Johnsson scores hat trick as Leafs thump Flyers, 6-0
TORONTO — Andreas Johnsson was down on himself earlier this season for his lack of finish around the opposition net. That wasn’t a problem Saturday.
The second-year winger’s first career hat trick before the game was 13 minutes old led an early barrage as the Leafs thumped the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-0.
“That’s how hockey is,” said Johnsson, who entered with two goals in 18 games, after scoring twice in nine appearances as a rookie in 2017-18. “Sometimes you miss all your chances, sometimes you score. Everything went in.”
John Tavares, Patrick Marleau and Josh Leivo had the other goals for Toronto (16-8-0). Backup goalie Garret Sparks made 35 saves for his first shutout of the season and the second of his career.
“(Johnsson) and Sparky led the way today,” Tavares said. “Got off to a hell of a start.”
Calvin Pickard, who was claimed by the Flyers off waivers from Toronto before the start of the season, allowed four goals on six shots for Philadelphia (1011-2) before getting the hook. Anthony Stolarz stopped 32 of 34 shots in relief.
Coming off back-to-back road losses, including Friday’s 4-2 decision in Columbus, the Leafs built a 4-0 lead by 12:20 of the first. Johnsson got things going at 4:45 when he faked a slapshot off the rush and slid the puck between Pickard’s pads. The 24-year-old made it 2-0 1:34 later when he blocked a point shot and then beat Pickard on a breakaway for another five-hole goal.
Marleau stretched the advantage to three at 7:44 when he fired his fifth into an open net off a scramble after a poor Philadelphia clearing attempt.
Pickard’s teammate with the Calder Cup-winning Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League last season, Johnsson completed his hat trick on another shot through the goalie’s legs from in tight after stealing the puck from a Flyers defender.
“It kind of felt unreal,” Johnsson said. “I had the first goal, then the second goal and, all of a sudden, the third one, I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’”
That ended the night for Pickard, who was coming off a 31-save shutout in Philadelphia’s 4-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday that snapped the Flyers’ four-game skid.
NOTES: Neither team was assessed a penalty for the second straight game at Scotiabank Arena. The NHL’s last penaltyfree contest before this week was March 2017. The Leafs’ last two penalty-free games the same week was February 1946 . ... Johnsson is the eighth Leaf to score a first-period hat trick and the first since Wendel Clark on Oct. 11, 1986 . ... ... Canadian pop star Justin Bieber and new wife
Hailey Baldwin watched from a private suite . ... Leafs centre
Auston Matthews missed his 13th game with a shoulder injury. The 21-year-old is back practising and could return to the lineup as early as Monday when Toronto hosts Boston.