Logan O’Connor scored three goals, Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the host Philadelphia Flyers 7-4 on Saturday.
Mikko Rantanen scored two goals and Ross Colton contributed three assists.
Miles Wood and Josh Manson chipped in with two assists each.
Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 36 saves.
Cam Atkinson had one goal and two assists for the Flyers.
Joel Farabee, Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster scored one goal each for Philadelphia, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.
Morgan Frost added two assists.
Flyers goaltender Carter Hart allowed five goals on 15 shots through two periods. Samuel Ersson played the third and made eight saves.
Owen Tippett appeared to tweak his knee early in the third period and went to the Flyers’ locker room with a lower body injury. He didn’t return.
Philadelphia closed within 5-3 at 5:26 of the third when Foerster snapped off a shot to the short side. The Flyers then trailed 5-4 at 8:11 after Atkinson redirected a shot in front.
Colorado pulled ahead by two goals, 6-4, when Rantanen scored on a rebound on a power play at 12:23.
O’Connor registered his first career hat trick on an empty net with 20.6 seconds left.
The Avalanche went ahead 1-0 at 9:58 of the first period when O’Connor was credited with the goal as the puck deflected off his skate. After an official review, the goal was allowed.
Just 18 seconds later, Farabee had a good chance to equalize but he missed an open net just wide.
MacKinnon skated in all alone and fired a shot at 14:57 which was snared by Hart with a glove save.
The Avalanche kept attacking and took a 2-0 lead at 18:36 when Rantanen ripped a slap shot over Hart’s glove.
Just 43 seconds into the second period, MacKinnon came off the bench and scored from a tough angle for a 3-0 lead.
The Flyers didn’t wilt and closed within 3-1 when Farabee connected at 1:49.
Colorado regained a three-goal lead when Wood sent a crisp pass to O’Connor for the finish at 8:14.
Philadelphia cut the deficit to 4-2 at 12:23 when Konecny scored through traffic in front.
MacKinnon’s second goal, this time at 17:05, gave the Avalanche a 5-2 advantage as the puck appeared to surprisingly elude Hart.
–Field Level Media
