Owen Tippett notches a hat trick, Sam Ersson stonewalls the Avalanche in 7-3 win

DENVER ― Standing in the hallway outside the Flyers locker room on Wednesday in Utah, coach Rick Tocchet said his team needed to learn “how to play winning hockey.”

Two nights later, they handed the NHL’s No. 1 team its second regulation loss at home this season. The Flyers wrapped up a three-game road trip with an impressive 7-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche, leaving the new “Death Valley” through Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Denver, with five out of six possible points.

It wasn’t easy, especially in the first period against Colorado’s high-octane offense, but Sam Ersson put on a show.

The Flyers’ goalie committed robbery several times as he faced 17 shots, including a torrent of high-danger chances by the Avalanche in the opening frame. Across the full 60 minutes, he would stop 32 of 35 shots on the way to his eighth win of the season.

» READ MORE: Why has Matvei Michkov been playing his less-favored left wing? Here’s what Rick Tocchet had to say

Just 45 seconds into the game, the Flyers were shorthanded after Travis Konecny took a hooking call. Although the Avalanche entered the night ranked 26th on the power play, they still have guys like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar who can score at will.

But Ersson stood up to the task. He stopped Martin Nečas with his glove and then stoned not just a Victor Olofsson snapshot from the bumper but Nečas on the rebound at the right post.

At even strength, after Konecny couldn’t control the puck and lost it in the Flyers’ end, Ersson had to make a save on a tipped shot by Gavin Brindley. But then he made a beauty of a glove save as the rebound went back to Brindley in the slot for the quick shot. With 3:33 left in the period, he made another impressive save, snaring a quick shot by Brock Nelson after the puck popped out to him in the slot.

Owen Tippett got the Flyers on the board first with a snipe from the right circle. The forward got the puck and skated through the neutral zone, going one-on-one with Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski.

The speedster pushed Malinksi back and then put on the brakes. After the blueliner blocked the initial shot, Tippett picked up the loose puck and beat goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stick side.

Philly took a 2-0 lead with 63 seconds to go in the opening frame on a power-play goal by Denver Barkey. The second power-play unit of Cam York, Matvei Michkov, Tippett, Noah Cates, and Barkey had a great shift by maintaining pressure and composure.

Tippett sent the puck down to Matvei Michkov at the goal line by the right post. The Russian winger then fed it up to Barkey, who was waiting patiently in the right circle, and sent off a quick shot. The youngster, who scored his second career goal, also had the primary assist on Tippett’s goal.

» READ MORE: The Flyers will be irrelevant as long as they lack a No. 1 center. A trade for Robert Thomas could change that.

Colorado is the NHL’s best for a reason, and they tied things up in the second period on goals by Parker Kelly and Olofsson. Christian Dvorak turned the puck over to Kelly in the Flyers’ end before Kelly finished the play by scooping up a rebound. Olofsson scored his goal after he got the puck and skated down into the left circle, beating Ersson glove-side.

But the Flyers did not break, and 32 seconds after Olofsson tied it 2-2, Bobby Brink gave the Flyers another lead.

Skating in on a two-on-one, Brink fed Cates, who didn’t get good wood on the puck. But he tracked it down, and he and Brink played catch before Brink used his feet to keep the puck loose. Brink, who returned to the lineup on Monday after missing six games with a concussion, got it back atop the crease and roofed it for his 13th goal of the season. He set a new career high.

Two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar tied it back up 1:11 after Brink scored, but the Flyers came out for the third period on fire. They clearly learned from their mistakes in Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth and did not sit back.

Tippett scored his second of the game 56 seconds into the final frame to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead. Sean Couturier intercepted the puck near the Flyers’ blue line and started the rush up the ice. Tippett got the puck and kept it as Barkey went to the net. The power forward skated into the left circle and beat Blackwood glove side.

Sixty-four seconds later, Michkov notched his 11th goal of the season as he tipped in a point shot by Emil Andrae to make it 5-3. As the Flyers worked the puck around the boards, Michkov skated to the bottom of the left circle and planted himself perfectly for the deflection.

But the Flyers weren’t done finding the back of the net — led by Tippett, who would snag the second hat trick of his NHL career. Killing a penalty by Barkey, Tippett picked off a pass attempt by Makar inside the Flyers’ blue line and took off. He skated down the ice and put the puck five-hole for his 18th goal of the season.

And then the 21-year-old Michkov, who was skating well all night and had his legs, would add an empty-netter to seal the win. Konecny picked off a pass attempt — akin to his two goals against Vegas on Monday — before pulling the veteran move and passing the puck to Michkov for his second two-goal game of the season.

Forwards Nikita Grebenkin and Nic Deslauriers, and defenseman Hunter McDonald were the healthy scratches. ... The Flyers have a three-game point streak. ... Jamie Drysdale, Cates, and Michkov were all plus-3 on the night. ... Tippett tied his career high with four points. ... Garnet Hathaway got his first assist of the season on Michkov’s first goal, giving him two points in 44 games this season. ... Konecny extended his point streak to four games (three goals, three assists).

The Flyers head home for a meeting with the New York Islanders on Monday (7 p.m., NBCSP).