Danny & The Kings Ransom Duo Shred Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be the best barometer for a playoff-bound team. They've already been eliminated from playoff eligibility for the seventh consecutive season, and on Thursday, they had a first-time NHL starter in net due to a fluke injury to Jonas Gustavsson in pregame warmups. In terms of competition, the best they had to offer was the "dangerous team with nothing left to lose" riff. 
The Flyers were also without their starter in net, a situation Kulp took a good look at prior to the game. Would a change in goal reverse the Flyers' recent fortunes? At least for a night, no… Not at all. Sergei Bobrovsky was as good as anyone could've asked, and the line of Danny Briere, Wayne Simmonds, and Brayden Schenn led the way in a 7-1 decimation. 
Some must-see goals below, if you didn't catch the game live. Even if you did, this was a fun one to relive. 
Danny Briere didn't score on the night, but he continued his warming trend in a huge way. Centering the two players the Flyers got from the LA Kings in return for Mike Richards, Briere notched a career-high four assists, and they weren't just the "last guy who touched the puck before the scorer" variety. 
Schenn and Simmonds each scored a pair, giving them 11 and 25 on the season, respectively. Matt Read ripped his 23rd of the season, Eric Wellwood his fifth, and Jake Voracek his 15th. Seven goals on the board, and none came from the tape of Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, or Jaromir Jagr. No objections here. 
Schenn opened the scoring before 6 minutes had ticked off the clock, gathering a misfired puck off the stick of his brother Luke, and sniping it past Rynnas. The Flyers have proven that early deficits aren't fatal, but it's still a relief when they're the side with the early goal. 

The Good Schenn also scored the second goal of the game, this time benefiting from the play of the team's elder statement. Killing a penalty, the Leafs managed a frantic lobbing clear, but couldn't control it in the neutral zone. With the patience of a 664-goal scorer, Jaromir Jagr held it up at the blue line while the forwards cleared the zone, then hit Briere with a pass as he regained the zone. Briere skated up the near-side slot, drawing Dion "Suck It" Phaneuf's attention, then fed Schenn on the back door. 
Psst, Dion… even on the PK, you want to be responsible for the pass there. 
Mikhail Grabovski would make it a one-goal game before the period was over, which in retrospect reminds us that this game wasn't dominated by the Flyers for all 60 minutes. The Leafs pressured the puck and torched the Flyers in transition, with Tim Connolly sending a long pass through three Flyers' defenders and setting the dangerous Grabovsky free. He put a brilliant move on Bobrovsky, one that no one will hang on Bob.

So what can we take from this game? Mostly things we already knew. The Flyers have tremendous scoring depth, with a versatile group of rookies contributing in all scenarios. Sergei Bobrovsky is a capable backup, and if the Flyers are disciplined on defense, they can give whomever's in net a relatively easy night. 
Now the real tests begin though. Only five games remain, all against teams currently scheduled to play in the second season. Ottawa and Pittsburgh are on the weekend docket, then the Rangers and Sabres, and finally the Penguins again to close out the season. Buckle up. 
NOTESThe Flyers on a 4-on-4, a power play, and the penalty kill, all on plays that bullied the Leafs' defense. This, more than the loss of Joffrey Lupul, is why Toronto won't make the playoffs. Again. 
#17 had a great night, playing the enforcer role when forwards took liberties after frozen pucks and especially when Phaneuf went after Brayden Schenn. Phaneuf ducked him and kept after Schenn, drawing two minors to Simmer's one. A minute after returning from the box, Simmonds scored his 25th of the season. 
This was the second two-goal game of Schenn's rookie season, and all 11 of his tallies have come since he opened his NHL account on a baseball field. 
While praising the Flyers' rookies, we can't leave off the efforts of Sean Couturier. His line was once again slotted against the opponent's top trio, and once again they were effective.  Killing penalties and playing on a shutdown line, Cooter logged 5:36 more ice time than Claude Giroux, who got some rest in the blowout.  G played 13:08, Jagr 13:24, and Hartnell 11:19. 
Bobrovsky only had to make 16 saves all night. His defense limited the Leafs to five SOG in the first period, then just six in each of the next two. Bob seemed to get sharper as the game wore on, though it's hard to tell on so few pad-testers. 
The Flyers beat the Maple Leafs in each of their four contests this season. 
Last time the Leafs were in the playoffs, the Flyers eliminated them. The telecast showed a legendary goal, when Sami Kapanen was leveled by a hit but managed to get off the ice so that Jeremy Roenick could get on and score. 
One more road win and the Flyers tie last season's franchise record of 25. 

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