PHILADELPHIA — Rick Tocchet glanced over at his longtime friend Craig Berube’s group and predicted a “desperate” opponent Saturday night on Broad Street.

The Toronto Maple Leafs arrived in their head coach’s old stomping grounds winless on the road and mulling around the basement of a mediocre Atlantic Division.

In fact, Tocchet’s rebuilding Flyers exited the first month of the season with more wins than Toronto, despite the franchises’ differing expectations.

Whatever desperation the depleted Toronto team had going into the second-most-important sporting event for the city on this night escalated when it was announced that its best player, William Nylander, would not suit up (again) and when the Flyers sniped on the first shot of the game. Just 69 seconds in.

Responding well to Berube

See Full Page