After what could have been characterized as one of their worst losses of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers (24-17-9) bounced back in a big way by defeating the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche (34-6-9), 7-3.
The Flyers were led by Owen Tippett’s hat trick, Matvei Michkov’s brace, and Samuel Ersson’s 31 saves. Additionally, Denver Barkey and Bobby Brink each scored a goal, and Tippett and Michkov added an assist as well to their ledger.
The Avalanche powered back after trailing 2-0 with a 3-goal second period, but the Flyers stormed right back with a 4-goal third period to ice the game and end the road trip on a high, finishing 2-0-1 along the way.
FIRST PERIOD
Having been outshot 14-2 with the Colorado Avalanche having 2 power play opportunities to start the game, it was the Philadelphia Flyers who opened the scoring, after Owen Tippett wired a shot from the slot at the 15:02 mark.
It was close to being offside as Tippett entered the zone, however the Avalanche decided not to challenge. The 26-year-old had his initial shot blocked, but he grabbed his rebound, and wired it blocker-side past Mackenzie Blackwood.
With Nathan MacKinnon in the box for an interference minor, the Flyers sent out their second unit to start, and they got to working early as Denver Barkey was credited with his second goal of the season.
It was a great shift that had a lot of sustained pressure and cycling – things we don’t usually see from the Flyers power play – before Matvei Michkov located Barkey in the slot, and he made no mistake with his shot from the slot with 1:03 remaining.
The Flyers survived the Avalanche’s early barrage in large part because of Samuel Ersson’s heroics, and they rewarded their goaltender with a 2-goal lead heading into the intermission. The Avalanche held a 17-7 advantage in shots.
SECOND PERIOD
After multiple Flyers’ turnovers, the Avalanche got on the board after Parker Kelly scooped up the loose change in front of the Ersson, and tucked it around the screened goaltender at the 7:17 mark.
Christian Dvorak caused the first turnover after his pass coming from behind the net was picked off, and while Nick Seeler was able to retrieve the puck, he then turned it over with a failed clearance attempt. Ersson stopped the initial shot, but couldn’t corral the rebound with a mass of bodies in front.
3:11 later, Victor Olofsson tied the game after his shot from the face-off dot beat Ersson glove-side. Once again there was a mass of bodies in front of the goaltender, but that was a shot that the goaltender would want back.
Fortunately that didn’t hamper the Flyers as they retook the lead just 32 seconds later. Bobby Brink earned his 13th of the season after some hard-work in front of the net that saw both he and Noah Cates continuing to battle with multiple Avalanche defenders.
Eventually the puck bounced back to Brink in a dangerous spot, and he earned his first goal since his return off the injured reserve. The goal also represented a career-high after he registered 12 goals in 79 games last season.
The goals kept coming as Cale Makar responded 1:11 later after roofing a wicked shot off a face-off win for his 15th of the season. The Avalanche won the draw, Martin Nečas then poked it to MacKinnon, who then found Makar and he walked in and made no mistake with his heat-seeking missile.
The Avalanche came roaring back in the middle frame as they outscored the Flyers 3-1 to take a tie into the intermission. They held a 25-12 shot advantage, as Philadelphia looked to be hanging on by a thread near the end of the period.
THIRD PERIOD
The Flyers retook the lead once again, this time 56 seconds into the third period, after Tippett wired a hard shot glove-side for his second of the night, and third point of the game. He was previously stopped on a 2-on-1 chance set up by Barkey, as the Flyers’ second line had been buzzing all game.
On the next shift, Michkov added to the Flyers lead with his 11th of the season, after deflecting a point shot from Emil Andrae at the 2 minute mark. Garnet Hathaway did a good job along the boards to get the puck to Andrae, who then wired a one-timer, which was deflected by the Russian sophomore 1:04 after Tippett’s go-ahead tally.
Tippett completed the hat trick with a shorthanded breakaway, where he beat Blackwood through the five-hole this time around at the 10:24 mark. The goal came off a fantastic read by Tippett as he picked off a Makar pass at the point, before racing in on Blackwood and completing the hat trick.
The Avalanched pulled their goaltender with 5 minutes remaining and the Flyers nabbed an empty netter, courtesy of Michkov’s second of the night, which was set up by a Travis Konecny takeaway.
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