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(Denver, CO) – Milan Hejduk scored a power play goal late in the second period and the Colorado Avalanche held on for a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Pepsi Center on Friday night.
Kimmo Timonen, whose great pass to Danny Briere tied the game at 17:55 of the second period, was whistled for hooking with 20 seconds left in the frame. That led to the game-winning goal when Hejduk got free in front of the net and lifted in a pass from Ryan Smyth with just 2.9 seconds left.
Trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Flyers were able to tie the game on their fifth power play of the night.
Timonen faked a slap shot but sent a hard pass from the point to Briere who was down low to goaltender Jose Theodore’s right. Briere stopped the puck and fired it into the corner for his 13th goal of the season. Timonen was able to thread the pass through the high slot after Hejduk broke his stick on the play.
Martin Biron stops Colorado's Milan Hejduk in front of the net during Friday night's Flyers-Avalanche game. (Getty Images)
“Kimmo did a great job selling the play,” said Briere, who was a game-time decision with a bruised foot. “He found me back door. I give total credit to him.”
The loss snapped the Flyers’ four-game road winning streak, but the team was happy with its effort in one of the tougher buildings to visit in the NHL.
“It’s tough, but having said that I thought we created chances right up until the end there,” said John Stevens after the game. “We had a couple near misses, and that’s what you want to see, is a fight until the end.”
“We played hard. It was a solid effort for 60 minutes,” added Briere. “We didn’t back down and were in the game until the end. There’s going to be games like tonight where it’s just not happening, but we need to have that consistent effort every night.”
Biron kept the Flyers in the game early with 13 saves in the first period, but Jaroslav Hlinka’s slap shot from the faceoff circle at 7:26 of the second period gave Colorado the 1-0 lead.
The Flyers goaltender’s best save of the night came early in the third, when he sprawled across the goal crease and got his arm on Wojtek Wolski’s attempt, but the Flyers were unable to get the equalizer in losing their fourth straight game to Colorado.
Biron was impressed with the way the team played in front of him, despite the loss.
“If we play games like that every night, you’re going to lose some, but you’re going to win a lot more than you’re going to lose,” he said.
Philadelphia had a great chance to open the scoring before Hlinka’s goal, but Mike Richards’ shorthanded breakaway was thwarted by Theodore early in the second. Colorado is one of only two NHL teams that have yet to allow a shorthanded goal this season.
Each team was without one of its established stars, as Colorado’s Joe Sakic missed his fourth straight game with a groin injury and Philadelphia’s Simon Gagne remains sidelined with a concussion.
The game marked the first time the Flyers played at the Pepsi Center in nearly a year. Their last visit came on December 27, 2003, a 3-2 overtime win for Colorado.
The Flyers return home for three straight games beginning on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
FLYERS NOTES
Colorado is 11-1-0 when leading after two periods. … The Flyers have alternated wins and losses in last nine games (4-4-1). Philadelphia has not won two straight games since November 10-12. … Lasse Kukkonen and Ben Eager did not play for Philadelphia.
Flyers fall to Avs, 2-1. 
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