Owen Tippett, Flyers stun Avalanche, 7-3, with third-period flurry

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Jan 24, 2026

Published in Hockey

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DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have been the best third period team in the NHL by a significant margin this season.

That was not the case Friday night.

Owen Tippett had a hat trick for the Philadelphia Flyers, who scored three times in less than 10 minutes to bust open what had been a back-and-forth affair en route to a 7-3 victory against the Avalanche. The Flyers scored six times on Mackenzie Blackwood on just 20 shots, and the Avs finished a season-long seven-game homestand with just three wins (3-2-2).

Colorado came into this game with 65 goals for and 28 against in the third period this season. That goal differential (plus-37) is not only the best by any team in a period, it was better than every team’s overall differential except for Tampa Bay.

Just as it felt like Colorado had claimed control of this contest after erasing 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, the Flyers stunned the Ball Arena patrons with two goals in the first two minutes of the third.

Sean Couturier intercepted a long pass by Josh Manson, and got it to Tippett for a 2-on-1. Tippett beat Mackenzie Blackwood with a shot from the right circle for his second goal of the night just 56 seconds into the third.

Matvei Michkov deflected a shot from the left point by Emil Andrae into the top corner at 2:00 to give the Flyers a two-goal advantage.

Tippett completed his hat trick at 10:24 of the third when he intercepted a pass from Cale Makar and went the other way for a short-handed breakaway and a 6-3 lead. Colorado’s power play went 0 for 4 in the game, along with yielding a short-handed tally.

Michkov added his second goal into an empty net with 3:08 remaining.

After the Avs had 17 shots in the first period, they had far fewer in the second but found a way to break through and beat Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson three times.

Parker Kelly got the comeback started with his 10th of the season at 7:17. Kelly got the play started by creating a turnover, then he was there to backhand the rebound of a Jack Ahcan shot past Ersson. It was Ahcan’s second NHL point of the season and third of his career.

Victor Olofsson evened the score at 2-2 midway through the second. Olofsson collected a behind-the-back pass from Nathan MacKinnon near the left point and then wired a wrist shot from just inside the left circle for his 10th goal of the year. All of 10 of his goals have come at Ball Arena.

The Avs gave that one back 32 seconds later with a couple of gaffes. Kelly had the puck on his stick in front of Blackwood after a Flyers counterattack, but he lost it and former University of Denver star Bobby Brink pounced for an unassisted goal.

Colorado kept pushing and tied the score again just 71 seconds later. Makar collected a pass from MacKinnon off a faceoff win on the left side of the ice and fired one off the crossbar and in for his 15th of the season.

Colorado dominated much of the first period, but the Avs were down 2-0 at the intermission. The Avs had 14 of the first 15 shots on goal, but the Flyers scored on their second with 4:58 left in the period.

Tippett’s first attempt from the right circle during a rush was blocked by Avs defenseman Sam Malinski. The shot stung him, and Tippett was able to corral the loose puck and quickly snap one past Blackwood.

MacKinnon took a penalty with 2:19 remaining in the period and Denver Barkley made it a two-goal lead. Michkov set up Barkley for a shot from the slot with 1:03 left. It was the second career goal for Barkley, a 20-year-old rookie playing in his 16th game.