Johnsson Scores in Shootout, Maple Leafs beat Flyers 4-3

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PHILADELPHIA — Andreas Johnsson scored in the 11th round of the shootout to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

Kasperi Kapanen, Jason Spezza and Mitchell Marner scored for Toronto, which received 37 saves from Frederik Andersen during regulation and overtime and 10 stops in the shootout session.

Ivan Provorov, Claude Giroux and Travis Sanheim scored for Philadelphia. Brian Elliott had 25 saves.

The shootout period saw both goaltenders shine. Andersen and Elliott allowed one goal in the first 10 rounds of the shootout. In the 11th, Andersen recorded a glove save on Provorov, while Johnsson was able to beat Elliott to the stick side for the winner.

Toronto Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Andreas Johnsson (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

Sanheim, Philadelphia’s young defenceman, turned into a central figure earlier in the game. Sanheim was partially responsible for both of Toronto’s goals in the first two periods, falling down while trying to change directions at the blue line, allowing Kapanen to break in and beat Elliott for his fourth goal of the season, giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead just six minutes in. Later, a Sanheim attempt to clear the crease of a loose puck was deflected home by Spezza to tie the game at 2-2.

However, Sanheim earned a bit of redemption just 31 seconds into the third when his backhander got past a sprawling Andersen for his first goal of the season and briefly gave Philadelphia a 3-2 advantage.

That Flyers lead would disappear, however, when Marner turned a Sean Couturier neutral zone turnover into his fourth goal of the season by beating Elliott to the stick side, tying the game at 3 and sending it to overtime.

NOTES

Toronto captain John Tavares missed his seventh straight game with a broken finger. Tavares did practice on Friday for the Leafs and could return to the lineup on Tuesday night… Giroux, who grew up in northern Ontario, has 35 points in 35 career games against the Maple Leafs… Marner has points in four straight games… The teams will meet up again next Saturday night in Toronto.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Continue a three-game homestand with a Tuesday night contest against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Maple Leafs: Toronto returns home to face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

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The Associated Press