Toronto snaps three-game road skid behind goalie’s 31-save performance, but Tanev injury mars victory
PHILADELPHIA — Anthony Stolarz circled this date on his calendar the moment the schedule dropped. Returning to face the franchise that drafted him in 2012, the Toronto netminder delivered a statement performance with 31 saves, backstopping the Maple Leafs to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. But the celebration was tempered by a frightening injury to defenseman Chris Tanev, who left on a stretcher late in the third period.
Stolarz posted a .939 save percentage while facing 33 shots, proving to be the difference in a game where Toronto was outshot but never outplayed. The Leafs (6-5-1) finally found their road legs after dropping their opening three away from home, getting goals from five different scorers including rookie Easton Cowan’s first NHL tally. John Tavares extended his point streak to seven games with two assists, while Auston Matthews netted his 300th even-strength career goal. Philadelphia (6-4-1) saw its three-game winning streak snapped as Dan Vladar was chased after allowing four goals on 19 shots.
The Turning Point
Just 33 seconds into the third period, with Toronto nursing a 3-2 lead, rookie Easton Cowan made his presence felt in the biggest moment of his young career. The 18-year-old, playing in just his fourth NHL game, didn’t hesitate when John Tavares found him with space.
Cowan fired a shot that beat Vladar cleanly, extending the lead to 4-1 and effectively ending Philadelphia’s comeback hopes. The goal—Cowan’s first in the NHL—sent the small contingent of Leafs fans into a frenzy and deflated a Wells Fargo Center crowd before they could even settle into their seats for the final frame.
“It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Cowan would say later. “The guys have been great with me, and to contribute like that feels incredible.”
The tally also spelled the end of the night for Vladar, who had been stellar in his first six starts (4-2 record, 1.67 GAA, .939 save percentage) but couldn’t find his rhythm against a hungry Leafs squad. Coach John Tortorella pulled him immediately, sending in Aleksei Kolosov for the final stretch.
How It Unfolded
First Period: Flyers 1, Leafs 1
Philadelphia came out flying. Christian Dvorak needed just 69 seconds to beat Stolarz with a snap shot from the left circle, silencing the few Leafs jerseys in the building and energizing a Flyers team riding a three-game win streak. But Matthews, who treats this building like his personal playground, responded at 6:16 with a textbook snap shot from his office—the left circle—to knot things at 1-1. The milestone goal (his 300th at even strength) had Morgan Rielly’s fingerprints on it too; the assist gave Rielly 520 career points, tying Tomas Kaberle for second among Leafs defensemen.
Second Period: Flyers 1, Leafs 2
Toronto seized control with two crucial goals that swung momentum decisively. Jake McCabe opened the scoring at 8:14, giving the Leafs their first lead of the night at 2-1. The defenseman’s tally was assisted by Chris Tanev and Matias Maccelli, with Tanev picking up the point before his eventual injury later in the game.
Nicholas Robertson made it 3-1 at 17:34, finishing off beautiful setup work from Matthew Knies and captain John Tavares. The goal gave Toronto breathing room heading into the final frame and marked Robertson’s second point of the night after assisting on Matthews’ first-period marker.
Third Period: Flyers 1, Leafs 2
The period opened with a bang—literally 33 seconds in—when Easton Cowan scored his first NHL goal to make it 4-1, assisted by John Tavares. The early strike knocked the wind out of Philadelphia’s sails and ended Vladar’s night.
The Flyers showed fight on the power play when Tyson Foerster scored at 16:08, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with assists from Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov. But any comeback hopes were extinguished when Calle Jarnkrok added an empty-netter with 3:48 remaining, assisted by Dakota Joshua and Simon Benoit, to seal the 5-2 final.
The period’s dominant storyline, however, became the injury to Chris Tanev. With 11:37 left (at the 8:23 mark), Tanev—playing in his first game back after missing four with a concussion—collided with Michkov. The contact was shoulder-to-shoulder, but Tanev’s head snapped back violently. He went down face-first and didn’t move. Medical personnel stabilized his head and neck before placing him on a stretcher and wheeling him off to a standing ovation. Michkov received a minor penalty for interference on the play.
Player Spotlight: Anthony Stolarz
This was the homecoming Stolarz had dreamed about. Drafted by Philadelphia in the second round (45th overall) in 2012, the 30-year-old goaltender spent years in the Flyers organization before being traded to Anaheim in 2021. Saturday night, he returned to Philadelphia and reminded everyone what they gave up.
Stolarz was spectacular, turning aside 31 of 33 shots for a .939 save percentage. He was particularly strong in the first period when Philadelphia came out flying, and even better in the third when the Flyers’ power play tried to spark a comeback. His positioning was textbook, his rebound control impeccable.
The Numbers: 2 GA, 33 SA, 31 SV, .939 SV% in 60:00 TOI
Context: This marked Stolarz’s fourth career win against Philadelphia, improving his record to 4-2 with a 2.42 GAA and .919 save percentage against his former team. The emotional victory was even sweeter given the Flyers’ three-game win streak and Vladar’s hot start to the season. Stolarz proved he belonged, and the Leafs’ first road win of the season came on his broad shoulders.
