Chaotic finish makes it interesting, but support for Hart too late as Flyers lose originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Despite a third-period push, the Flyers simply didn’t do enough to win Thursday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
They lost to the Maple Leafs, 4-3, and were outshot 34-19.
The Flyers were down 4-1 with under eight and a half minutes left in the game, but quick strikes from Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee made things interesting.
With 5:26 minutes remaining and a chance to tie the game, Farabee misfired on a wide-open net. He appeared to have trouble handling the pass, which delayed his shot.
The Flyers had a power play in the final minute-plus and emptied their net for the two-man advantage. A questionable roughing penalty on Farabee quelled the Flyers’ opportunity up a pair of skaters.
The Flyers (11-16-7) haven’t won consecutive games since Nov. 5-8.
William Nylander pinned John Tortorella’s club in the 4-1 deficit with what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Travis Konecny (two assists) and Tony DeAngelo (one goal, one assist) finished with multi-point performances for the Flyers.
The Maple Leafs (21-7-6) are 17-3-4 since the beginning of November, a stretch that started with a 5-2 win over the Flyers.
The two clubs meet once more next month in Philadelphia.
• The gap in talent level was clear in this game.
When Michael Bunting extended Toronto’s lead to 3-1 just 33 seconds into the third period, the Flyers were being outshot 27-8.
The Flyers had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:01 minutes in the final stanza but failed to convert. Nylander then scored and the Flyers needed a near-perfect comeback attempt if they wanted to win.
To their credit, the Flyers didn’t quit on the game. But they were outplayed for a good majority of it and Carter Hart was once again heavily relied upon.
“I think we have to get better with skill. I do. I’m not talking out of turn here, I’m not trying to be the general manager, but we have to get more skill here,” Tortorella said Wednesday about the Flyers’ future.
• Hart entered the game with the most saves (729) and shots faced (799) in the NHL.
He turned away the Maple Leafs 30 times. He held off Toronto until Calle Jarnkrok got one past him with a redirection just three seconds after a Maple Leafs power play expired. The goal came with 3:10 minutes left in the second period and knotted the game 1-1.
Mitchell Marner handed Toronto its lead with under a minute remaining in the middle stanza on a power play goal.
Toronto netminder Ilya Samsonov, who entered with a 1.98 goals-against average, had to stop just 16 of the Flyers’ 19 shots.
• Much of the Flyers’ youth was quieted until the back half of the third period after it enjoyed a big-time performance in the team’s 5-3 win Tuesday over the Blue Jackets.
Farabee’s goal was his first in 12 games. Frost has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last nine games.
Owen Tippett and Cam York were held scoreless after putting up two points apiece against Columbus.
• DeAngelo matched a career high with his third power play goal on a blast from the point. It gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at first intermission.
The lead was all possible because of a key save by Hart 33 seconds prior to DeAngelo’s goal. Marner was sprung for a shorthanded breakaway but Hart denied him.
• The Flyers are right back at it Friday for their final game before the NHL-mandated three-day holiday break. They visit the Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP+) and will then have five days before their next game.
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