Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
William Nylander scored 54 seconds into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Thursday night.
Nylander, who also had an assist, scored his 27th goal of the season to save the win after Philadelphia tied the game with two third-period goals.
Auston Matthews had his fifth hat trick of the season for Toronto to improve his league-leading total to 45 goals. Mitchell Marner added three assists and Timothy Liljegren had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who have won two in a row. Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves.
Travis Sanheim, Garnet Hathaway and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who had a four-game winning streak end.
Samuel Ersson stopped 24 shots.
Sanheim scored his fifth goal of the season at 7:42 of the first period while the Flyers were killing a penalty. Scott Laughton passed to Sanheim in front of the crease. The play started when Konecny took advantage of Toronto’s pinching defense and hit the goal post on a breakaway. It was the Flyers’ league-leading 13th short-handed goal this season.
Matthews tied the game at 11:06 of the second period. Toronto took advantage of a slow Flyers line change and Marner’s long diagonal pass set up Matthews for a shot from the left circle.
Matthews scored again at 14:20 of the second during a power play on a one-timer from the right circle. Marner made the setup pass and Nylander also earned an assist. Owen Tippett was off for interference.
Matthews gave Toronto a 3-1 lead at 18:55 of the second on a shot from the high slot to complete a natural hat trick.
Toronto has had hat tricks in successive games. Bobby McMann had his first career three-goal game in a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Hathaway poked home a rebound for his fifth goal of the season at 14:14 of the third period.
Konecny tied the game with his 26th goal at 15:15 of the third on a power play. Tyler Bertuzzi was off for tripping.
Toronto was without defenseman Morgan Rielly (suspension).
–Field Level Media