Maple Leafs’ John Tavares: Leads by example with hat trick

Tavares scored three goals and added an assist in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Flyers. One goal and the assist came on the power play.

Tavares twice helped the Maple Leafs double up the Flyers, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead in the first before putting the hosts up 4-2 in the third with a highlight reel goal on which he turned his defender inside out before jamming home his own rebound. Toronto’s captain finished off the hat trick with a power-play goal. There were less than five minutes remaining but Flyers backup Felix Sandstrom was still in the net. Prior to scoring three goals himself, Tavares helped Auston Matthews get the Maple Leafs on the board with the extra man. Tavares has seven goals and seven assists through 11 games, putting the second-line center above a point-per-game pace for the first time since 2018-19, when he potted a career-best 47 goals en route to 88 points in 82 games.

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