'Canes shut out Leafs in Quinn's surprise return

TORONTO -- Arturs Irbe made sure that Pat Quinn's surprising return didn't inspire the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Irbe stopped 31 shots while rookie Sami Kapanen and Ron Francis each had a goal and assist, lifting the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-0 win over Toronto in Game 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals on Thursday.

Rookie Jaroslav Svoboda also scored, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Maple Leafs lost their third straight game despite getting an emotional boost when Quinn was released from the hospital 2 1/2 hours before game time. Quinn, who returned to the hospital following the game, has been monitored the past two days for an irregular heartbeat.

He received a standing ovation before the game, and the Maple Leafs responded with a solid start, in which they outshot Carolina 9-1 through the first 14 minutes.