Maple Leafs derail Flyers, 6-2

PHILADELPHIA – The visiting Toronto Maple Leafs scored three times in the opening stanza on Thursday night to effectively take the Flyers out of the game in a 6-2 win.

Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers defend his goalie Samuel Ersson #33 from the screen of Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Six different skaters hit for goals for the Maple Leafs.

Auston Matthews picked up his 55th of the season in the win.

“Just trying to jump in that space, try to beat my guy up the ice, and ‘Bergy’ made a really great play,” Matthews said. “Just patient with the puck and found me coming through the middle and I was able to just walk in all alone.”

Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves in the win.

Toronto improved to 38-19-8.

“That goes to his defensive abilities,” Toronto’s Tyler Bertuzzi said. “When you play a 200-foot game, that’s when you get rewarded with those things, those offensive looks. His goal tonight, he was good in the defensive zone, and he busted all the way up the ice to get open for a half breakaway and scored. Defensive first and then his offense will always be there.”

Bertuzzi opened the scoring with a strike at 2:01 of the first, scoring from the right side for a 1-0 lead.

Pontus Holmberg expanded the lead to 2-0 midway through the first, scoring from the low slot area after an errant puck found its way to his stick.

Timothy Liljegren stretched the advantage to 3-0 at 15:30, scoring off a shot from the blueline.

“We were on our toes,” Bertuzzi said. “Everyone had a good first shift, and obviously to score three minutes into the game is big and get off to a good start.”

Philadelphia dropped to 34-25-8.

“Take our lessons from this one and move on,” Flyers assistant Brad Shaw said.

In the middle frame, the Flyers got one back on a power play marker from Owen Tippett at 1:42 to make it 3-1.

In the third period, the Maple Leafs scored twice in an eight-second span for a 5-1 advantage.

Matthews potted his goal at 4:45 of the third for a 4-1 lead.

William Nylander scored eight seconds later for a 5-1 lead.

Matthew Knies hit with nine minutes gone in the third for a 6-1 score.

Tyson Foerster scored a shorthanded goal with 1:32 left on the game clock for the 6-2 final count on the scoreboard.

Samuel Ersson got the start for the Flyers, he yielded three goals in the first period, making nine saves, before getting the hook in the first intermission.

Felix Sandstrom made 12 saves through the final two periods.

“One of our strengths this year has been our resilience mentally when a bad thing happened or a goal goes in the net,” Shaw said. “We seem to be able to weather the storm and gather ourselves and get back on the attack. For whatever reason, they put another one in the net right away and it just feels like a bit of a tsunami coming. We’ve done such a good job of staying away from those scenarios previously throughout the year.”

Samuel Ersson #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a pad save.

Felix Sandstrom #32 of the Philadelphia Flyers in net at the beginning of the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Owen Tippett #74 of the Philadelphia Flyers score in the second period against Ilya Samsonov #35 of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Pontus Holmberg #29 of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Tyler Bertuzzi #59 of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Timothy Liljegren #37 of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Felix Sandstrom #32 and teammate Travis Sanheim #6 Cam York #8 along with Toronto Maple Leafs players Pontus Holmberg #29 and Tyler Bertuzzi #59

Felix Sandstrom #32 of the Philadelphia Flyers makes a save.

Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Ilya Samsonov #35 teammates Auston Matthews #34 and Joel Edmundson #20 along with Philadelphia Flyers Sean Couturier #14 and Denis Gurianov #15