Hey, Colorado Avalanche, that was a nice win. Now, please don't ever, ever do that again.
For the 3rd straight game, the Avalanche squandered a 2-goal lead. Thankfully, this time it happened in the 2nd period, before the Avs turned in for the evening. It's a good thing, because otherwise they would have been toast.
The Avalanche started things off early, with David Jones scoring just a minute in and Paul Stastny breaking his 12-game goal drought a few minutes later. But the Flyers scored a goal late in the first and tied it up just 63 seconds later in the 2nd period, and Avalanche fans were already starting to mutter to themselves.
The Avalanche own the 2nd period, though, and tonight was no exception. Cody McLeod, David Jones and Scott Hannan all scored in a wild middle frame to give the Avalanche a 5-2 lead after two periods.
They'd need all of it. The Flyers' comeback was inevitable. The Avs had been outscored 7-0 in the last two 3rd periods going into the game. You can make that 9-0 now. Philadelphia peppered Craig Anderson with 19 shots. Anderson was excellent, but couldn't stop them all. Daniel Briere - Briere being french for "little pussy"...he knocked Scott Hannan out of the game with a sleazy post-whistle cross-check after Hannan made it 4-2 - scored at the 11:17 mark to make it 5-3 and then, with the Avs serving a flipping penalty for two many men (how, how, how does that happen with 6 minutes left in the 3rd period), Jeff Carter made it 5-4. The Flyers kept on coming and might have knotted it up had Scott Hartnell not run over Craig Anderson with just over two minutes left (Anderson, to be honest, sold that one perfectly). Even then, the Flyers had some chances late, and Craig Anderson's save on a wide-open Braydon Coburn was the ultimate game-saver.
I'm glad the Avalanche won, but I can't take many more 3rd period laydowns like this. Please?
Kudos, by the way, to Marek Svatos. No, he didn't score. But he did have his first NHL fight, taking on Claude "Don't Call Me Shane" Giroux in the 2nd period. Not only did Svatos acquit himself nicely, but he was the one who invited Giroux to drop the gloves. Maybe he should give some pointers to Cody McLeod. McLeod's goal was huge, but he's not himself on the ice lately. Maybe he's hurt, or maybe he's just not comfortable wearing that visor. Whatever the deal is, I noticed him shy away from an opportunity to make a check on several occasions. And that thing with Lappy was embarrassing. I have ZERO problem with McLeod refusing to drop the gloves for Lappy, especially with the Avalanche up in the game at the time. But, if you aren't going to go, don't make it look like you're going to and don't goad the other guy into dropping his gloves. That's a move an assclown like Matt Barnaby would pull. It is not a move befitting a Highlander.