The Maple Leafs weren’t short of manufacturing goals or making news during Saturday’s win in Philadelphia.
In the 100th regular season game played in the City of Brotherly Love between Toronto and the Flyers, a 5-2 victory saw Easton Cowan’s first NHL goal but a scary-looking third-period injury to defenceman Chris Tanev, as well.
The first road win took some pressure off a team whose disconnected defensive play had become a growing concern to coach Craig Berube.
Our takeaways as the Leafs stayed in the pack of an Eastern Conference with all 16 teams separated by just seven points.
TANEV TAKES A HIT
The dangers of repeat head traumas in hockey have been well-documented, and now a key Leaf has been rattled by what could be consecutive concussions.
Tanev has made lower-body shot-blocking his NHL career specialty, but two weird events — an unfortunate collision against New Jersey on Oct. 21, then getting backed into from the blind side by the Flyers’ Matvei Michkov on Saturday — saw him taken out on a stretcher with his head and neck immobilized as a precaution. It seemed it was the jerking motion backwards of his head, more than hitting the ice, that hurt him.
He was being tested by doctors after the game and moving well according to Berube. Tanev’s absence was sorely felt in the Leafs zone the previous four games, affecting his partnership with Jake McCabe at both ends of the ice. The two had combined on a goal against the Flyers.
The Leafs have utilized Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis, up from the Marlies, during the four games Tanev missed following the injury against the Devils, but no one on the current roster or the farm can bring Tanev’s experience and intangibles should he miss significant time. They’ll have to be careful monitoring the 35-year-old going forward despite his fearless nature regarding pucks and body contact.
COWBOY CORRALS HIS FIRST
Cowan had previously come oh so close to his first NHL goal, but lately the rookie winger has proven he can be useful in a few different situations to justify the decision to keep him in the NHL. Prior to the Philly game, he had three assists in eight games while Berube also sat him a game so he could watch and learn from up top.
“It’s a mental grind, you want to score, but I stuck with it,” Cowan said of looking skyward when stopped by a goalie or just missing. “I felt it would be a matter of time.”
He said the souvenir puck would likely go to his mother who is supervising his vast junior collectibles collection in a special room at their home near London.
“What a feeling to score for your hometown team,” he added. “I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”
HEEERE’S JOHNNY
After one of the most anti-climactic moments of his career, scoring his 500th goal in garbage time of Wednesday’s 6-3 loss in Columbus, John Tavares was quickly back making meaningful contributions.
As in assisting on two Leafs who needed the goals, Cowan and the mercurial Nick Robertson. Tavares, skating with Cowan on his right and Bobby McMann against the Flyers as part of new lines, outraced a Flyer to a loose puck near the boards in the Philly zone, spun and put perfect pass on to the stick of a trailing Cowan who rifled it high into the top left corner behind Dan Vladar..
Add Cowan to those Leafs prospects who’ve stayed at the Tavares spread with his wife and three young kids to soak up the full NHL environment.
“I lived with him a bunch,” Cowan said. “To share that (goal) was awesome. He’s an unreal player — and a better guy.”
It was also significant that both Cowan and Robertson came through on the scoresheert with the banged-up William Nylander missing his third game in four starts and Scott Laughton still out, at least until Monday against Pittsburgh.
BROAD STREET BASH
New head coach and Scarborough-born Rick Tocchet has put some bite back in the Flyers, who are trying to stop a four-year playoff slide. They had made home games tough on the opposition (with a 6-1 record) until Saturday.
Tocchet and his former Philly teammate Berube have a strong off-ice relationship, and after the Laughton trade, it looks like a renewed rivalry, aside from the unfortunate Tanev hit.
The Leafs had won the past five against the Flyers and are now 9-1-1 in the past 11. The teams meet again in January at Scotiabank Arena, but the Leafs first have the other end of the Pennsylvania Polka this month, meeting Kyle Dubas’ Pittsburgh Penguins twice.
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