Zack MacEwen and Flyers get pounded by Wayne Simmonds and Toronto Maple Leafs in 6-3 loss

With five minutes to go, Zack MacEwen dropped the gloves with Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds. MacEwen proceeded to take hit after hit, much like how his team got beaten up by the Maple Leafs in the third period, leading to a 6-3 loss.

The Flyers have responded to challenges for months but with little to show for it. They’ve let up leads, both early and late, and have made comebacks that fall just short. Against the Maple Leafs, they once again bounced back when faced with adversity but walked away with nothing to show for it.

Kevin Hayes got the Flyers on the board first with his second-period goal, but things changed quickly from there. Simmonds, a former Flyer, tied it up on a breakaway goal that slid just past Carter Hart’s foot. Two minutes later, Timothy Liljegren gave the Maple Leafs the lead.

But the Flyers took back control of the game, and Ivan Provorov tied it up three minutes after Liljegren’s goal. The game remained evenly matched for the rest of the second and the first half of the third until Auston Matthews scored the go-ahead.

“I think we bent and we broke a little bit there in the third period,” interim coach Mike Yeo said. “I just think that we made more mistakes in the third period than they did. Obviously they’ve got a lot of skill and they can capitalize on those.”

Pierre Engvall then started a flurry of scoring with his shorthanded goal to give the Maple Leafs a 4-2 lead. While Provorov scored his second to cut deficit to one less than a minute later, Morgan Rielly restored Toronto’s lead to two a minute after that. John Tavares sealed the deal with his goal for a 6-3 lead with less than five minutes to go. By the time MacEwen and Simmonds faced off, the game was decided.

After injuries, surgeries and an infection, Hayes has not felt like himself in a long time. Since returning on March 5, Hayes has slowly been finding his way back to who he was when he first came to Philadelphia, and in Saturday’s game, he got even closer. The Flyers’ offensive first period was driven in large part by Hayes, who had three shots on goal and set up chances for his linemates. He then netted the first goal in the second off Provorov’s pass.

Provorov has also strayed from his game in recent seasons. Since his strong 2019-2020 season, his play had dropped along with the team’s. Saturday, Provorov performed well on both ends of the ice. In addition to his defensive contributions, he got more involved with the offense. After setting up Hayes’s goal, Hayes then set up his goal. It was his first multi-point game since Dec. 14, and his second of the season. He earned a third point with a third period goal.

Provorov and Hayes finished as the team’s offensive leaders, leading in both shots and points, and they teamed up for two of the Flyers’ three goals.

“I thought that on both our goals, he made a good pass to me,” Hayes said. “It’s just a tap in. And then he found open space on the second one. And yeah, I mean, we got to play the right way and still have to provide offense. And I though Provy had one of his better games tonight.”

After kicking off the game with a series of big saves, Hart made some uncharacteristic plays that allowed the Maple Leafs to get back in the game. On the first goal, he misjudged a rush, and the puck trickled past him. On the next, he failed to seal the post. He lost track of the puck after making a stop on the initial shot for the third.

Typically, Hart is the one keeping the Flyers in it, but in his first game back after an injury, Hart struggled to match his skaters’ play. He let in six goals on 28 shots faced. His .786 save percentage was well below his .909 season save percentage coming into the game.

Ronnie Attard’s first NHL shift of his career only lasted a few seconds. But it was long enough to skate out the nerves. After that, Attard said it just felt like he was playing hockey.

“I think he maybe started a little bit nervous,” Provorov said. “But any time you make a jump from playing college last week to playing in the NHL this week is definitely an adjustment.”

Skating next to Nick Seeler, who helped him through the two practices leading up to the game, Attard said he felt comfortable. When he got bumped around in the first, Seeler was able to help out. Attard also got his first minute of power play time at the NHL level when he went out with the first unit, but the power play did produce momentum.

In the second, Attard looked even more comfortable, both offensively and defensively. He set up a Owen Tippett for a good look at the net. While skating with Provorov in the third, Attard showed off his shot for the first time, although Jack Campbell made a glove save on it.

“I think he handled himself well,” Provorov said. “He played hard, he made a bunch of great defensive plays and stayed up. He kept the blue line and I think for a first game, I think he did pretty solid.”

Following the first game of the season without Keith Yandle on the ice, which ended in a bad loss, Hayes claimed responsibility for the end to his teammate and longtime friend’s Iron Man streak.

“We put ourselves in this situation,” Hayes said. “Having the year that we’ve had. Not battling for a playoff spot. We need young guys out of college to come in, young guys in the AHL, to see what they do.”

The end was upsetting for Hayes, as his friend, but it had an impact on the whole room. Hayes emphasized the role Yandle has played through this season and through his career.

“The impact that Keith has on myself and the guys in that locker room is something that can’t be measured,” Hayes said. “What he provides to some of these young guys on this team is something that no one else can do. I know he’s one of my best friends. But the way he goes about his everyday life is truly professional. He’s a role model for a lot of people. I think if you ask every person in that room what they think about Keith, you’re going to get a lot of positive feedback.”

Hayes said he, like Yandle, understands it’s a business decision, but added “I can’t say I agree with it.” While the players’ performance may have led to this, he said it wasn’t something the players themselves had a say in.

“They made a decision, and we have to roll with it,” Hayes said. “Obviously, it was a big deal, but we played the game, and we played well up until the third. Decisions are made every day.”

The Flyers head to New York City on Sunday for a 7 p.m. against the New York Rangers and former Flyer Justin Braun.