Rebuild? What rebuild?
In all seriousness, the Philadelphia Flyers continue to make a name for themselves and put the rest of the NHL on notice. The Flyers never trailed and defeated the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche 5-2 at Ball Arena to extend their winning streak to four and have dug themselves even deeper into playoff position as they play on into mid-December.
Travis Konecny’s two goals were the main story, but the Flyers also received tallies from Owen Tippett, Travis Sanheim, and Joel Farabee while Carter Hart made 37 saves to earn his first victory in Denver.
“It’s just like any game,” said Konecny after the game. “You’re gonna have your ups and downs, and they’re playing at home, you know they’re gonna have their stretches of good play.
“Just a great effort, and (it) just shows that when we stick with it we’ll give ourselves opportunities to be in games, and that’s what we did tonight.”
For the Flyers, it was their first road victory against Colorado since March 28th, 2018. For the Avalanche, it was their fifth loss in their last six games and just their fourth home loss in 13 home games this year.
“I don’t think anyone wants us to win,” said Hart after the victory. “That definitely fires us up and fuels the fire to prove everyone wrong. It just strengthens our belief in each other.
“We all love each other. We all get along so well. We have such a tight group here. Everybody is willing to fight for the next guy standing beside them. That’s crucial right now, and how we’re playing, everybody has each other’s backs.”
FIRST PERIOD
The Flyers had a solid start to this contest, racking up four of the game’s first six shots on goal and they tested Ivan Prosvetov early and often. First periods have been very kind to the Flyers this year, and another strong start tonight would make securing a victory that much easier.
With just over nine minutes remaining through the opening frame, Owen Tippett was whistled for hooking against Nathan MacKinnon, sending a Colorado power play that entered tonight 0 for their last 12 on the attack.
The Avalanche fired five shots on Carter Hart but he was able to stave off Colorado’s attempts at taking the lead. They had plenty of quality chances, including a Mikko Rantanen tip that glanced off the crossbar, but Tippett’s penalty was killed off.
Colorado kept clawing away and continued to put pressure on the Flyers, but Philadelphia was able to settle things down and with 2:19 to play, Travis Konecny took a fantastic feed from Sean Couturier and beat Prosvetov to put the Flyers ahead 1-0.
Shortly after Konecny’s 15th tally of the season, Nathan MacKinnon turned on the jets and burst through the zone, turnstiled Rasmus Ristolainen and tucked the puck through a surprised Hart, who’d would’ve liked to have had that goal back, to even the game back up with 1:01 remaining.
1-1 is how the opening twenty minutes would wrap up. The Flyers’ effort on offense was admirable, putting up 12 shots on goal with a marker on the board, but they would need to tighten up defensively to have a chance to win.
SECOND PERIOD
The Flyers came out with more pep in their step to begin the second period and really kept the Avalanche on their toes.
Colorado would recover and fired some shots of their own at Carter Hart, but he was up to the task and kept things even as we approached the midway mark of the period and the game.
Hart made a spectacular save on Josh Manson, and that was a huge momentum shift as Bobby Brink took the puck up ice and made a spectacular pass to Owen Tippett along the left wing wall. Tippett took the pass, turned on the afterburners, and skated in to beat Prosvetov to restore the Philadelphia lead with 10:59 left in the period.
The Flyers weren’t quite done and during another impressive shift in the offensive zone, Travis Sanheim sniped home a goal blocker-side on Prosvetov to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage.
Just 1:11 later, Colorado would respond as Manson finally solved Hart and pulled the Avalanche back within a goal.
Flyers head coach John Tortorella was less than pleased with the play.
The Avalanche kept their foot on the gas and after killing off a Joel Kiviranta holding the stick penalty, in which Colorado looked more dangerous than the Flyers, they received a power play of their own after Konecny was called for holding Cale Makar.
Carter Hart had to stay incredibly sharp despite the Flyers being on the power play before Konecny’s penalty.
After another strong showing, the Flyers’ penalty killers staved off another Avalanche man advantage to keep the score at 3-2.
Philadelphia’s efforts late in the period saw them escape the middle stanza with that 3-2 lead, and another strong endeavor in the final twenty minutes would almost certainly lead to victory.
THIRD PERIOD
The Flyers spent almost the entire first two minutes of the period in the Avalanche zone, cycling the puck, shooting the puck, and just plain and simply outworking the home team to begin the final frame.
The Avalanche would recover and began to pepper Carter Hart and the Flyers, but the Philadelphia netminder was up to the challenge against a team that scores more at home than anyone else in the league.
Colorado would send out their attack in waves, with most of their scoring chances largely created by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
The Flyers nearly took advantage of a lapse by the Avalanche after some offensive pressure and Cam Atkinson had the puck on a breakaway with Joel Farabee trailing. Ivan Prosvetov stopped Atkinson and somehow stretched out to keep Farabee’s rebound out of the open cage.
After another Colorado surge, Travis Konecny was sprung on a breakaway and hauled down from behind, earning a penalty shot.
They might have to change the name of the building from Ball Arena to The Tiki Bar after TK’s second goal of the game.
Philadelphia hammered down the final nail in the coffin of the Avalanche’s hopes of victory as Joel Farabee took a marvelous feed from former Denver Pioneers star Bobby Brink and deposited the puck into a yawning cage to make it 5-2.
That would be all she wrote for Colorado as the Philadelphia Flyers stormed into Denver and took it to an Avalanche club that is reeling after a strong start to the season.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will head to Music City to take on the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night (8:00pm ET, NBCSP) in search of their fifth consecutive victory.
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