The Avalanche keep right on winning, for two big reasons

PHILADELPHIA – They really didn’t play all that great for good portions of the week-long Eastern road swing. The coach, in fact, changed up some lines entering the final game of the trip, unhappy over a lack of secondary scoring.

But the Avalanche had a couple big things going for them: A dominant first line and great goaltending.

For the four-game swing, it all added up to seven of a possible eight points, the final two of which were had at Wells Fargo Center here Monday night as the Avs beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on two goals by Mikko Rantanen and one each from Matt Nieto and Gabe “En Fuego” Landeskog.

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov was excellent in staying unbeaten in regulation so far this season, as the Avs come home now a 6-1-2 hockey team. 

Terrific work by newcomer Matt Calvert set up the Avs’ second goal, which went to Matt Nieto – his first of the season. Calvert stripped an opponent of a puck in the offensive zone, worked to get it behind the net and fed Nieto for a one-timer that beat Brian Elliott from between the circles.

I talked with Calvert earlier in the day and he’s still champing at the bit to get that first goal himself.

“I’ve had some chances,” Calvert said with a bit of a “aw shucks” look, “but it’ll come. As long as we can create chances out there.”

That gave the Avs a 2-0 lead, which built upon Mikko Rantanen’s easy power-play goal in the first. All Rantanen had to do was tap in Nathan MacKinnon’s backhand pass into an open side of Elliott’s net, and he did.

Gabe Landeskog gave Colorado a 3-0 lead early in the third with a semi-breakaway that started from all the way in his own zone. Landy just kept lugging the puck down the ice and somehow kept a step on the field before burying one for his eighth goal of the season and sixth in the last three games.

Earlier in the day, Landeskog was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week.

Varlamov was tremendous throughout, the only thing beating him in the first 50 minutes a tipped shot by Nolan Patrick. The Flyers put some heavy pressure on at times after that, but Varly stood strong.

Rantanen added the empty-netter.