Honorable Mention: Auston Matthews extended his point streak against Philadelphia to 12 games (dating to December 2019) with his 300th even-strength career goal. At 27 years old, he became just the 94th player in NHL history to reach that milestone. The goal, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Nicholas Robertson, tied the game 1-1 and gave Toronto the momentum they needed.
What We Learned
About Toronto: The Maple Leafs desperately needed this road win, and they got contributions from all four lines. After stumbling to an 0-3 start away from Scotiabank Arena, Craig Berube’s squad showed the consistency and 60-minute effort that had been lacking. John Tavares extended his point streak to seven games (11 points), and the emergence of Cowan—who handled adversity well after taking a double-minor from Travis Konecny in the first period—gives Toronto another weapon up front. Stolarz’s goaltending was the difference, proving you can never have too much depth between the pipes. But the Tanev injury casts a dark cloud over what should be a feel-good victory.
About Philadelphia: The Flyers’ defensive dominance—they came in ranked second in the NHL in goals against—was nowhere to be found. Vladar’s early-season magic ran out, and the defense couldn’t bail him out. Missing captain Sean Couturier (upper-body injury) hurt, but that’s not an excuse for allowing five goals. The third period became chippy with five penalties called, a sign of frustration boiling over. Trevor Zegras extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Foerster’s power-play goal, providing a silver lining, but this was a performance to forget.
Key Stat: Anthony Stolarz is now 4-2 lifetime against Philadelphia with a sparkling .919 save percentage and 2.42 GAA. Not bad for a guy the Flyers traded away in 2021. Toronto is also 3-1 in games where they’re outshot this season, thanks to goaltending performances like this.
The Quote That Matters
“Obviously going down early, I just thought there was no panic in our room. I thought we played the way that we need to play to be successful over 60 minutes, and that’s what showed tonight.” — Auston Matthews
This quote encapsulates Toronto’s evolution under Berube. Last year’s Leafs might have folded after Dvorak’s early goal. This version stayed composed, trusted the system, and got the result they needed.
The Shadow Over Victory
Chris Tanev’s injury looms large. Coach Craig Berube reported post-game that Tanev had movement in his extremities and was undergoing tests at a local hospital, with the hope he’d be cleared to travel home with the team. But for a player who just returned from a concussion, the optics were terrifying.
“He’s just getting some more tests done now,” Berube said. “He’s moving and I think he’ll be all right. But he’s getting some tests done right now, so we’ll know more in a little while.”
The hockey world will be watching closely for updates on the veteran defenseman.
By The Numbers
Toronto Maple Leafs (6-5-1)
- Goals: Matthews (6:16 1st), McCabe (8:14 2nd), Robertson (17:34 2nd), Cowan (0:33 3rd), Jarnkrok (19:42 3rd – EN)
- Multi-point players: Tavares (2A), Robertson (1G, 1A)
- Goaltending: Stolarz (31 saves on 33 shots, .939 SV%)
- Power Play: 0-for-3 (0.0%)
- Penalty Kill: 5-for-6 (83.3%)
- Faceoffs: 57.4% (39 of 68 won)
- Shots: 27
- Blocked Shots: 20
- Hits: 20
Philadelphia Flyers (6-4-1)
- Goals: Dvorak (1:09 1st), Foerster (16:08 3rd – PP)
- Assists: Grebenkin, Konecny, Zegras, Michkov, York, Sanheim
- Goaltending: Vladar (15 saves on 19 shots, .789 SV% in 40:33), Kolosov (7 saves on 7 shots, 1.000 SV% in 15:41)
- Power Play: 1-for-6 (16.7%) – Foerster’s goal
- Penalty Kill: 3-for-3 (100%)
- Faceoffs: 42.6% (29 of 68 won)
- Shots: 33
- Blocked Shots: 11
- Hits: 17
Key Stats:
- Toronto outshot 33-27 but won convincingly thanks to Stolarz’s stellar goaltending
- Leafs dominated faceoffs 57.4% to 42.6%, with John Tavares winning 63.2% (12-of-19)
- Philadelphia’s special teams struggled: just 1-for-6 on the power play
- Chris Tanev recorded an assist before his injury
- Morgan Rielly’s assist gives him 520 career points, tying Tomas Kaberle for 2nd among Leafs defensemen
Three Stars
- Anthony Stolarz, G – Toronto – 31 saves, .939 SV% in emotional return to Philadelphia
- John Tavares, C – Toronto – 2 assists extending 7-game point streak to 11 points (5G, 6A)
- Nicholas Robertson, LW – Toronto – 1 goal, 1 assist in clutch road performance
What’s Next
Toronto Maple Leafs return home to open a four-game homestand Monday against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET). Can they build momentum off this road breakthrough? More importantly, will they have Chris Tanev in the lineup?
Philadelphia Flyers wrap up their lengthy homestand Sunday afternoon against the Calgary Flames (3 p.m. ET). After getting Vladar chased for the first time this season, will John Tortorella stick with his hot goalie or give Kolosov a look?
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