AP

Campbell wins 30th of season; Maple Leafs beat Flyers 5-2

Apr 19, 2022, 7:12 AM | Updated: 9:16 pm

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save on the Philadelphia Flyers during th...

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save on the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

(Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)


              Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza (19) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates (49) get tangled up battling for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano (55) battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Martin Jones (35) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) as defenseman Keith Yandle (3) joins the action during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save as Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk (25) waits to pounce on the rebound during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano (55) gets hit by Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates (49) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting (58) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom (23) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza (19) scores on Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Martin Jones (35) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save on the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — William Nylander scored his career-high 32nd goal of the season and Jack Campbell made 36 saves in his 30th win of the year as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Timothy Liljegren, Jason Spezza and David Kampf scored, and Ilya Mikheyev added an empty-net goal for Toronto. Nylander and Mikheyev each added an assist.

The fourth member of the Maple Leafs’ so-called “Core Four” that also includes Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, Nylander went eight games without a goal from late January until the middle of February.

“It was all about skating more,” said Nylander, who has four goals and four assists in his last five contests. “I put more focus onto that part of my game.

“A little bit off … not as turned on.”

The Maple Leafs are 11-1-1 over their last 13 games, while Campbell put up a save percentage above .930 in back-to-back starts for the first time since Jan. 1.

“He was excellent,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said of his goaltender. “It was great to see.”

James van Riemsdyk and Ronnie Attard scored for Philadelphia. Travis Konecny had two assists and Martin Jones stopped 24 shots.

“We battled hard,” Jones said. “Some breakdowns cost us.”

Matthews, who leads the NHL with 58 goals and is looking to become the first player since 2011-12 to reach the 60-goal in a season, sat out a second straight game for Toronto with an undisclosed injury.

Minus his best player, and all but cemented into the second seed in the Atlantic Division, Keefe experimented with different line combinations, including winger Colin Blackwell getting top-six minutes alongside Tavares and Mikheyev.

The Leafs opened the scoring at 1:35 of the second period. Alexander Kerfoot chased down a loose puck in the Philadelphia zone before feeding in front for Liljegren, who beat Jones high for his fifth of the season.

Campbell made big stops on Konecny and Travis Sanheim a few minutes later, but couldn’t keep van Riemsdyk — who played six seasons in Toronto from 2012-18 — at bay as he scored his 21st at 8:07 off a scramble.

Nylander then set a career mark for goals at 13:39 when he took a cross-ice feed from Mitch Marner on a power play and fired his 32nd into the top corner. The winger has four goals and four assists in his last four games.

Toronto, which improved to 6-1-0 in seven outings without Matthews this season, pushed its lead to 3-1 with 24.8 seconds left in the period on a gorgeous passing play between three veterans. Spezza took a feed from Wayne Simmonds and played a quick give-and-go with Mark Giordano, who scored his 11th.

Campbell had to be sharp on a Philadelphia power play early in the third before Kampf made it 4-1 with his 33rd at 10:11 on a deflection that also hit a Flyers skate in front and trickled past Jones.

Attard scored his second of the season on a bullet past Campbell’s left ear with 2:34 left in regulation. Toronto held on from there for its fourth straight win. Mikheyev sealing it with his 18th goal.

NOTE: The Maple Leafs set franchise records for wins (50) and points (106) in Sunday’s 4-2 home victory over the New York Islanders.

UP NEXT

Flyers: At Montreal on Thursday night.

Maple Leafs: At Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Campbell wins 30th of season; Maple Leafs beat Flyers 5-2