PHILADELPHIA — With five minutes to go, Zack MacEwen dropped the gloves with Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds. MacEwen proceeded to take hit after hit, much like how his team got beaten up by the Maple Leafs in the third period, leading to their 6-3 loss.
The Flyers have responded to challenges for months but with little to show for it. They’ve let up leads, both early and late, and have made comebacks that fall just short. Against the Maple Leafs, they once again bounced back when faced with adversity but walked away with nothing to show for it.
Kevin Hayes got the Flyers on the board first with his second period goal, but things changed quickly from there. Former Flyer Simmonds tied it up on a breakaway goal that slid just past Carter Hart’s foot. Two minutes later, Timothy Liljegren gave the Maple Leafs the lead
But the Flyers took back control of the game, and Ivan Provorov tied it up three minutes after Liljegren’s goal. The game remained evenly matched for the rest of the second and the first half of the third until Auston Matthews scored the go-ahead.
Pierre Engvall then started a flurry of scoring with his short-handed goal to give the Maple Leafs a 4-2 lead. While Provorov scored his second to cut deficit to one less a minute later, Morgan Rielly restored Toronto’s lead to two a minute after that. John Tavares sealed the deal with less than five to go. By the time MacEwen and Simmonds faced off, the game was decided.
A return to form
After injuries, surgeries and an infection, Hayes has not felt like himself in a long time. Since returning on March 5, Hayes has slowly been finding his way back to who he was when he first came to Philadelphia, and in Saturday’s game, he got even closer. The Flyers’ offensive first period was driven in large part by Hayes, who had three shots on goal and set up chances for his linemates. He then netted the first goal in the second off Provorov’s pass.
Provorov has also strayed from his game in recent seasons. Since his strong 2019-2020 season, his play had dropped along with the team’s. Saturday, Provorov performed well on both ends of the ice. In addition to his defensive contributions, he got more involved with the offense. After setting up Hayes’ goal, Hayes then set up his goal. It was his first multi-point game since Dec. 14, and his second of the season. He earned a third point with a third period goal.
Provorov and Hayes finished as the team’s offensive leaders.
Uncharacteristic Hart
After kicking off the game with a series of big saves, Hart made some uncharacteristic plays that allowed the Maple Leafs to get back in the game. On the first goal, he misjudged a rush, and the puck trickled past him. On the next, he failed to seal the post. He lost track of the puck after making a stop on the initial shot for the third.
Typically, Hart is the one keeping the Flyers in it, but in his first game back after an injury, Hart struggled to match his skaters’ play. He let in six goals on 28 shots faced. His .786 save percentage was well below his .909 season save percentage coming into the game.
Attard’s debut
Ronnie Attard’s first NHL shift of his career only lasted a few seconds. But it was long enough to skate out the nerves. After that, Attard said it just felt like he was playing hockey.
Skating next to Nick Seeler, who helped him through the two practices leading up to the game, Attard said he felt comfortable. When he got bumped around in the first, Seeler was able to help out. Attard also got his first minute of power play time at the NHL level when he went out with the first unit, but the power play did produce momentum.
In the second, Attard looked even more comfortable, both offensively and defensively. He set up a Owen Tippett for a good look at the net. While skating with Provorov in the third, Attard showed off his shot for the first time, although Jack Campbell made a glove save on it.
What’s next
The Flyers head to New York City on Sunday for a 7 p.m. against the New York Rangers and former Flyer Justin Braun.
