Despite a strong first period, the Flyers could not retain their momentum and fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 Monday night in the first game of a six-game road trip.
The Flyers out-shot the Leafs 45-24, including 12-8 in the first period. Both teams scored a goal, but the Flyers clearly had the momentum early.
After just 38 seconds in the game, Wayne Simmonds scored what would be the only goal on Toronto goalie James Reimer, who stopped 12 shots against Philadelphia. During the first period, the Flyers were able to hold Toronto scoreless during what amounted to a six-minute Power Play stemming from three Philadelphia penalties.
Toronto scored all five of their goals on even-strength. Toronto went 0-5 on the Power Play; Philadelphia was 0-3.
With a little over five minutes left in the first period, a slapshot by Toronto Defenseman Dion Phaneuf tied the game at one.
Toronto proceeded to start the second period very aggressively. A barrage of shots in the first two and a half minutes on goalie Ilya Bryzgalov propelled the Maple Leafs to a 3-1 lead that
they would not relinquish the rest of the game.
RW Colton Orr netted his first goal of the season, and the 12th of his career, to start the second
period scoring after 2:05. RW Matt Frattin followed suit 28 seconds later to give Toronto a two goal lead.
Not long after, however, Reimer appeared to hurt his left leg somehow, and needed assistance leaving the ice. He was replaced by backup Ben Scrivens. LW Clarke MacArthur scored 6:15 in to
build their lead to 4-1.
Scrivens took it from there, denying the Flyers on 32 shots and not allowing a goal until the game’s final 30 seconds, to Max Talbot. The Flyers wasted several opportunities; not only was Toronto’s starter, who had been performing very well lately, out, but they also had a seven minute stretch of time on the Power Play that they failed to convert into points.
Bryzgalov was pulled in favor of the recently-reacquired Brian Boucher after allowing four goals in 26 minutes. Boucher, who played his last six games for the Adirondack Phantoms, stopped 9 shots in his 33:45 in goal. The lone goal he allowed came off of the stick of former Flyer James Van Riemsdyk, who was traded to Toronto for defenseman Luke Schenn this summer. The goal was Van Riemsdyk’s eigth of the year.
The Flyers, who fall to 5-7-1, head to Winnipeg to play the Jets tomorrow night at 8:00pm as part of their six-game road trip. Sean Couturier, missed tonight’s game with the flu, will not travel
with the team to Winnipeg. Toronto, 8-5-0, heads to Carolina to play the Hurricanes Thursday. They have won four in a row, and have scored 11 goals in their last two games combined.
