of the game. They had only 12 shots on goal through two periods.

Maple Leafs: Nylander’s team-leading 45th goal was his first since he scored twice in a victory against Columbus on April 5. Toronto won two of three meetings with Carolina, which is also playoff-bound.

Hurricanes: It’s the third time in their last five games when they failed to score more than one goal.

The Maple Leafs were stuck with one shot on goal more than 18½ minutes into the game. Holmberg knocked in a rebound to make it 1-0 with 17 seconds left in the first.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 31-9-1 home record, holding the top mark in home points in the Eastern Conference despite the end of a four-game home winning streak.

The Maple Leafs play their road finale Tuesday night at Buffalo. The Hurricanes visit Montreal on Wednesday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Carolina Hurricanes' Brent Burns (8) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) watch the shot of Leafs' Mitch Marner (16) fly by during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) watches the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Nicholas Robertson (89) moves the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) watches the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg, center, is congratulated on his goal by teammate Nicholas Robertson (89) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Eric Robinson (50) controls the puck near Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly (44) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) blocks a shot with Carolina Hurricanes' Tyson Jost (27) nearby during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Four years after showing up late for the Beijing Olympics and missing one of his races because of a case of COVID-19, U.S. long track speedskater Casey Dawson is enjoying what he jokingly terms his “villain arc,” peaking at the right time ahead of the Milan Cortina Games.

Dawson secured a spot for next month in the men's 5,000 meters — an event he was forced to skip in 2022 while sick — by winning at that distance at the U.S. Olympic trials in 6 minutes, 12.857 seconds on Friday night.

“I actually got COVID two or three weeks before going to the competition. Tested positive for 50 straight tests,” said Dawson, a 25-year-old from Park City, Utah. “Couldn’t go over to the Games. I missed the opening ceremonies. Missed the 5,000 meters. Showed up 12 hours before my 1,500 meters. So I kind of got a little screwed over from that point of view. But this time around, I’m just looking forward to getting there smoothly and just getting a little bit of redemption.”

And then, with a chuckle, Dawson added: “It’s kind of fun to have, like, my villain arc, I would call it. Just coming back and having some fun.”

Ethan Cepuran was about 6 1/2 seconds back Friday, finishing next in 6:19.335.

The last American man to medal in the 5,000 at an Olympics was Chad Hedrick at the 2006 Turin Games.

Dawson already had secured the lone U.S. place for Milan in the men’s 10,000 — a race not being contested at these trials — and also will be part of the trio for men’s team pursuit at the Olympics.

Dawson, Cepuran and Emery Lehman took the bronze in that event in Beijing four years ago, set the world record in 2024 and claimed gold in the team pursuit at the world championships in March.

In the other race Friday, the women's 3,000, Greta Myers won in 4:06.799. As of now, the United States does not have a berth in Milan for that distance, but one of its athletes could end up in the field if another country relinquishes an opening.

“It's hard to wait,” said Myers, a 21-year-old from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. “But I'm very hopeful. I think it's at least a 50-50 chance that it'll happen.”

The U.S. Olympic roster for long track won't become official until the four-day trials at the Pettit National Ice Center wrap up on Monday. One element that could come into play is that the Americans are allowed to bring a maximum of eight men and six women to these Winter Games.

The biggest star of the team — and the sport — is scheduled to make his trials debut Saturday in the men's 1,000 meters: Jordan Stolz. The 21-year-old from Kewaskum, a town about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, is not just competing at home this week; he's racing at the same rink where he first began taking lessons as a kid.

He made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Beijing four years ago, finishing 13th in the 500 and 14th in the 1,000.

At both the 2023 and 2024 world championships, Stolz earned titles in each of the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters.

He's already pre-qualified for the Olympics based on performances at those three distances. All he really needs to do to lock down berths on the squad for the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Games is show up at the starting line this week.

The 500 and 1,500 are slated for Sunday, and the mass start is Monday.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Casey Dawson, of Park City, Utah, right, and Ethan Cepuran, of Glen Ellyn, lllinois, left, compete in the men's 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speed skating at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)

The Pettit National Ice Center is seen in Milwaukee on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, the first day of the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)