Maple Leafs hang 5-2 loss on Flyers

PHILADELPHIA – The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves on Saturday night to help them to a 5-2 win over the Flyers.

Jamie Drysdale #9 of the Philadelphia Flyers battles Dakota Joshua #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of goalie Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Nicholas Robertson had a goal and two points in the win.

“I thought just a really consistent effort right from the drop of the puck,” the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews said. “Obviously going down early, I just thought there was no panic in our room. I thought we played the way that we need to play to be successful over 60 minutes, and thought that’s what showed tonight.”

Christian Dvorak and Tyson Foerster were the Flyers’ strikers.

Dvorak opened the scoring to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead with 68 seconds gone in the game

“I thought we had a good first period, thought we were the better team,” Dvorak said. “Then they came hard out there in the second and they threw some pucks on net and found ways to score.”

Matthews replied for the Leafs to tie the game, 1-1.

In the middle frame, Toronto took a 3-1 lead on strikes by Jake McCabe and Robertson.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Robertson said. “It’s a blessing, for sure. I think for me, I try to take advantage of it. They’re just such good, talented players … I think with more minutes played, more pucks on my stick, just more confidence. Nothing’s changed for me as a player or anything, I think it’s just I got more of an opportunity.”

With 33 seconds gone in the third, the Maple Leafs took a 4-1 lead Easton Cowan‘s first NHL goal.

“You want to score and the first however many games I played in I didn’t score,” Cowan said. “So just stuck with it in practice, kept getting better. … Felt like it was just going to be a matter of time.”

Foerster hit off a power play to make it 4-2, but Calle Jarnkrok scored into an empty net for the 5-2 final count.