PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers stayed alive in the race for the post season on Wednesday night with a 5-4 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs after the skills competition.
The Flyers posted three goals in the middle frame to set the Leafs back on their heels.
Center Sean Couturier (#14) of the Philadelphia Flyers scores against Goalie Frederik Andersen (#31) of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the shootout win.
“Just a sloppy second period is where we hurt ourselves,” Toronto’s Nazem Kadri said. “Overall through 40 minutes I think we played a pretty solid road game, but that second period, they pushed and we didn’t have an answer so that put us behind a little bit.”
Carter Hart made 38 saves in the win; had the Flyers lost in regulation, they would have been eliminated form the race.
Kadri, Auston Matthews and Connor Brown scored for the Leafs and William Nylander forced extra time when he scored midway through the third period to tie the game at 4-4.
“It’s been a while, but the chances have been there so I wasn’t too worried,” Nylander said. “Rather score in the playoffs than now, but it was good.”
Sean Couturier had a goal in regulation and was credited with the deciding marker in the skills.
“A few years ago I scored on Andersen (in a shootout) when he was in Anaheim with the same move,” Couturier said. “I wondered if he remembered me, and thankfully he probably didn’t and it worked again. Just happy to get the win here.”
Travis Konecny, Radko Gudas and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Flyers.
“I don’t think you go from being in last place in the League and whatever amount of points out of the playoffs in mid-January, and play yourself back into playoff consideration, and then all of a sudden throw that all away and say, ‘Well, the season’s over here, we’ve got six games left, let’s go through the motions.’ There has to be an element of character that always comes to the forefront, and I’d like to think that’s the way our team will finish off the season,” Philadelphia coach Scott Gordon said.
[WATCH:Â All Maple Leafs vs. Flyers highlights]
Frederik Andersen made 40 saves in the loss.
“I really liked our start,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. “I was disappointed because I think we’ve really worked hard to get our game back here of late. I was disappointed in our second period. I thought we let ourselves down with that. There’s no reason to be careless with the puck and not take care of it.”
Goalie Carter Hart (#79) of the Philadelphia Flyers makes the stop against Right Wing William Nylander (#29) of the Toronto Maple Leafs to seal the win in the shootout.
Goalie Frederik Andersen (#31) of the Toronto Maple Leafs stops a shot by Center Claude Giroux (#28) of the Philadelphia Flyers during a shootout.
Philadelphia Flyers teammates congratulates Right Wing Ryan Hartman (#38) of the Philadelphia Flyers for his goal in the third period.
Left Wing Oskar Lindblom (#23) of the Philadelphia Flyers, Defenseman Jake Muzzin (#8) and Goalie Frederik Andersen (#31) of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs players battle in front of Goalie Carter Hart (#79) of the Philadelphia Flyers
Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (#22) of the Toronto Maple Leafs intercepts a shot in front of his own goal
Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leaf players battle for the loose puck in front of Goalie Frederik Andersen (#31) of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Center Scott Laughton (#21) of the Philadelphia Flyers checks Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (#22) of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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