Philadelphia 7, Toronto 4
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 20, 2014
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Referees:
Eric Furlatt, Dave Jackson
Linesmen:
Steve Barton, Michel Cormier
Attendance:
19343
By SportsDirect Inc.
Flyers 7, Maple Leafs 4: Captain Claude Giroux scored two goals and set up two others while Jakub Voracek took over the NHL scoring lead by collecting four assists as visiting Philadelphia rallied from a pair of early deficits to cruise to victory.
Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl each recorded a goal and an assist while defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, R.J. Umberger and rookie Scott Laughton also scored for the Flyers, who won a road game against an Eastern Conference opponent for the first time since Oct. 22. Matt Read notched a pair of assists and Ray Emery made 21 saves as Philadelphia fell behind 2-0 less than six minutes into the contest and trailed 3-2 before scoring five consecutive times.
Joffrey Lupul registered a goal and an assist while fellow former Flyer James van Riemsdyk, David Clarkson and Peter Holland also tallied for the Maple Leafs, who lost their second consecutive contest and saw their five-game home winning streak come to an end. Jonathan Bernier allowed all seven goals on 41 shots before being replaced by James Reimer, who stopped the only shot he faced.
Voracek set up both of Giroux’s goals, sending the 2014 Hart Trophy finalist a centering pass to redirect past Bernier 11:44 into the first period to forge a 3-3 tie and finding him across the ice for a top-shelf snap shot from a sharp angle with 3:57 remaining in the second that made it 5-3. Laughton fired the puck past a screened Bernier off a feed from Voracek 5:47 into the third period and Raffl converted a centering feed from Wayne Simmonds 3:45 later to put the game out of reach.
Lupul and van Riemsdyk scored 49 seconds apart to give Toronto a 2-0 lead 5:40 into the first period, but Umberger replied for the Flyers on a rebound opportunity at 8:14. Couturier ignited a flurry of three goals in a 26-second span at 11:18, as Clarkson scored 15 seconds later and Giroux added his first 11 seconds afterward.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Grossmann was credited with an odd goal after his point shot hit the end boards and deflected in off Bernier’s leg 3:52 into the second period. … Maple Leafs D Jake Gardiner was a healthy scratch. … Voracek leads the league with 42 points. … Toronto will play its next seven games on the road while the World Junior Hockey Championship takes place at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs’ next home game is on Jan. 7.
Top Game Performances
Philadelphia |
|
Toronto |
Claude Giroux 4 |
Points |
Joffrey Lupul 2 |
Claude Giroux 2 |
Goals |
Joffrey Lupul 1 |
Jakub Voracek 4 |
Assists |
Phil Kessel 2 |
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
James Van Riemsdyk 1 |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Ray Emery .840 |
Save Percentage |
James Reimer 1.000 |
Ray Emery 21 |
Saves |
Jonathan Bernier 34 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Philadelphia
|
42 |
7 |
0-3 |
3-4 |
8 |
34 |
Toronto
|
25 |
4 |
1-4 |
3-3 |
6 |
32 |
Upcoming Games
-
Toronto will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .538 after a loss.
-
Philadelphia will play their next game on the road against Winnipeg. The Flyers have a W/L % of .455 after a win and .333 after a loss.