Logan O'Connor sets career-high in goals with hat trick win in Philly

Analytically this wasn’t the Avs’ best game in a few ways. They lost the shots battle, struggled at the faceoff dot, and the Flyers had the edge in possession five-on-five and otherwise. The Flyers created 16 high-danger chances inside home plate, but Colorado found a way to handily defeat them 7-4.

Coming into the afternoon, the Flyers won five straight and dropped a five-spot on the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

The Avs were still a little battered – even though Artturi Lehkonen took warmups, he did not return to action just yet.

A key to their success started with establishing the lead first and keeping it throughout the entire game even when some fatigue set in. After all, it was the fifth game a long road trip.

In the middle of the first period, Ross Colton won the offensive zone draw and Jack Johnson sent the puck to Sam Malinski opposite him. Malinski wristed the puck towards the net and Colton’s stick redirected it to Logan O’Connor at the crease.

O’Connor made contact with Travis Sanheim on his way to the net and lost his balance slightly. As a result, he lifted his skate and went back on his rocker – the puck went in off his raised skate and the goal was reviewed to ensure it wasn’t kicked.

The goal was good, and the Avs were on the board first despite trailing in shots.

Colton was high-sticked by Sanheim and the Avs earned a powerplay opportunity.

The top unit struggled to create during the man-advantage and even allowed a blocked chance the other way. At its expiration, Mikko Rantanen fed Colton at the post and his stick blade angled the puck behind the net. Colton got to it quickly and dropped it to MacKinnon at the goal line. MacKinnon found the seam between four Flyers and teed up Rantanen at the right-circle.

Rantanen one-timed it past Carter Hart. It was a classic Rantanen move that we hadn’t seen work in a while, and the goal provided much needed insurance.

Colorado’s special teams also contributed to their success. They killed three of three penalties on the whole, and their powerplay later converted in the third period.

In the second period, MacKinnon put the Avs up by another.

 A Flyers dump-out sailed to Josh Manson at the defensive blueline. Manson whacked it ahead for Miles Wood to collect at center ice. Wood angled the puck for MacKinnon to rush in and receive on the partial breakaway.

MacKinnon moved down the slot ahead of both Sanheim and Tyson Foerster and wristed the puck past Hart.

The second period was quite eventful, and to Philadelphia’s credit, they never went away and kept a consistent effort throughout.

They got on the board thanks to a seam pass and weak coverage.

The Flyers cycled the puck low and around the perimeter. Morgan Frost made the seam pass through both Malinski and Jack Johnson to Joel Farabee streaking to the crease.

Farabee got inside Johnson a little too easily and angled the puck in close.

Later, the line of the night got rewarded. Colton and Wood reset and re-entered just outside the offensive blueline. Wood skated it deep and made the cross-slot pass to O’Connor opposite him. O’Connor buried it over Hart’s glove for his second of the night.

Colton’s line played smart defensively, registered eight points, fifteen shot attempts, and shared the best possession metrics yet again.

Alexandar Georgiev played a solid game considering the disproportionately high shot volume coming from Philly.

His second goal-against might have been the biggest blight.

Owen Tippett and Travis Konency traded the puck back and forth inside the left-circle and Konecny escaped with it to the outside wall, around, and out high. Konecny turned and wristed the puck on net from the top of the slot and beat Georgiev at distance.

Before the period’s end, Sam Girard passed to Joel Kiviranta behind the net and Kiviranta sent it to Manson. Manson dropped it to MacKinnon and MacKinnon wristed it from the top of the slot.

That ended Carter Hart’s night in net for the Flyers.

Sam Ersson entered the game in the third period in his place.

Early, the Flyers held onto the puck in the neutral zone and Cam Atkinson gave Frost the puck to make the entry. Frost dropped the puck back to Foerster at the wall and Foerster sniped it short-side.

Colorado held the lead but allowed one final lapse. Rasmus Ristolainen sent the puck to the far-post from the point and Atkinson snuck backdoor behind Makar at the netfront and banged it in. It was simply blown coverage and difficult for Georgiev to do much there.

Scott Laughton went off for hooking and the Avs earned a powerplay opportunity. 

Colton won the o-zone faceoff and Drouin helped get Makar the puck. Makar took the puck and wristed it on net from just above the circle. Colton went to push the rebound in and Rantanen ultimately got it over the goal line among the chaos.

Makar hit the 300-point mark in 280 games and became the second-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach the milestone behind Bobby Orr.

The Flyers pulled Ersson with a little over three minutes left to bring on the extra skater. With Rantanen, MacKinnon, and O’Connor on hat trick watch, there were a few options for the final shifts.

Rantanen had his chance first and O’Connor came on at the next change.

Devon Toews cleared the puck down the ice and MacKinnon chased after it. With O’Connor by his side, MacKinnon passed the puck to O’Connor so he could notch the hat trick himself.

It was O’Connor’s first career hat trick and he set a new career-high in goals (11) in just 45 games.

MacKinnon recorded his 24th multi-point game of the season and passed Nikita Kucherov for the most among all players at 77. He also extended his latest point streak to eleven games.

Colorado finished the road trip 3-2-0 and moved within a point of the Winnipeg Jets in the Central division.

Lehkonen should return for their next home game against the Washington Capitals, so they’ll be one step closer to being fully charged up. Just two games remain before MacKinnon, Makar, and Georgiev head to the All-Star Game.