PHILADELPHIA — The way things have been going defensively for the Toronto Maple Leafs these days, Chris Tanev only needed to utter three words to provide a little dash of hope:

“I feel good,” the club’s best pure defender said Friday, following a full practice at the Philadelphia Flyers practice facility.

Tanev has now checked off all the boxes in his return-to-play protocol after suffering a concussion 10 days ago against New Jersey.

The blue-liner took a Dawson Mercer helmet to the head during a net-front battle and looked woozy skating off the ice. The Leafs lost that night and managed just one regulation win in their three games since, against the last-place Calgary Flames.

“When you’re sort of stunned and a little bit confused, it’s not ideal. But felt quite normal really soon aft

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