In the second leg of back-to-back games, the Flyers were handily beaten by a Toronto team desperate to break through. Let’s wrap on Philadelphia’s third consecutive loss.
First Period
Plus: The Flyers scored first in this one, as Travis Konecny found Joel Farabee at the top of the circle for a one-time blast at the 6:51 mark. It was just the second time in the first ten games the Flyers have scored first in a game.
Minus: Three of Toronto’s five powerplay opportunities came in the opening stanza. Auston Matthews knotted the game at one apiece after a slick pass from behind the Leafs net from captain John Tavares.
Minus: At 18:33 of the opening period, Tavares would strike again, but this time it would be with a one-time slapshot from the point. The shot appeared to have changed direction on its way to goaltender Felix Sandstrom, but the long-range shot put the Flyers in all too familiar position; and that’s chasing the game.
Second Period
Minus: The Flyers only trailed by one goal in the middle frame, but Philadelphia was very sloppy in this period. The club was turning over a lot of pucks and allowing odd-man rushes. They were lucky to still only be down only 2-1 at this point. Goaltender Felix Sandstrom kept the game within reach. He more than held up under a lot of Toronto pressure.
Third Period
Minus: The Maple Leaf onslaught continued, as Toronto forward Zach Ashton-Reese had a puck ricochet to him at the side of wide-open Philadelphia cage at the 2:49 mark of the final stanza. It was a bit puck luck for the Leafs, but certainly the kind they earned, as Toronto dictated play tempo and puck possession.
Minus: John Tavares added two more goals for good measure to ice the game for Toronto, including this beauty of a move on Flyers’ defensemen Travis Sanheim. It was just an all-world play by a tremendously talented player.
Quick Hits
- Goaltender Felix Sandstrom made 39 saves in the loss.
- John Tortorella continues to lean heavily on defensemen Tony DeAngelo in all situations, as he logged 24:13 TOI (time on ice) in the loss. That now makes a career-high 10 consecutive games of logging 20 or more minutes in a contest for DeAngelo.
- Travis Konecny added two assists in this one and continues to be Philadelphia’s offensive catalyst. With the two points, he now has five points in his last five games.
What’s Next
The Flyers will finish up a three-game road trip on Saturday, when they visit Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators for a 7:00 puck drop.
