Flyers keep pace with Toronto but unable to outlast them in overtime

TORONTO — Auston Matthews padded his league lead in goals at the expense of the Flyers on Thursday night, but the Orange and Black grabbed a crucial road point with their 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.

Matthews collected a natural hat trick, bringing his season total to 45, but a late third-period comeback by the Flyers pushed the game past regulation.

William Nylander scored less than a minute into overtime to ice the win for the Leafs.

Travis Sanheim got the Flyers on the board first with a shorthanded tally in the first period, but then Matthews got going, scoring all three of his goals in the second, for a 3-1 Leafs’ lead heading into the third.

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The game had started well for the Flyers, as with Sean Walker off after a delay of game call in the first period, newly minted alternate captain Travis Konecny broke away shorthanded but rang a shot off the post. Scott Laughton corralled the puck in the corner and found Sanheim in the slot, who maneuvered around Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov to tuck it in the net with 12 minutes, and 18 seconds remaining in the period.

The goal was Sanheim’s fifth of the season and the Flyers’ league-leading 13th shorthanded goal.

The Flyers have now struck shorthanded in three of their last four games.

In the second period, the Flyers allowed Matthews to sneak behind their defensemen, and he made them pay. Mitch Marner found him with a stretch pass by the Flyers’ blueline, and the center had a clear lane for a laser that beat goalkeeper Sam Ersson’s glove side.

The goal immediately gave the Leafs a boost, with Tyler Bertuzzi nearly putting them in front after that following a feed by Nylander. John Tavares had an opportunity moments later, but both times Ersson came up with the save.

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Konecny then broke off shorthanded again, after an interference penalty to Owen Tippett, but he sent his shot high over the net. The puck went the other way, and Matthews, standing alone in the right face-off circle, fired a one-timer past Ersson.

The hats rained down in Scotiabank Arena with just over a minute left in the period after Matthews capitalized on a failed clear in the Flyers’ defensive zone. He used Sanheim as a screen to sling a wrist shot under Ersson’s glove to put Toronto up, 3-1.

In the third period, Cam York left the game after a big hit from Simon Benoit. Nic Deslauriers took exception and subsequently dropped the gloves with Benoit.

The Flyers never say die, however.

After a power play with a few near misses, the Flyers got one back with a marker from Garnet Hathaway, who pounced on a rebound in front off a Nick Seeler point shot to cut the deficit to one. Minutes later, the Flyers finally came through on the power play to tie it. A scramble in front sent the puck right to the waiting Konecny, and this time, he didn’t miss.

While the Flyers’ comeback earned them a valuable point, they could not make it two, as Nylander scored less than a minute into the extra session, beating Ersson down low for his 27th goal of the year.

The Flyers head outdoors for the NHL Stadium Series. They’ll face the New Jersey Devils at Metlife Stadium on Saturday (8 p.m., ABC).