FLYERS-JETS GAME PREVIEW (10:00 AM EST)
Looking to bounce back from a very disappointing two-game road trip to Florida, the Flyers (10-12-2) will take on the Winnipeg Jets (12-11-4) in the annual Black Friday matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. Game time is 11:30 a.m. EST. The match will be televised locally on Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia.
This is the second and final meeting between the teams this season. On Nov. 15, the Flyers concluded a three-game-in-four-night road trip with a 3-2 loss via shootout in Winnipeg. The Flyers held a 2-1 lead at the second intermission but were unable to hold the advantage in the third period. Steve Mason made 36 saves for Philly.
The Flyers are right back in action tomorrow. After the one-game return to Philadelphia, the team heads to Nashville for a Saturday night game against the Predators.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
Philadelphia looked listless in both games of their two-game road trip, dropping a 3-1 decision on Tuesday to the Florida Panthers and then getting more or less dominated in a deceptive 4-2 final score in Tampa.
In the latter game, goals in the final two minutes by Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit broke up a shutout bid for Tampa goaltender Anders Lindbäck. The Flyers yielded goals every possible way in the game, as the Bolts scored at even strength, shorthanded, on the power play and into an empty net.
The Flyers have scored at least one power play goal in eight straight games. On the downside, the club has given up at least one opposition power play goal in seven of the last nine games.
On the injury front, Matt Read is day-to-day with a lower-body injury believed to be a foot issue. He missed Thursday's game and was replaced in the lineup by Michael Raffl.
JETS OUTLOOK
The Jets have had a streaky month of November but enter this game on an upswing. The team is coming off back-to-back road wins over the New Jersey Devils (3-1) and New York Islanders (3-2).
In Wednesday's game on Long Island, the Jets roared out to a three-goal in the second period after a scoreless opening stanza. Mark Stuart, Andrew Ladd and Devin Setoguchi tallied for Claude Noel's team. The Islanders shaved off two-thirds of the deficit with a late second period power play goal and a John Tavares even strength goal with 5:59 left in the game. The Jets hung on for the win behind 28 saves from former Islander Al Montoya.
The last time the Flyers played the Jets, Dustin Byfuglien scored a pair of power play goals. Winnipeg enters this game ranked 28th on the NHL on the power play (12.2 percent) and 16th on the penalty kill (82.4 percent).
On the injury front, Zach Bogosian (groin), Jim Slater (sports hernia surgery) and Paul Postma (blood clot in his leg) are absent for the Jets.
PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS (Subject to change)
FLYERS
19 Scott Hartnell - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
10 Brayden Schenn - 40 Vincent Lecavalier - 17 Wayne Simmonds
12 Michael Raffl - 14 Sean Couturier - 9 Steve Downie
37 Jay Rosehill - 18 Adam Hall - 36 Zac Rinaldo
44 Kimmo Timonen - 5 Braydon Coburn
8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit
26 Erik Gustafsson - 22 Luke Schenn
35 Steve Mason
[29 Ray Emery]
Potential Scratches: Matt Read (day-to-day, lower body injury), Andrej Meszaros (healthy), Hal Gill (healthy), Chris Pronger (LTIR, post-concussion syndrome).
JETS
16 Andrew Ladd - 18 Bryan Little - 26 Blake Wheeler
9 Evander Kane - 12 Olli Jokinen - 40 Devin Setoguchi
15 Matt Halischuk - 55 Mark Scheifele - 67 Michael Frolik
27 Eric Tangradi - 17 James Wright - 22 Chris Thorburn
39 Tobias Enström - 33 Dustin Byfuglien
8 Jacob Trouba - 24 Grant Clitsome
7 Keaton Ellerby - 5 Mark Stuart
31 Ondrej Pavelec
[35 Al Montoya]
Potential scratches: Adam Pardy (healthy), Anthony Peluso (healthy), Zach Bogosian (IR, groin), Jim Slater (IR, sports hernia surgery), Paul Postma (IR, blood clot in leg).
************
Kindle users: Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information
click here.
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»