PHILADELPHIA — The Toronto Maple Leafs skated away with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, but the win came with a scary moment late in the game.
Austin Matthews scored his sixth goal of the season, and John Tavares set up two goals as Toronto grabbed its third win in four games.
Matthews Stays Hot Against Philly
Matthews tied the game 1-1 with a snap shot from the left circle at 6:16 of the first period. The goal extended his incredible streak—he’s now recorded at least one point in 12 straight games against Philadelphia. That streak goes all the way back to December 2019.
Tavares had assists on goals by Nicholas Robertson and Easton Cowan. For Cowan, it was his first NHL goal—a moment every player dreams about.
Stolarz Shines Against Former Team
Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves to beat the team that originally drafted him. The Flyers picked Stolarz in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft, so this one had to feel pretty good. Jake McCabe and Calle Jarnkrok also found the net for Toronto.
Flyers’ Winning Streak Ends
Christian Dvorak and Tyson Foerster scored for Philadelphia, but it wasn’t enough. The Flyers’ three-game winning streak came to an end.
Dan Vladar had been nearly perfect for Philadelphia this season. Through his first six starts, he hadn’t allowed more than two goals in any game. Saturday was different—he gave up four goals on 19 shots before getting pulled after Cowan’s third-period goal. Aleksei Kolosov came in to finish the game.
Scary Collision Leads to Tanev Injury
The biggest concern of the night came with 11:37 left in the game. Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev collided with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov in a scary moment that silenced the arena.
The contact was shoulder-to-shoulder, but Tanev’s head snapped back hard. He stayed face down on the ice and didn’t move.
Trainers rushed to him and carefully stabilized his head and neck. They lifted him onto a stretcher and wheeled him off the ice. He was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
This was especially concerning because it was Tanev’s first game back after missing four games due to a concussion.
Positive Update on Tanev
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube gave a somewhat reassuring update after the game. He said Tanev had movement in his extremities and was having tests done. Berube added that he thinks Tanev will be all right.
Michkov received a minor penalty for interference on the play.
The Maple Leafs will hope for good news about Tanev as they look to build on their recent success.