Game 43 Preview: Flyers @ Jets, Wrap: Flyers @ Wild
Playing the second game of a road back-to-back -- their third game in four nights and fourth match in six nights -- the Philadelphia Flyers (22-14-6) are in Manitoba on Saturday night to take on Rick Bowness's Winnipeg Jets (28-9-4) at Canada Life Centre. Game time is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Jets are scorching hot of late, winning eight straight games and posting points in 14 straight matches (12-0-2). The Flyers have won back-to-back games and have posted points in four of their last five games (3-1-1).
The Flyers enter this game coming off a
4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul on Friday evening. Joel Farabee scored two goals (13th and 14th of the season), including the overtime winner on a 4-on-3 overtime power play. Tyson Foerster (6th) and Owen Tippett (15th) also tallied for the Flyers. Carter Hart made 26 saves on 29 shots.
On Friday, the Flyers overcame deficits of 1-0 (second period) and 3-1 (third period) to storm back to force overtime. They went on to win in sudden death.
The Flyers, who went 1-for-3 on the power play against Minnesota, has scored a power play goal in four straight games: one apiece for Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost and Farabee. They'll aim to make it five games in a row on Saturday. Philly was 2-for-2 on the PK on Friday.
There is no morning skate on Saturday. John Tortorella will announce the starting goalie -- likely Samuel Ersson -- at about 4:30 p.m. ET. Although the Flyers have frequently shortened the bench of late with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, it's likely to continue against the Jets on Saturday despite a substantial "fatigue factor" disadvantage on paper. Lineups will be posted shortly prior to game time as a blog update.
Winnipeg's leading scorer, center Mark Scheifele, is questionable to doubtful for Saturday's game. He left Thursday's 2-1 win over Chicago in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. The Jets have recalled forward Rasmus Kupari from the AHL. Nikolaj Ehlers left practice early on Friday for what were called "precautionary reasons". He's questionable for Saturday but seems more likely than not to play.
Even without Scheifele or Ehlers, the Jets are a handful for any opponent. The team is in the top one-third of the league offensively (3.39 goals per game average, 9th in the NHL) and the stingiest defensive team (2.29 GAA, fewest goals allowed at 5-on-5) in the league.
For an in-depth preview, including team trends, keys to victory and situational matchups, see today's
5 Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
Potential lineups (will be updated)
FLYERS (based on Friday)
86 Joel Farabee - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 89 Cam Atkinson
71 Tyson Foerster - 21 Scott Laughton - 19 Garnet Hathaway
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 25 Ryan Poehling - xxxxxx (rotation)
6 Travis Sanheim - 9 Jamie Drysdale
8 Cam York - 26 Sean Walker
24 Nick Seeler/ 5 Egor Zamula - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
33 Sameul Ersson
79 Carter Hart
JETS
*****
Phantoms Defeat Wolf Pack on Friday, Rematch on Saturday
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-13-6) earned a 4-1 home win over the Hartford Wolf Pack (18-9-5) at the PPL Center on Friday evening.
On Friday, a pair of first-period goals by Olle Lycksell at even strength and on the power play (13th and 14th) put the Phantoms in the driver's seat. After Brandon Scanlin (5th) cut the gap to 2-1 in a fight-filled second period, the Phantoms pulled away in the third period on tallies by Jacob Gaucher (3rd) and defenseman Victor Mete (1st).
Tanner Laczynski (16th and 17th) collected two apples for Lehigh Valley, while Ronnie Attard (12th), Cooper Marody (22nd), Adam Brooks (2nd), rookie defenseman Emil Andrae (14th), and AHL All-Star Game selection Samu Tuomaala (18th) chipped in one assist apiece.
Felix Sandström produced a much-needed strong game in goal on Friday, turning back 30 of 31 shots. The Phantoms went 1-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
At 10:54 of the second period, Rhett Gardner fought Matt Rempe. At the 16:08 mark of the middle frame, Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson bumped veteran Hartford goalie Louis Domingue. Domingue responded with a slash, and it escalated into a fight with the experienced combatant as both players' teammates rushed in. Both Wilson and Domingue were ejected with game misconducts for continuing the altercation. Dylan Garand entered the game to play the rest of the match in goal for the Wolf Pack.
Lycksell's first goal was scored on a deflection of an Attard shot. The second goal was a power play one-timer from the right circle. Gaucher's third period goal against Garand was a rebound followup of a long-range shot from Brooks in the neutral zone that the goalie misplayed. Mete's added insurance goal was the result of some puck luck. Mete's shot bounced off the end boards, hit Garand off the skate and bounced into the net.
Louie Belpedio was unavailable to play on Friday's game. The Phantoms recalled Mason Millman from Reading to fill in. The Phantoms starting lineup was as follows:
28 Olle Lycksell - 9 Tanner Laczynski - 27 Samu Tuomaala
17 Garrett Wilson - 91 Elliot Desnoyers - 20 Cooper Marody
16 J.R. Avon - 22 Rhett Gardner - 19 Wade Allison
24 Adam Brooks - 56 Jacob Gaucher - 15 Jordy Bellerive
6 Emil Andrae - 12 Ronnie Attard
98 Victor Mete - 5 Ethan Samson
8 Mason Millman - 37 Adam Ginning
32 Felix Sandström
[40 Cal Petersen]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»