Jake McCabe and Nicholas Robertson scored second-period goals to help the Toronto Maple Leafs separate from the host Philadelphia Flyers en route to a 5-2 victory Saturday.
Auston Matthews, Easton Cowan and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto, while John Tavares notched a pair of assists. Anthony Stolarz, a former Flyer, made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs.
Flyers netminder Dan Vladar allowed four goals on 19 shots before giving way to Aleksei Kolosov early in the third period. Christian Dvorak and Tyson Foerster scored for Philadelphia, which watched its three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Flyers opened the scoring just over a minute into the game on Dvorak’s third of the season, but that was one of the only highlights for the hosts.
About five minutes later, Matthews tied it at 1-1 with his sixth of the campaign. With plenty of traffic in front of the net, Matthews unleashed a wrister from the high slot that got past Vladar.
Philadelphia’s Trevor Zegras hit the post early in the second period, shortly before McCabe gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with a shot from the point that found the back of the net.
Robertson tacked on another goal towards the end of the period. Matthew Knies and Robertson crossed on a 2-on-2 rush and Knies’ drop pass set up Robertson for a wrister from the slot that solved Vladar.
Vladar allowed another tally – Cowan’s first NHL goal – just 33 seconds into the third period. Tavares set up Cowan, who had plenty of space in the right circle and uncorked a wrister just inside the left post.
Philadelphia’s Rodrigo Abols scored to make it 4-2, but the goal was overturned due to Abols’ high stick. However, the Flyers eventually did inch closer on Foerster’s 6-on-4 goal with about four minutes left.
Jarnkrok’s empty-netter with 18 seconds left cemented Toronto’s victory.
Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left on a stretcher following a third-period collision. The veteran blue-liner had just returned from a concussion.
