TORONTO — In a thrilling overtime finish, Morgan Rielly netted the winning goal just 2 minutes and 25 seconds into the extra period, guiding the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night. This win marks Toronto’s fourth consecutive victory.
Rielly’s goal came as he skillfully redirected a pass from Auston Matthews, marking Rielly’s fifth goal of the season, and notably his first since early October. Alongside Rielly, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also found the back of the net for the Maple Leafs, who currently sit atop the Atlantic Division and second overall in the Eastern Conference, trailing Washington by just one point. The game saw impressive goaltending from Dennis Hildeby, who recorded 30 saves.
On the other side, Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton contributed goals for the Flyers, who were wrapping up a tough six-game road trip over the span of ten days. Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov played well, making 22 saves throughout the matchup.
Takeaways from the game reveal that Philadelphia had struggled defensively, coming into this match ranked 30th in the NHL in goals allowed, averaging 3.56 goals against per game. This was particularly apparent as they had previously surrendered seven, five, and five goals respectively in three prior losses during their trip. Meanwhile, Toronto has demonstrated strong home performance, holding a record of 17-7-0 this season, tying with Vegas for the best home record in the league, and showing a 5-4-1 performance in games played as part of back-to-back schedules.
A pivotal moment of the game occurred late in the first period when defenseman Jake McCabe did not return after sustaining an upper-body injury during a fight with Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway. The incident ignited due to Hathaway crashing into Hildeby, which prompted McCabe to confront him. During the altercation, McCabe lost his balance and fell awkwardly after absorbing a hit, ending the fight with Hathaway landing on top of him. Earlier in the season, McCabe had already missed five games due to a previous head injury.
A notable stat from this matchup highlighted the unique goaltending battle, as both teams featured towering 6-foot-7 goaltenders, Hildeby and Fedotov, who made several noteworthy saves. In a competitive first period, the Flyers outshot the Maple Leafs 14-13, keeping the pressure on the Toronto defense. Hildeby, making his fourth career NHL start, faced Fedotov, who was playing in his 14th match in the league.
Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs and Flyers are set to face off once again on Tuesday in Philadelphia, promising another exciting encounter between the two teams.
