Andersen makes 36 saves to boost Leafs
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs playoff push got a big boost on Thursday night.
Frederik Andersen made 36 saves and Tyler Bozak had a goal and an assist as the Leafs jumped back into the final wild-card spot with a 4-2 National Hockey League win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Toronto now has 74 points — one up on the New York Islanders, who faced the Canucks in Vancouver later in the evening.
William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Leafs (30-22-14), who entered the night just two points up on the Flyers (31-27-8). Toronto has won two straight after dropping five in a row.
Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere found the back of the net in defeat for Philadelphia. Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves.
Prior to the game, Leafs coach Mike Babcock was asked what concerned him most about the rival Flyers. He replied: “I don’t like to be on the penalty kill against them. I think their power play is good.”
Indeed, it was the Flyers opening the scoring with the 14th power-play goal this season by Simmonds — tying him with teammate Brayden Schenn for the NHL lead. The 28-year-old got the goal as he normally does with the man advantage, planting himself in front of Andersen and then redirecting a Gostisbehere point shot.
Simmonds trails only Alex Ovechkin in power-play goals since 2011, totalling 73 over that span. He now has 28 goals on the season, five off a new career high.
Philadelphia owned the bulk of the opening 20 minutes, Toronto mustering only one shot at Neuvirth over the first half of the frame. The Leafs mustered little offensive zone pressure, but managed to break through and even the score on a power play.
Aimless for much of the advantage, Nylander quickly changed his team’s course by whipping a shot from the right faceoff circle by the Flyers goaltender. It was the 18th goal of the year for the 20-year-old, who equalled a Leafs franchise rookie record with his ninth power-play goal of the season. He leads Toronto and all NHL rookies with 21 power-play points this season.
The Flyers nearly went ahead in the opening moments of the second, Valtteri Filppula’s tip caroming off the post, but remaining out.
Filppula turned down a trade to the Leafs at the trade deadline, ultimately opting for a move to Philadelphia from Tampa.
Toronto came on stronger in the middle frame, generating scoring chances and offensive zone pressure at even-strength that was lacking in the first. A Kadri redirection was stopped by Neuvirth and a short while later Connor Brown fired a shot from point-blank right off the crossbar.
Andersen then came up big at the other end, stopping Brayden Schenn and Michael Del Zotto on the same Flyers rush just before the midway point of the second.
Bozak, who has 16 goals and 45 points this season, was questionable to even play on Thursday — perhaps bothered by a finger injury that forced him out of one game late last month.