Rielly’s Overtime Winner Lifts Maple Leafs to 3-2 Victory over Flyers – The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

Who doesn’t love some Sunday hockey? The Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed the Philadelphia Flyers for the second game of a back-to-back. The Flyers come into this game four points out of a wildcard spot. They are looking to go on a run to push themselves into a playoff spot. As for the Maple Leafs, they are two points ahead of the Florida Panthers for first in the Atlantic and will be looking to add to that lead.

Typically, when these two teams meet, the games are physical and fast. In the past, the season splits have been fairly equal. However, the Flyers have taken the last two games against the Maple Leafs and will be looking to make that three straight.

First Period

The first period started exactly how you would expect. Both teams came out with energy and brought the physicality. The Flyers were able to get on the board first with a shot from Tyson Foerster (12) that beat Dennis Hildeby. It wasn’t more than 45 seconds later when Matthew Knies (15) found the back of the net for his fourth goal in his last four periods. With seven minutes left, the Flyers brought the pressure on a turnover, but Hildeby robbed them with two back-to-back glove saves.

The rest of the first period was equally physical, with some big hits from the Maple Leafs’ Simon Benoit. Although the Flyers were outshooting the Maple Leafs, Oliver Ekman-Larsson (2) chipped the puck with one hand past a sprawling Ivan Fedotov to give Toronto the lead 2-1 in the last minute. With seconds left, Garnet Hathaway ran into Hildeby, which drew the ire of Jake McCabe.

Jake McCabe went to the dressing room following a fight with Garnet Hathaway. pic.twitter.com/iKWQOvG5XE

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 6, 2025

The two dropped the gloves. Unfortunately, at the end of the fight, Hathaway’s knee landed on McCabe’s head on the ice, sending him to the room

Second Period

The second period started without McCabe on the Maple Leafs’ bench, and it was announced that he would not return to the game. The first few minutes of the second were a track meet until Owen Tippett took a hooking penalty on Connor Dewar, sending the Maple Leafs to the power play (PP). However, Toronto wasn’t able to score on the PP, nor were they able to record a shot on goal. The second period dropped a bit in intensity until Knies took a penalty at the 11-minute mark, sending the Flyers to the PP. Much like Toronto, they weren’t able to score on it. But just a few seconds after it ended, Scott Laughton (9) scored on a cross-crease pass.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Knies, Matthews, Marner & Woll

The rest of the second period was the polar opposite of the first. The game had settled in, and not much happened. There was a lot of back-and-forth play after the Flyers scored. The period ended with the game tied at 2-2.

Third Period

The third period started out just as flat as the second ended until Max Pacioretty landed a huge hit on Nick Seeler.

Patches thumps Seeler! 💥 pic.twitter.com/z6sSCID34M

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 6, 2025

After the whistle, all five Flyers went after him, which brought the energy back into the game. Less than a minute later, Max Domi hit Hathaway into the boards, drawing a penalty and sending the Flyers to another PP. Philadelphia came up empty, bringing them to 0-3 with the man advantage. Up until the midway mark of the third, Toronto carried more of the play, but it remained 2-2. The back half of the third had a lot of back-and-forth action with some good chances. However, neither team could pull ahead, which sent the game to overtime.

Overtime

In the extra frame, both teams traded chances until Auston Matthews found Morgan Rielly (5), who beat Fedotov under the glove to win the game, 3-2.