Nazem Kadri climbed back into the top-10 of the NHL’s scoring race following his three-point effort on Friday.
Kadri opened the scoring and added two assists — all in the first period — to help the Avalanche to a 6-3 rout over the Philadelphia Flyers At Ball Arena. He also fought Joel Farabee late in the third period to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick.
“He’s been doing it all,” defenseman Kurtis MacDermid said of Kadri’s performance. “He’s a huge piece and he’s been bringing it all season.”
The Avs outshot the Flyers 18-10 in a decisive first period where they led 4-1. Kadri’s 25th tally of the season came just 7:20 into the game after firing it past goaltender Carter Hart, using the defenseman as a screen.
Flyers forward James Van Riemsdyk tied it at 13:02 before Colorado answered back with three goals in less than five minutes. Kadri assisted on Cale Makar’s power-play goal and another tally from J.T. Compher to climb to 79 points on the season.
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Makar later added another tally, his 24th, to pass Sandis Ozolinsh for the most in a single season in franchise history. Ozolinsh’s 23 goals came in 1996-97.
Makar initially had no idea that he had made Avalanche history.
“Mikko (Rantanen) told me on the bench,” Makar said. “It’s special. I sound like a broken record but those goals go back to the team.”
The Avalanche also had two trade-deadline newcomers record their first points since joining the team. Defenseman Josh Manson also tallied an assist on the Compher goal and forward Andrew Cogliano set up MacDermid’s second of the year.
MacDermid, who skated alongside Erik Johnson on the third pair, had a memorable night of his own to celebrate his 28th birthday. He finished with three hits, three shots and a plus-3 in a season-high 14:02. (season-high 14:39).
“It doesn’t happen too often so that’s pretty cool,” MacDermid said of his goal. “I’m just trying to get better every day and making sure when I’m in there, I’m doing my job and helping the team in any way I can.”
Pavel Francouz was the goalie of choice for the Avs, recording 29 saves to improve to 12-4-1 on the season. Francouz was strong early, stopping an open chance from Philadelphia’s Hayden Hodgson as well as a breakaway on Owen Tippett.
Tippett was the main piece that the Flyers acquired in the trade that sent long-time captain Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers before Monday’s deadline.
At the other end, the Avalanche peppered Hart with 51 shots. Hart faced 18 in each of the first two periods and 15 in the third. Kadri led the way with seven shots.