By Canadian Press

Defenceman McCabe hurt in fight in Maple Leafs’ 3-2 overtime win over Philadelphia

Jan 5, 2025 | 7:56 PM

TORONTO — Morgan Rielly’s overtime goal gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in a tight and physical NHL contest Sunday.

An onrushing Rielly knocked home an Auston Matthews feed to decide the game at 2:25 of overtime with his fifth of the season. The defenceman’s last goal came two months ago.

Matthew Knies, on the heels of a three-goal, five-point night against Boston, scored his 15th of the season 38 seconds after Tyson Foerster opened the scoring for Philadelphia at 3:24 of the first period. Knies scored 15 goals in 80 games last season.

Matthews continued in the lineup after a triumphant return Saturday from a six-game injury absence. The line of Matthews, Knies and Mitch Marner combined for 13 points and finished plus-16 in Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins.

The Leafs were not as sharp a day later but got the job done.

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored for Toronto, which led 2-1 after 20 minutes Sunday. It was 2-2 after two periods on the strength of a Scott Laughton goal for Philadelphia.

Toronto (26-13-2) had won three straight and four of its last five and came into Sunday’s game 14 points ahead of Philadelphia (17-18-5).

At the halfway point of the season, the Leafs top the Atlantic Division and rank second in the Eastern Conference behind Washington.

Sunday marked the finale of a six-game, 10-day road trip that saw Flyer wins in Columbus and Anaheim (in overtime) and losses in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and, most recently, Las Vegas.

TAKEAWAYS

Flyers: Philadelphia came into the game ranked 30th in the league in goals against (averaging 3.56 goals a game) and gave up seven, five and five goals in their three previous losses on the road trip. But the Flyers made the Leafs work hard Sunday.

Leafs: Toronto has posted a 17-7-0 record on home ice this season, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights (17-4-0) for the league lead. The Leafs are 5-4-1 in the second game of a back-to-back set this season.

KEY MOMENT

A groggy Jake McCabe did not return (upper-body injury) after a fight with Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway late in the first period with the Leafs defenceman, objecting to Hathaway running into goaltender Dennis Hildeby, goading him into dropping his gloves. McCabe, losing his balance while absorbing a right to the head, fell awkwardly as the fight ended with Hathaway landing on top of him. McCabe missed five games earlier this season after taking a puck to the head.

KEY STAT

It was a battle of the big men in the crease with six-foot-seven goaltenders in Hildeby and Philadelphia’s Ivan Fedotov. Both made spectacular saves in a first period that saw Philadelphia outshoot Toronto 14-13. It was a fourth career NHL start for Sweden’s Hildeby and 14th for Fedotov, a Finnish-born Russian.

UP NEXT

The Leafs and Flyers meet again Tuesday in Philadelphia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: cc1fd8bf179984bf81c273ce23eb75131ef08fc61b678eaa319e6d8a74b7585d.jpg, Caption:

Teammates rush to the side of Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe (22) after he hit his head on the ice during first period NHL hockey action against the Philadelphia Flyers, in Toronto, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

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<!– Photo: 0476f815722f1773c3ba408609ff526b255a264a5eb778225dc90b20aaee06dd.jpg, Caption:

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) celebrates his goal with teammates Auston Matthews (34) and Chris Tanev (8) during first period NHL hockey action against the Philadelphia Flyers, in Toronto, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

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<!– Photo: 30bf6949352fbcb4d6bccf9aaae3a7f505165dd401eca18300da0ac4dad77864.jpg, Caption:

Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) takes Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe (22) down, hitting McCabe’s head on the ice, during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

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