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NHL: Giroux scores 2 as Flyers beat Avalanche 4-3

NHL • Avalanche’s comeback from 4-0 stalls in 4-3 loss.

Philadelphia • After nearly giving up a four-goal lead, the Philadelphia Flyers were glad to hold on for the win.

Claude Giroux had two goals and an assist and the Flyers held off the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Saturday night for their third straight win.

Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers, and Jakub Voracek added three assists to his league-leading total to help Philadelphia win its fifth straight at home. Steve Mason stopped 36 shots to hang on for his third consecutive win.

Trailing 4-0 after two periods, Colorado got goals from Maxime Talbot, Alex Tanguay and Zach Redmond in the third period.

"It's good to get a win," Voracek said, "but that's not the way we want to play in the third."

Philadelphia's penalty-kill unit fended off a furious attack by Colorado, following defenseman Braydon Coburn's holding penalty at 2:49 of the third period, after which Flyers coach Craig Berube called a timeout.

Reto Berra stopped 23 of 27 shots as the Avalanche lost their sixth straight on the road.

Philadelphia reconfigured its top line earlier this week by moving Simmonds, the right-winger with a right-handed shot, to the left side for the first time in his career. Berube said he was looking for "chemistry." The result: Three goals in a span of 11 minutes, 27 seconds from the top line.

Penguins 6, Sabres 1 • Sidney Crosby had five assists, and the Pittsburgh Penguins earned their seventh straight win with a 6-1 rout of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Lightning 7, Blue Jackets 4 • Tyler Johnson scored twice and Ryan Callahan added a goal and two assists to lead Tampa Bay over Columbus. The Lightning won their fifth straight and extended the Blue Jackets' losing streak to eight games.

Maple Leafs 5, Rangers 4 • Leo Komarov snapped a tie with 5:34 left, and Toronto beat the New York Rangers

Flames 6, Panthers 4 • Lance Bouma scored the go-ahead goal to lift Calgary over Florida.

Jets 2, Senators 1, SO • Mathieu Perreault scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give Winnipeg a victory over Ottawa.

Islanders 1, Coyotes 0 • Frans Nielsen scored the lone goal with 2:31 left in the third period, Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves, and the New York Islanders held on to beat Arizona.

Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3, OT • Nicklas Backstrom scored off the rebound of Alex Ovechkin's shot at 4:46 of overtime to lift Washington over Carolina.

Colorado Avalanche' Matt Duchene (9) left, and Philadelphia Flyers' Nick Schultz (55), center, collide into the net as goalie Steve Mason (35), right, covers up the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux (28), right, maneuvers the puck followed by Colorado Avalanche's Jan Hejda (8), left, during the second period of their NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Colorado Avalanche goalie Reto Berra (20), left, looks over this shoulder at the puck that Philadelphia Flyers' Wayne Simmonds (17), right, shot in for a goal in the second period of their NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Philadelphia Flyers' Brayden Schenn (10), right, chases the loose puck around Colorado Avalanche goalie Reto Berra (20), left, during the second period of their NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)