Owen Tippett scored a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a stunning 7-3 victory over the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Matvei Michkov contributed two goals and an assist in the win, while Samuel Ersson made 32 saves. The Flyers snapped a tie early in the third period and dominated the final frame 4-0.
The Philadelphia Flyers (24-17-9) shocked the Colorado Avalanche (34-6-9) with a 7-3 win on Friday at Ball Arena, handing the league leaders their second regulation home loss of the season. Colorado, who entered with a 20-2-4 home record and an NHL-best plus-37 goal differential in the third period, dropped to 1-2-2 in their last five games.
Philadelphia jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Tippett opened the scoring at 15:02, wristing a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood after his initial attempt was blocked. Denver Barkey extended the advantage to 2-0 at 18:57 on a power-play goal, fed by Michkov.
The Avalanche rallied in the second, tying the game 3-3. Parker Kelly scored at 7:17 on a rebound, Victor Olofsson tied it at 2-2 at 10:29 with a wrist shot off a no-look pass from Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar evened it at 3-3 at 12:12 on a snap shot after a face-off win. Bobby Brink had put the Flyers ahead 3-2 at 11:01 by chipping in a loose puck.
Tippett broke the deadlock at 0:56 of the third, scoring on a 2-on-1 rush to make it 4-3. Michkov followed at 2:00 with a redirection for a 5-3 lead. Tippett completed his second career hat trick at 10:24 on a shorthanded breakaway, intercepting a pass and deking Blackwood. Michkov sealed the 7-3 final with an empty-net goal at 16:53.
"We scratched and clawed. It's a tough game," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "That's a tough team to play against, and big efforts -- 'Mitch,' like I said, 'Ers' was really good for us, ‘Tip.’ We seized the moment."
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar lamented the third-period start: "You come out and make a lot of bad mistakes and do some strange things at the start of the third period that cost you."
Ersson stopped all 17 shots in the first period and finished 32 of 35. The Flyers went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and scored a season-high seven goals. Tippett's hat trick included a shorthanded goal, making him the fifth Flyer in 20 years to achieve that feat. Michkov notched his first three-point game and ninth multigoal performance before age 22.
The win improved Philadelphia's road trip record to 2-0-1 against Western Conference playoff teams.
