Defense, goaltending haunts Flyers in loss to Leafs

Against the Penguins, Babcock shook up his D by inserting Frankie Corrado, who made his first start of the season, and Matt Hunwick, who missed the previous eight games with a lower-body injury.

On Friday, the Leafs responded with one of their better comeback efforts of the season to score a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

This is also the first National Hockey League meeting between the current Leafs’ franchise player and the previous one-Phil Kessel.

“We didn’t have a very good taste in our mouths leaving the rink (after Tuesday’s 7-0 loss to the Kings)”, Rielly said. I think we just died there for a couple minutes and when that happens the other team capitalizes on your mistakes.

Konecny followed up 27 seconds after that with the fourth goal of his impressive rookie season. That “kid” persona? He’s handed that off to players such as Matthews and McDavid. From who is starting in goal to how the league is evolving, look no further than the Burlington County Times newspaper and its website, as they bring the Philadelphia Flyers to Burlington County’s ice hockey fans, whether the team is resting during the off-season or battling through a long regular season on the road to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the Penguins kept the puck and kept pressuring, and Kunitz ended up wristing a shot inside the far post at 19:42 during a scramble around the net in which Rust was denied on two good scoring chances in close. Guy-I-wish-we’d-got-in-the-Kessel-trade Derrick Pouliot is out, but Maata looks decent and Justin Schultz has had a mini career renaissance with the Pens. Hyman then banged in a Matthews’ shot off the crossbar and Komarov deflated a Flyer power play with a break on goaltender Steve Mason. Frederik Anderson stopped 30 shots to help the Maple Leafs bounce back from a 7-0 loss to Los Angeles earlier in the week and improve to 5-2-0 at home. Just stop at the net and it doesn’t go in. But I don’t really see that in their game. Rielly also went over 100 career points on Friday.

“Everyone has been there with back-to-back games, ” Crosby said. “He’s pretty good and his moustache is, too”.

Domi was quickly silenced after the 2004-05 lockout, when the Sabres put together their best squad in franchise history and back to back appearance in the Conference Finals, while he and his Leafs fell into the abyss which they are still trying to climb out of. With Pittsburgh losing its last game, it’ll be pivotal that Toronto scores early to get the Penguins off their game. “We (Giroux, Simmonds) have had some good chemistry along the way”. “We were tight and refused to shoot. To be blunt and honest we gave up four goals in the third period so everyone’s got to do a little bit better”. Marner was a sparkplug again in this game and gave a lift to the three different lines (took a shift with Kadri and Komarov late in the second) he played on.

It was never going to be an easy assignment for the Leafs, who played at home to the Flyers the night before while the deep and talented Penguins rested.