PHILADELPHIA _ A night after committing a bad turnover that led to an overtime loss in Pittsburgh, Sean Couturier had three assists, Joel Farabee a pair of goals, and Alex Lyon won his first game in nearly two years as the Flyers beat the Avalanche, 6-3.
Kevin Hayes also added a pair of goals, including a short-handed tally with fewer than four minutes left.
It was just the second time in 15 games the Flyers had scored five goals, but this would have been different if not for Lyon, who is in the lineup because of Carter Hart's injury.
Lyon was asked to come up big just 34 seconds in when he turned away a wide-open Matt Calvert from inside the right faceoff circle. Prior to the game, Alain Vigneault was asked whether Lyon _ a 27-year-old Yale graduate starting his 10th NHL game _ was ready for the moment.
"He's a young guy trying to prove that he can play in this league," the coach said. "He's motivated, and it's up to him now to go out there and get the job done."
Lyon made two appearances for the AHL Phantoms while the Flyers were enjoying their extended break following the All-Star weekend, the most recent on Tuesday.
In the second period, Lyon stopped Nathan MacKinnon on a partial breakaway with a staunch right pad as MacKinnon tried to stuff the puck home. MacKinnon, fourth in the league entering Saturday with 30 goals, then rang the post 15 seconds later. Sometimes it's OK to be lucky.
Lyon made 28 saves in all, including a stop on J.T. Compher on a full breakaway following Colorado's third goal in the third period when the game was just 4-3. He didn't make every save, but he made enough to keep the Flyers in it.
The win moved the Flyers into the eighth and final playoff spot in a chase that figures to change nightly.
