Postgame 5: Flyers Hold Off Maple Leafs, 4-3

The Philadelphia Flyers earned a vital 4-3 over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening. The Flyers took a 3-0 lead into the third period. Toronto pushed back to cut the gap to 3-1 and later to 4-3 but couldn't find an equalizer.

The Flyers got off to the quick start they needed in the first period. They were unable to add to the lead but outpaced Toronto in top-end scoring chances. All in all, it was a strong opening 20 minutes for Philadelphia.

Owen Tippett (25th goal of the season) scored through a screen just 19 seconds after the opening faceoff. The assists went to Cam York and Morgan Frost. Frost took John Tavares with him to the net, obstructing Ilya Samsonov's vision.

The second period saw the Flyers get off to another quick start, extending their lead. Toronto generated their share of chances as the period moved along, by Samuel Ersson -- with assistance from 15 shot blocks in front of him and a dash of help from friendly goal posts -- kept Toronto from cutting into the Philadelphia lead. Late in the period, the Flyers built a three-goal edge to take into the final 20 minutes.

Travis Sanheim (9th goal of the season) had plenty of time and space to measure a wrist shot from the right circle, and it beat Samsonov for a 2-0 lead at 56 seconds of the second period. The lone assist went to Garnet Hathaway. Ryan Poehling helped out with a screen in front.

Taking a pass back at center point  from Ronnie Attard, Morgan Frost (12th goal of the season) wristed a 47-foot shot into the net for a 3-0 lead at 16:26 of the middle frame. The assists went to Attard and Poehling.

At 1:11 of the third period, William Nylander (37th goal of the season) rifled home a power play goal from the bottom of the left circle. The assists went to Auston Matthews and John Taraves.

Tyler Bertuzzi (14th goal of the season) cut the Philadelphia lead to 3-2 at 10:16 of the third period. Morgan Rielly made a pass out from behind the net and with defenders caught flat-footed, Bertuzzi finished the play in front.  Rielly and Tavares collected the assists.

At 15:00 of the third period, the Flyers got some crucial insurance as Scott Laughton (11th goal of the season) scored in a scramble near the Toronto net. Tippett and York collected the helpers.

Tavares (22nd) came into the game without a point  against the Flyers. At 17:50 of the the third period, he recorded his third point of the final period of regulation as he scored a 6-on-5 goal to bring Toronto within 4-3. Matthews and Bertuzzi assisted.

Ersson earned the win in goal with 27 saves on 30 shots. In a losing cause, Samsonov stopped 24 of 28 shots.

The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play. The Maple Leafs were 1-for-3.

Flyers captain Sean Couturier was scratched from the lineup along with wingers Cam Atkinson, Denis Gurianov and defenseman Marc Staal. Olle Lycksell entered the lineup, along with defenseman Adam Ginning.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 11 Travis Konecny
86 Joel Farabee - 21 Scott Laughton - 10 Bobby Brink
71 Tyson Foerster - 25 Ryan Poehling - 19 Garnet Hathaway
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 27 Noah Cates - 62 Olle Lycksell

8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim

5 Egor Zamula - 77 Ryan Parent

50 Adam Ginning -  23 Ronnie Attard

33 Samuel Ersson

[32 Felix Sandström]

TURNING POINT

Laughton's goal proved to be absolutely crucial as the Flyers were unable to protect a 3-0 goal edge in the third period.

POSTGAME 5

1) Tippett's tally was the lone shot on goal for either team through the game's first 4:30. Deslauriers and Reeves fought each other at 4:53 of the first period.

Ersson made a glove save on Auston Matthews at 7:38. York did a great job killing a play in the defensive zone about eight minutes in the period.

At 11:28, Ersson bailed his hemmed-in team out of trouble with a save on Max Domi. Shots were now 7-5 Flyers. 

Travis Sanheim made a good defensive play near the blueline and, at the other end, Laughton took a high stick from Holmberg. The Flyers went back to the power play. The Leafs hit the post on a shorthanded 2-on-1 (fourth post hit by Toronto in the game). As play moved back to 5-on-4, Bertuzzzi scored to cut the gap to 3-2.

York made a sharp cut from the left circle and hit the far side post on a backhand shot at 14:56. It was the second post hit by the Flyers in the opening frame, as Brink drew iron earlier on a deflection at the 4:06 mark.

2) First period shots on goal were 8-7 Flyers. Shot attempts were 19-17 Toronto. The Flyers blocked six shot attempts by Toronto. Scoring chances were 11-9 Toronto. High-danger scoring chances were 5-2 Flyers. Faceoffs were 11-9 Toronto.

3) With a 2-0 lead in the cash register via Sanheim's goal,  Frost was called for a hooking penalty at 1:44 of the second period. Toronto went to their first power play. The Flyers staged a strong penalty kill.

Toronto hit the post at one end and Farabee was denied by Samsonov on a breakaway at the other.  Tippett led Konecny on a 2-on-1 chance, electing to pass, TK missed the net from 12 feet at 6:32.

The Flyers went to their first power play at 12:50 as William Nylander was called for an offensive zone slash. Farabee came within a whisker of a goal. With PP2 on the ice, Bobby McMann had a shorthanded breakaway after a gaffe by Zamula. Ersson made the save. After play went back to 5-on-5, Nylander deked around Ersson and had him beaten but the shot went off the post. Frost scored from distance for a 3-0 lead at 16:26.

Right before the second period buzzer, Ersson made a stop on John Tavares from 20 feet. It was his 19th save of the game.

4) Second period shots on goal were 15-12 Flyers (23-19 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 34-22 Flyers (53-40 Toronto overall). The Flyers blocked another 15 shots (21 overall through two periods). Scoring chances were 17-9 Toronto (28-19 Maple Leafs overall). High-danger scoring chances were 6-5 Maple Leafs (10-8 Flyers overall). Faceoffs were 8-6 Maple Leafs (19-15 Toronto overall).

5) Frost was called for his second hooking penalty of the game at 1:01 of the third period. Nylander scored at 1:11 to cut the deficit to 3-1. Through five minutes, shots on goal were 3-2 Flyers.

York did a good job of squeezing off a play along the wall. Toronto went offside at 6:45. At 10:16, however, Bertuzzi made it white-knuckle time for the Flyers. 

Toronto returned to the power play at 10:50 on a hooking minor against Laughton.  Ersson made two key saves and Sanheim came up with a vital shot block. With play back to full strength, Laughton restored a two-goal lead.

Toronto pulled Samsonov for a 6-on-5. The Flyers iced the puck with 2:37 remaining.  Tavares tallied at 17:50 to narrow the Flyers' lead to 4-3.