On what looked like a play the Leafs make ten times a night, skating into double coverage to start a lazy turnover, Tyler Bozak toe dragged through a Philly defender and put the puck top shelf on Michael Leighton to put the Leafs up 1-0 in the second. This would prove to be the game winner.
Phil Kessel broke in on Leighton with Kulemin on a 2-1 and faked everyone in the building out of their shorts when he slid a textbook pass to Nikolai Kulemin who buried it in short order. Tyler Bozak picked up an assist to give him four points in his first three NHL games.
In the third period Luke Schenn and Lee Stempniak padded the lead. On Schenn's goal it looked like there were six men on the ice; the Flyers complained to the referees despite that not being a reviewable play but Schenn scored as Jay Rosehill was getting on the bench. Rosehill, excited about getting an assist on the play, joined the celebration. Also in Jay Rosehill news he had a goal disallowed 55 seconds into the first.
The Leafs took liberties with Mike Richards all night and no one on the Flyers wanted to answer the bell. In the second period Carl Gunnarsson torched Richards. Richards responded "Ottawa style" by staring at his skates and slinking away. Daniel "Dirt Bag Pedo Stache" Carcillo turned down an invitation to fight by Niklas Hagman which sums up Philly's night.
I don't really recall Vesa Toskala doing anything extraordinary in this shutout which is exactly what a goaltender needs to do. He saw a decent amount of rubber but turned aside 30 shots for the win. The Leafs PK was obviously perfect tonight going 4/4.
It's nice to watch a win, especially over a team as annoying as Philly. Michael Leighton's glove hand was absolutely victimized tonight - one has to wonder if the Leafs' scouting report mentioned that and if Leighton's weakness is now out there.
The Leafs start a five game road trip tomorrow in Washington. Let's hope tonight's game shook off some of the cobwebs and let's have some POSITIVITY in this thread, we're long overdue.
