Matthews, Tavares lead Maple Leafs past Flyers 5-2; Tanev stretchered off after collision

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Austin Matthews scored a goal, John Tavares assisted on two others, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Saturday night.

Matthews netted his sixth goal of the season with a snap shot from the left circle at 6:16 of the first period to tie the score 1-1.

Matthews has at least one point in 12 straight games against Philadelphia dating to December 2019.

Tavares assisted on goals by Nicholas Robertson and Easton Cowan as the Maple Leafs won for the third time in four games.

Cowan's goal was his first in the NHL. Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves to earn the win over the franchise that drafted him. Stolarz was a second-round pick by the Flyers in the 2012 NHL Draft. Jake McCabe and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto.

Christian Dvorak and Tyson Foerster scored for Philadelphia, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Dan Vladar, who had not allowed more than two goals in any of his first six starts for the Flyers, allowed four goals on 19 shots. He was pulled after Cowan's goal in the third period and replaced by Aleksei Kolosov.

Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev was injured when he collided with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov with 11:37 remaining in the game. It was Tanev's first game back after missing four with a concussion. The contact was shoulder-to-shoulder, but Tanev's head snapped back upon contact and he stayed face down on the ice.

Trainers attended to him and stabilized his head and neck before lifting him onto a stretcher and wheeling him off the ice and taking him to the hospital.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the game that Tanev had movement in his extremities and was having tests done but thinks he will be all right.

Michkov was assessed a minor for interference on the play.

Maple Leafs: Begin a four-game homestand Monday against Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia: Wraps up a long homestand on Sunday against Calgary.

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