had his helmet ripped off by defensive tackle Fletcher

BOSTON -- The Toronto Maple Leafs found a way to overcome a poor opening period.Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman scored in the second period, Frederik Andersen made 32 saves and the Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Saturday night.The last three games the first period kind of did us in, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. We didnt start on time. We were able to hold on. It still wasnt the first period we wanted, but we didnt give up the goals and we were able to execute a little bit.After managing only two shots on goal in the first, Toronto was happy to get to the dressing room with the game scoreless.I dont think we gave up too much even though we didnt produce anything, Andersen said. To come out 0-0 is pretty good. We came out better in the second and the third. It was a good turnaround.James van Riemsdyk scored in the third for Toronto, which was 0-2-1 in its last three games. Connor Brown added an empty-netter and Andersen improved to 6-0-0 in his career against Boston.Brad Marchand had the Bruins goal, and Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots.Former Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick had two assists.Boston lost to Colorado, then-the NHLs worst team, on Thursday night at TD Garden and followed that by losing to the team that entered as the Eastern Conferences last-place club.Boston fell behind 3-0 in its previous two games before the Maple Leafs went up 2-0 in the second.Its tough. We try to score that first goal and get the lead and the last couple of games weve been letting in like two or three goals and trying to catch up, Rask said. Today was one of those. Its not easy. It takes a lot out of you.Boston had earned points in 12 of the last 13 meetings against Toronto (9-1-3).Like a number of games this season, the Bruins have been frustrated by their inability score.Goalies are too good in this league if you dont make it hard on them, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said A lot of it is that.Toronto moved ahead on Matthews goal 1:44 into the second. The NHLs No. 1 overall draft pick last summer took a pass from William Nylander and fired a wrist shot over Rasks left shoulder.Hyman redirected defenseman Jake Gardners shot from the slot, and the puck dipped and fluttered by Rask to make it 2-0 with 4:46 remaining in the period.Marchand took advantage of a turnover behind Torontos net, slicing it to 2-1 with 1:21 left in the second. Andersen misplayed a clearing attempt, firing the puck off a player where it dropped next to the rear boards. He had a second chance to clear or cover it, but Marchand beat him to it, circled and put in his own rebound.The Bruins had the best chance in the first period when David Pastrnaks one-timer from the left point caromed off the left post early into the game.Tyler Bozaks shot was tipped in by van Riemsdyk midway into the third.Game notes The Bruins recalled forwards Noel Acciari and Danton Heinen from Providence of the AHL before the game and assigned F Anton Blidh to the AHL. ... The first game between the two clubs was just over 92 years ago: Dec. 3, 1924, when the Toronto St. Pats beat the Bruins, 5-3. ... Toronto won the only other meeting so far this season, 4-1 at home on October 15.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: Host Colorado on Sunday in the opener of five straight at home -- four against teams from the Western Conference.Bruins: At Montreal on Monday night. Nike Tn Shoes Nz . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Vapormax New Zealand .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. http://www.airvapormaxnz.com/ . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Cheap Nike Tns Nz .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. Vapormax Plus Men .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford picked apart one of the NFLs best defenses for a while, throwing for a touchdown on each of the Detroit Lions first three possessions.The Philadelphia Eagles answered, shutting him down for almost two quarters.Almost.Stafford lofted a perfect pass to Golden Tate to set up Matt Praters 29-yard kick with 1:28 left, sending Detroit to a 24-23 win over Carson Wentz and Philadelphia on Sunday.It was perhaps one of the better anticipatory passes that youll see, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.Detroits defense, though, still had to do its job to seal the much-needed victory.Philadelphia (3-1) had the ball at its 25 with 1:28 remaining and no timeouts left.Wentz, who did not turn the ball over in his first three games, attempted a long pass to Nelson Agholor on first down and Darius Slay made an over-the-shoulder interception at the Detroit 23.Even though Wentzs last pass looked like a desperation heave usually reserved for fourth down or the final seconds of a game, Eagles coach Doug Pederson didnt mind his decision to go deep.Its not necessarily designed for that, but the opportunity was there, Pederson said.Wentz, the No. 2 pick overall in the draft, was 25 of 33 for 238 yards with a pair of 1-yard TD passes to Ryan Mathews and Josh Huff.I didnt buy the hype before today, but hes is the real deal, Slay said. He doesnt play like a rookie.The Lions (2-3) had lost three straight.Its a big one, Stafford said. But at the same time, weve got to stack these.The Eagles turned the ball over for the first time this season with 2:34 remaining when Mathews fumbled on a hit by Slay near midfield.This one hurts, Mathews said.Stafford put Prater in place to make his field goal by converting a third-and-4 from the Eagles 39 by connecting on a 27-yard pass to Tate, who was going right to left on a crossing route and drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on Malcolm Jenkins.I needed that, Tate said. This team needed that.BOUNCING BACKTate, who was held to only one catch in last weeks loss at Chicago, had three receptions for 39 yards. The veteran receiver also helped out Detroits depleted backfield by lining up as a runningg back for three carries that gained 6 yards and serving as decoy to help set up Staffords 17-yard TD pass to Theo Riddick.ddddddddddddopefully I earned some more reps back there, Tate said. Had some flashbacks to high school.FLAG DAYPhiladelphia hurt its chances of staying undefeated with 14 penalties for 111 yards, nearly doubling the number of flags they drew on average over the first three games.Its tough to overcome, Pederson acknowledged.STRONG STARTThe Lions scored on all three of their drives in the first half, building a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter. Stafford threw two TD passes to Riddick in the first quarter and another to Marvin Jones in the second. Through three games, the Eagles hadnt given up a passing TD, a point in the first quarter or allowed offenses to combine to score three TDs.Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz , who led the Lions from 2009 to 2013, seemed to make some adjustments that worked until Stafford made his clutch pass to Tate.CLOSE CALLStafford had his helmet ripped off by defensive tackle Fletcher Fox in the second quarter on a third down, extending a drive that led to a TD instead of a field goal attempt.Its never a good feeling to not have the old helmet on, said Stafford, who recalled a similar situation at Georgia leading to a big bruise on his forehead.MAKING A PLAYStafford had an unforced fumble early in the second half that was recovered by Nigel Bradham, who was arrested last Sunday on a misdemeanor concealed weapons charge. Bradham didnt play much in the first half, but Pederson insisted that wasnt part of team-issued discipline.INJURIESEagles CB Leodis McKelvin returned after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, aggravated it, but was cleared to return in the fourth quarter. ... Lions DT Haloti Ngata left the game with a shoulder injury.UP NEXTThe Eagles play at Washington Sunday. The Lions host Los Angeles on Sunday.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '