Avalanche Collapse in Third Period as Flyers Run Wild in 7-3 Loss
The Colorado Avalanche wrapped up their seven-game homestand with a thud Friday night, falling 7-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers at Ball Arena. Despite outshooting the Flyers 35-20, the Avs were undone by shaky goaltending, a sputtering power play, and a third period that unraveled fast - and ugly.
Let’s start with the net. Mackenzie Blackwood, who got the start in goal, struggled mightily.
He stopped just 13 of 20 shots, and his .766 save percentage over his two starts on the homestand (11 goals allowed on 47 shots) tells the story. It’s been a tough stretch for the netminder, and head coach Jared Bednar didn’t sugarcoat it.
“He’s gotta get in the groove. He hasn’t played enough hockey.
He’s gotta get going,” Bednar said postgame. “There’s no question he can play a lot better than what we’ve seen the last couple of games.”
The Avalanche had their chances early. They opened the game with 14 of the first 15 shots and earned a pair of power plays in the opening frame.
But as has been the case too often lately, the man advantage didn’t deliver. After failing to convert, Colorado watched the Flyers strike first on just their second shot of the game - a snipe from Owen Tippett at 15:02 of the first.
The momentum flipped quickly. MacKinnon took an interference penalty shortly after, and on the Flyers’ first power play of the night, rookie Denver Barkey buried his second career goal to make it 2-0. That was the score heading into the first intermission, despite Colorado outshooting Philadelphia 17-6.
The Avs clawed back into it in the second. Parker Kelly got things rolling, cleaning up a rebound off a Jack Ahcan shot and flipping it in on the backhand for his 10th of the season.
Just over three minutes later, the top line went to work. Martin Necas fed Nathan MacKinnon, who entered the zone and dropped it to Victor Olofsson.
The Swedish winger ripped a shot past Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson to tie it up at 2-2.
But the celebration didn’t last. On the very next shift, Ahcan lost an edge at the blue line, and the Flyers countered.
After a brief regain by Colorado, a turnover led to Bobby Brink scoring unassisted just 32 seconds after Olofsson’s tally. That swing - from 2-2 to 3-2 in under a minute - was a gut punch.
Still, the Avalanche responded once more. Cale Makar fired a blistering wrister from the right circle off a feed from MacKinnon to tie the game again at 12:12. Makar’s 15th of the season capped a wild second period that ended knotted at 3-3.
Then came the third.
And that’s where it all fell apart.
Just 56 seconds in, Tippett scored his second of the night on Philadelphia’s 15th shot. Two minutes later, Matvei Michkov made it 5-3. The Avalanche were reeling, and the Flyers smelled blood.
The dagger came midway through the period. With Colorado on the power play - a chance to climb back into the game - Makar turned the puck over, and Tippett made them pay, finishing off the hat trick with a shorthanded breakaway goal. Michkov would add an empty-netter to seal the 7-3 final.
“That start of that third was too sloppy,” Bednar said. “They came out working, and we were kicking the puck around.
They earned another couple chances and buried them. Then it was out of reach.”
The loss drops Colorado to 3-4-2 over their last nine games and closes out the homestand at 3-2-2. And while there are some positives to pull - like the continued production from depth forward Parker Kelly - the big picture is more concerning.
Power Play Problems Persist
It’s become a recurring theme: early power-play chances with decent puck movement, followed by frustration and stagnation. The Avs had opportunities to set the tone early against the Flyers but couldn’t cash in.
And by the third period, the man advantage had completely unraveled. Passes were off, decisions were rushed, and the Flyers were aggressive - sensing the Avs’ hesitation and pouncing on it.
That’s how you end up giving up a shorthanded goal in a one-goal game.
“Confidence is down on the power play a little bit,” Bednar admitted. “So, you know, being too critical - kind of balancing how much we get after our guys and how much we try and encourage our guys, and fighting the urge to flip guys off and try new guys all the time - is sort of the toughest challenge we have right now.”
It’s not for lack of talent. Colorado has the firepower.
But the execution is off, the rhythm is missing, and the predictability is starting to become a problem. Opposing penalty kills are reading their setups and closing lanes before the Avs can create anything dangerous.
Bright Spot: Parker Kelly
It’s hard to highlight much good after a loss like this, but Parker Kelly continues to be a silver lining. His 10th goal of the season underscores the kind of value he’s bringing from the bottom six - effort, energy, and timely production.
“Parker’s a true pro. Everything he does is for the team,” Bednar said.
That kind of consistency from a depth player matters, especially when the team is looking for answers in other areas.
What’s Next?
The Avalanche have some soul-searching to do. The goaltending needs to stabilize.
The power play needs a spark. And the team, as a whole, needs to tighten up the details - especially in the third period, where games are so often won or lost.
“For our team, regardless of personnel and some of the stuff we’re going through right now, it’s not quite good enough,” Bednar said.
It’s a long season, and every team hits rough patches. But if the Avs want to stay in the mix with the league’s elite, they’ll need to find their game again - and fast.