Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets Pick & Prediction JANUARY 28th 2023
Robert Jones
The Winnipeg Jets will try to end a two-game skid and pick up their second win of the week against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.
The Jets defeated the Flyers 5-3 this past Sunday in Philadelphia. In that game, Karson Kuhlman scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, while David Rittich made 28 saves in the victory.
Since that meeting, the Jets have lost back-to-back games to the Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres.
In their 3-2 loss to the Sabres on Thursday, the Jets' offense fizzled. Winnipeg was held to just 21 shots. Even with a late push that helped them score both goals in the final five minutes, Jets coach Rick Bowness was frustrated with the offensive showing.
"We'll get a lot more consistent with our play when we stop being so stubborn with the puck," Bowness said. "We'll play a lot faster, and when you're playing fast it's a lot more fun and you'll be a lot more consistent. We're slowing ourselves down and making it too easy for the opposition by our puck management."
Since their loss to the Jets, the Flyers have at least banked points in back-to-back overtime losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild.
Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss in Minnesota will likely be remembered more for its fisticuffs than its finesse.
The teams fought three times in the first period and added a fourth bout in the second period. The third period didn't have any formal fights, but it featured 10 combined penalty minutes as tempers only mildly cooled.
In overtime, the Flyers lost track of Mats Zuccarello, who scored on a dandy of an individual effort.
"This was a game of two willing teams," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said. "That's a hard team, hard building to play in. Happy we get a point, but it leaves you wanting more. Same type of situation, we go down and have a great chance. We don't score. They come right down and score on us.
"We're trying, but I respect how we played. I respect how they played. It was a hard-fought game."
The Flyers are playing their last game before their bye week and the All-Star break. Despite the trio of losses, the Flyers do have points in 11 of their past 15 games and have at least pulled back into the potential playoff conversation.
Philadelphia is a frustrating 1-9 in overtime games.
"We've got to find ways to win more games," defenseman Tony DeAngelo said. "... You've got to find a way to win some of these games in overtime. We're doing a good job of staying in every game and giving ourselves a chance to win but not finishing the job enough."
Winnipeg is jostling with Dallas for first place in the Central Division and has one more game this week before the All-Star break. The Jets will have their bye after the midseason showcase in Florida.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is headed to the All-Star Game with defenseman Josh Morrissey, will likely be in net Saturday and has a 2.40 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage this season.
Carter Hart has continued to carry the load of the starts for Philadelphia and in 36 games has a .908 save percentage and a 2.97 GAA.
--Field Level Media
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets
Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele posted three-point games, Winnipeg scored four times in the second period, and the Jets trounced the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 7-3 on Sunday afternoon.
Wheeler and Scheifele each scored power-play goals and added two assists. Scheifele extended his point streak to six games (six goals, five assists).
Nikolaj Ehlers, Luca Sbisa, Logan Shaw, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor scored goals, and Neal Pionk contributed three assists for the Jets, who won their fifth straight home game and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 in Bell MTS Place.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves. His 16 wins tie him with Washington's Braden Holtby and Toronto's Frederik Andersen for the NHL lead.
The Jets were 3-for-5 on the power play -- the first time they have produced a trio of goals while playing a man up.
The Flyers' James van Riemsdyk tallied a goal and an assist, Matt Niskanen and Shayne Gostisbehere potted goals, and Kevin Hayes chipped in a pair of assists.
Brian Elliott allowed six goals on 17 shots in two periods for Philadelphia, which lost every game on its three-game Western Conference road trip.
Carter Hart made six saves on seven shots in relief in the third period.
Ehlers fired home his 14th marker, and Sbisa teed up a rocket from the left circle at 11:49 for a 2-0 edge in the opening period.
After Niskanen tallied his fourth on the power play to make it 2-1 at 4:15 of the second, Winnipeg put the game away in a span of 4:17 by scoring four times.
The Flyers' Joel Farabee hit Mathieu Perreault late, rocking the forward and sending him to the ice at 9:03 well after he had passed the puck.
Farabee was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct, and Perreault did not return after going to the dressing room.
Wheeler scored his first power-play goal 91 seconds later, and Wheeler fed Scheifele in the slot for a second man-advantage goal less than three minutes later -- Scheifele's team-best 15th tally.
Shaw and Laine potted goals 16 seconds apart for a 6-1 lead before van Riemsdyk recorded his eighth goal and second in as many nights.
Connor, who also had an assist, scored the Jets' third power-play goal, and Gostisbehere connected to finish the scoring in the third period.
--Field Level Media
- NHL
