Nylander, Tavares score twice and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs won 7-2 over Philadelphia Flyers 

The Toronto Maple Leafs pounded the Philadelphia Flyers 7-2 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs rode a four-goal second period to earn their 43rd win of the season and pull into a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the idle Florida Panthers.

John Tavares and William Nylander scored twice for the Maple Leafs, with Max Domi, Bobby McMann and David Kampf getting the others for Toronto. Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier got the Flyers on the board.

Here’s a closer look at three reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs won 7-2 over Philadelphia Flyers

#3. Leafs dominate

The Maple Leafs dominated from start to finish on Tuesday night. Despite the Flyers getting the first goal of the night, the Leafs pounded the Flyers in virtually every category. Toronto outshot Philadelphia 30-19, won 60% of the draws and had a 33-32 edge in hits.

The Leafs also blocked 14 shots and registered three takeaways. They played a dominant first period, outshooting the Flyers 10-3 despite giving up the game’s first goal. Overall, the game was a good sign for Toronto after the flat outing last Saturday night against the Nashville Predators.

#2. Four-goal second period

The Toronto Maple Leafs' dominant game was punctuated by a four-goal second period. The Leafs hit the first intermission up 2-1 following goals from Tavares and Nylander.

But then, the Leafs turned up the gas, scoring four goals and building a 6-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Here’s a look at Tavares’ 32nd of the season:

Tavares took a nifty feed from Mitch Marner, beating Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson with relative ease.

Here's a look at Nylander’s second-period tally:

Nylander blasted the puck from the top of the circle, drawing a wry smile from Flyers’ coach John Tortorella. With the tally, Nylander hit the 40-goal mark for the second year in a row, showcasing why he’s one of the league’s top goal scorers.

#1. Tavares, Nylander score twice, register four points apiece

Speaking of Nylander and Tavares, the duo exploded for two goals and two assists each. The four-point night from both Core Four members was complemented by Matthew Knies’ two assists and Bobby McMann’s goal and assist.

Tavares earned the game’s first star while Nylander walked away with the second star. McMann rounded out the three stars, getting the nod for the third star.

The Leafs will get the day off on Wednesday before hitting the ice on Thursday night as they open a West Coast swing starting in San Jose against the Sharks.