The Toronto Maple Leafs fell in Philadelphia collapsing from an emotional wave. An electric week saw them convincingly repel a pair of split enemies (Boston and Florida) and then celebrate super-sniper Auston Matthews on the ice at home and avenge the Winnipeg Jets. Would it be possible for them to attack the humble Flyers with the same vigor, knowing that their first measurement trip to Florida was just around the corner? “It did not go so well for us in games like this, against these types of opponents,” admitted coach Sheldon Keefe. “It’s a lot [because] the opponent plays well. “We expect them to play a good game with a lot of energy and our kids need to be prepared to go and perform the way we have in recent games.” Keefe tried to capitalize on Jack Campbell’s return and Nick Abruzzese’s debut prospect for motivation, but his players came out unchanged against another lottery opponent. But the Maple Leafs had to be a little lucky before they got well, flying out of town with a 6-3 comeback victory and two more points in the treasury. After a goalless and low energy first half, Kevin Hayes opened the scoring and opened the scoring in Season 2. Toronto needed all 69 seconds to return to a game that had no job to lead. Former Flyer Wayne Simmonds received a beautiful stretch pass from TJ Brodie and beat Carter Hart in an away goal, preventing a 32-goal drought. Defender Timothy Liljegren then scored a shot that escaped the final boards and clicked on the back of Hart’s foot as the goalkeeper tried to slip into the crossbar. Yes. Ivan Provorov equalized the match with the blow from the reception. With the Maple Leafs pushing harder in the third period and Hart struggling in his net, Auston Matthews scored his 51st to regain the lead. Pierre Engvall held on and hit a 2-on-1 short arm to give the Maple Leafs a top 12 shorts this season. Provorov hit again to close the gap, but Morgan Rielly responded for the Leafs. John Tavares also gathered at the party, defeating Hart purely in a hurry. An explosive four-goal frame that reinforces the idea that Leafs can survive bursts of brilliance and do not necessarily have to turn 60 to score from a weak team. Maple Leafs’s road trip now heads south to Tampa Bay, where the odds are 100 percent for better hockey.
Fox’s Fast Five
Philly’s followers disapproved of the line-up for the demolition of a Wayne Simmonds – Zack MacEwen scrap before it started. Do not know what city they are in? (The fighters would fight later and the crowd roared.) • With the Maple Leafs struggling to gain momentum for the first 30 minutes, Keefe went into the blender with his first nine in Season 2. Ilya Mikheyev – John Tavares – Mitch Marner is exciting. • For the first time, we are told, after four and a half years, the 76ers played a matinee the same day as a Flyers night game. (Apparently, former coach Alain Vigneault was a fan of slot during the day.) As a result, the Leafs left their routine and did not have access to the Wells Fargo Center for their skate breakfast and meeting. “A little weird for us,” Keefe said. “We spent time at the hotel today, so that in itself is a different routine for our kids – which is sometimes good.” • Another rare spectacle: duel rounds for beginners. A pair of NCAA recruits, Nick Abruzzese of Toronto and Ronnie Attard of Philadelphia, made their NHL debut on Saturday. Acknowledging his nerves, Abruzzese had his parents and sister in town to watch his dream come true. “It has not completely sunk yet,” Abruzzese said. Attard’s debut put an end to Keith Yandle’s Ironman streak in 989 races. Very nice scene before the game: I noticed an unusual Wayne Simmonds catching up with a Flyers longtime employee at the Wells Fargo Center. The gentleman had taken out his smartphone and put his wife on FaceTime, so that Simmonds could visit her too.
