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Rielly has big night in win over Flyers, Griffith claimed;Leafs vs Penguins

November 12, 2016, 12:57 PM ET [657 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
UPDATE: Corrado, Hunwick and Holland are in the lineup, but Frederik Andersen for the first time this season, Frederik Andersen is getting the start on back-to-back nights.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame early spotty defensive play and responded to line juggling, as they scored four third period goals in a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Hall of Fame night at Air Canada Center on Friday.

Morgan Rielly led a Toronto defensive corps that registered nearly half of the club’s scoring (7 of 16 points) with a career-best four points (1 goal and 3 assists). Nazem Kadri, Martin Marincin, Zach Hyman, Leo Komarov and Mitch Marner scored and Frederik Andersen made 30 saves for Toronto, who improve to 6-5-3 on the season.



Kadri opened the scoring with his seventh goal and Philadelphia responded with goals from Wayne Simmonds and rookie Travis Konecny 26 seconds apart within the first five minutes of the opening period. Rielly tied the game late in the first on a two-man advantage, patiently holding onto the puck to wait for a screen that hindered the vision of Flyers goalie Steve Mason.

The Leafs power-play gave back the lead early in the middle frame, as James van Riemsdyk’s sloppy entry into the offensive zone hung Rielly out to dry and resulted in Simmond’s second goal of the game on a short-handed breakaway.

Leafs coach Mike Babcock jumbled his forward lines in the second, as Toronto was outshot 16-7 and had trouble generating scoring chances. Connor Brown replaced William Nylander on the line with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman, who shifted between Tyler Bozak and van Riemsdyk and with Kadri and Leo Komarov during the second half of the game.

The line juggling appeared to generate some renewed effort and in the third, a nifty Rielly drop pass set up Marincin’s point blast to tie the game. Hard work by the Matthews line led to Hyman’s first goal of the campaign and a short-handed goal from Komraov and Marner's fifth of the season put the Flyers away.



“With (Nylander) and (Matthews), two kids trying to get going, I just thought with Hyman and Brown on that line and then I put Willy with the guys who are trying to check – it gives you something else to think about.” Babcock said after the game.

I thought Matthews played real well tonight without the puck. I thought he was good down low and I thought he competed hard. That helps him out. The better he gets at that, the more he's going to have the puck. He gets tons of chances every night so just keep playing well and you'll fill the net.”

The Leafs play their second consecutive Metropolitan Division opponent on Saturday, as they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center.

Babcock indicated on Friday that Matt Hunwick (coming off of injured reserve), Peter Holland (a healthy scratch since the loss to Tampa on October 25) and Frank Corrado (scratched all 14 games) will likely play.

Backup Jhonas Enroth should get his third start of the season in the second of back-to-back games against the Stanley Cup Champions, while rookie Matt Murray is expected to get the start in goal for Pittsburgh.

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Seth Griffith did not get through waivers for the second time in a month, as the Florida Panthers claimed the 23-year-old forward on Saturday.

Griffith was scoreless in three games with Toronto and had not played since the 5-1 loss in Brooklyn on October. The Panthers are currently without Jaromir Jagr, Jussi Jokinen, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad, which likely means that the versatile forward will get some ice time in Florida.

The claim of Griffith removes a pro contract from the Leafs roster and if an arbitrator affirms the Jared Cowen buyout later this month, it would give the club two spots under the NHL 50-pro contract limit.

The continued presence of winger Brandon Prust and goaltender Karri Ramo at practices could mean that the veterans are holding out hope that the Leafs will sign them to an NHL contract once space has been cleared.

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Listen to the latest edition of Off The Post with myself, Anthony Mingioni and Russ Cohen, as we discuss the Leafs-Flyers game and the guys interview Julie Stewart-Binks of Fox Sports.



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