Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Jeff Carter scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, as Philadelphia held off Colorado, 4-2, on a night that saw the Flyers raise their 2009-10 Eastern Conference champions banner at the Wells Fargo Center.
Claude Giroux and Darroll Powe also lit the lamp for Philadelphia, which bounced back from a 2-1 overtime loss to the Blues on Saturday.
Sergei Bobrovsky, making his second career start, turned aside 25-of-27 shots for the Flyers, who started a season-long five-game homestand on Monday. Bobrovsky won his NHL debut versus the Penguins last Thursday.
Brandon Yip and Milan Hejduk scored for the Avalanche, who opened their season with a 4-3 overtime victory against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks last Thursday.
Craig Anderson stopped 34-of-37 shots in defeat.
With the score tied at two late in the third period, the Flyers went ahead on Carter’s goal with 2:38 remaining. Mike Richards took a pass in the slot from James van Riemsdyk, who was along the right boards. Richards quickly passed to Carter, whose shot from the left circle beat Anderson for a 3-2 edge.
Powe added an empty-net goal with 1:11 left to seal the victory.
Giroux’s short-handed goal put the Flyers on the board at the 12:13 mark of the first period. Richards stole the puck from a Colorado player along the left boards. He then slid a pass to a wide open Giroux, who made a nice move before backhanding the disc into the back of the net.
Philadelphia built a 2-0 lead on Carter’s goal with 2:27 remaining. After stealing the puck away from Colorado’s David Jones at the blue line, Carter made his way down the ice on a breakaway. He completed the play with a nice backhander past Anderson.
The Avalanche cut their deficit to 2-1 at the 9:03 mark of the second frame. Yip’s shot beat Bobrovsky after the Flyers turned the puck over in their own zone.
Hejduk tied things up 32 seconds into the third period. His wrister from the left circle snuck past Bobrovsky.
This was the first time these teams have met since November 23, 2009, a 5-4 Avalanche win in Denver…Colorado’s Adam Foote is the second-highest scoring defenseman in franchise history with 252 points. He needs just one more point to tie the franchise record for scoring by a defenseman held by Sandis Ozolinsh…The Avalanche started a five-game road trip on Monday…Philadelphia defenseman Chris Pronger played for the first time this season following offseason knee surgery…Richards had two assists.