Game 49 Preview: FLYERS VS. JETS

Exiting their bye week and the NHL All-Star break, interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (19-23-6) are home on Monday to take on Paul Maurice's Winnipeg Jets (31-15-2). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.

The game will be on NBCSNP in Philadelphia. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the inter-conference clubs, and the lone game in Philadelphia. At Bell MTS Place on Dec. 9, 2018, the Flyers were on the receiving end of a 7-1 buzzsaw.

Over the first 27 minutes of the game in Winnipeg, the storyline was an outstanding performance by Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Shots were 24-8 at one point in the Flyers' favor. As the game moved along, however, the Jets pulled away and turned the game into a blowout with three unanswered goals in the second period and then continued the onslaught in what turned into a 7-1 final.

Kyle Connor (11th), Josh Morrisey (power play, 3rd), Brandon Tanev (5th), Dustin Byfuglien (power play, 3rd), Blake Wheeler (shorthanded,5th), Bryan Little (power play, 6th) and Tyler Myers (2nd) scored for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele generated three assists.

Hellebuyck earned the win and was outstanding throughout. He stopped 33 of 34 shots, and had no chance on the only Flyers goal.

Michal Neuvirth got the start in goal for the Flyers; just his second of the season due to his first and second trips (of four to date) stints on the injured reserve list. He was not sharp at all, and was partially culpable on all three goals he allowed on 10 shots before getting pulled at 7:31 of the second period. Anthony Stolarz (21 saves on 25 shots) went the rest of the way. Jakub Voracek (8th goal of the season) scored the lone goal for the Flyers on a deflection of a Travis Sanheim shot.

The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play with a shorthanded goal yielded. The penalty kill went 3-for-6. Robert Hägg was ejected for the game on a checking from behind major and game misconduct for what appeared to be worth no more than a two-minute minor on a hit on Kyle Conner at 19:12 of the second period.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers last played on Jan. 19; a 5-2 road win over the Montreal Canadiens highlighted by spectacular goaltending from Carter Hart and two goals by Nolan Patrick. Philly closed out its pre-bye week stretch on a three-game winning streak and with a 4-1-0 record over its last five games.

However, the overall stretch between the leaguewide Christmas break and the week week was not kind to the Flyers. The team went 4-7-2 over the 13 games and exits the All-Star break an almost insurmountable 15 points (14 points plus a current 25-17 ROW tiebreaker disadvantage relative to the Pittsburgh Penguins) out of the lower wildcard spot.

Hart, who was sent to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a one-game tuneup start on Saturday to stay as sharp as possible over the latter part of the break, returned to the Flyers on Saturday. The team also recalled Mikhail Vorobyev for the first time since he was sent down to the AHL on Oct. 28. Over the last few weeks for the Phantoms, Vorobyev had been playing his best hockey since earning an NHL opening night roster spot with an excellent training camp. The keys to Vorobyev being effective are for him to be engaged, move his feet and be assertive. It's never been a question of talent. It is when he gets disconnected and stationary that he struggles.

To clear a roster spot for Vorobyev, the Flyers assigned veteran right winger Dale Weise to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday. The team currently carries 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltender (with the activation of Anthony Stolarz off IR being announced last Thursday).

Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who scored a goal and an assist for victorious Team Metro in the 2019 NHL Star Game on Saturday night, was not back from San Jose in time for Sunday's afternoon practice in Voorhees. As such, 13th forward Jori Lehterä stood in on Giroux's line at practice in order for the other lines to remain intact.

Monday's game is the start of a three-in-four gauntlet for the Flyers. Hart will get the start in goal for the Flyers against the Jets. Stolarz will be in net when the Flyers take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. The Flyers may have a short practice on Wednesday and then will travel to Boston to play the Bruins at TD Garden the next night.

Jets Outlook

The Jets were on a 6-1-0 run, including four straight wins, before sustaining a 4-2 road setback at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the final game before the Jets' bye week and NHL All-Star break. The Jets, like the Flyers, will now embark on a three-in-four. After Monday's game in Philly, the club faces the Bruins in Boston on Tuesday. On Thursday, Winnipeg is back on home ice to host the Columbus Blue Jackets.

With the Jets playing the front end of a back-to-back, and a tougher on-paper game looming on Tuesday in Boston, Winnipeg will start backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit in Philadelphia on Monday.

Although the bye week and All-Star break gave banged-up players a chance to heal, the Jets are still without a couple of regular starters. Most notably, Dustin Byfuglien remains sidelined with a lower-body injury sustained shortly after Christmas. Also unavailable are Nikolaj Ehlers (shoulder) and Ben Chiarot (lower body). The Jets recalled defenseman Sami Niku from the AHL's Manitoba Moose on Saturday.

The Jets exit the All-Star break tied in points (64) with Nashville atop the Central Division. However, Winnipeg holds first place by virtue of four games in hand (48 GP vs. 52 GP) plus a 30-29 ROW tiebreaker advantage.

Playmaking wizard Blake Wheeler, the team's leading scorer with 61 points (nine goals, 52 assists) through 48 games, represented the Jets at the NHL All-Star Game along with Mark Scheifele (25 goals, 34 assists, 59 points, +18) and head coach Maurice.

Young sniper Patrik Laine has only nine assists and is minus-nine through the All-Star break but has already racked up 25 goals including 11 on the power play. He is fourth on the team with 34 points, three behind Kyle Connor (19 goals, 19 assists).

Projected Lines (Subject to change)

FLYERS

25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek
21 Scott Laughton - 19 Nolan Patrick -17 Wayne Simmonds
44 Phil Varone - 20 Mikhail Vorobyev - 12 Michael Raffl

9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
53 Shayne Gostisbehere -47 Andrew MacDonald
8 Robert Hägg - 3 Radko Gudas

79 Carter Hart
[41 Anthony Stolarz]

Scratches: 15 Jori Lehterä (healthy), 26 Christian Folin (healthy), 56 Mike McKenna (healthy), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), 37 Brian Elliott (IR, lower body), 10 Corban Knight (IR, collarbone), 5 Sam Morin (ACL surgery).

JETS

81 Kyle Connor - 55 Mark Scheifele - 26 Blake Wheeler
29 Patrik Laine - 18 Bryan Little - 28 Jack Roslovic
85 Mathieu Perreault - 17 Adam Lowry - 13 Brandon Tanev
48 Brendan Lemieux - 9 Andrew Copp - 82 Mason Appleton ​

44 Josh Morrissey - 8 Jacob Trouba
5 Dmitry Kulikov - 57 Tyler Myers
70 Joe Morrow - 83 Sami Niku​

30 Laurent Brossoit
[37Connor Hellebuyck]

Scratches: 6 Cameron Schilling (healthy), 19 Nic Petan (healthy), 7 Ben Chiarot (lower body), 27 Nikolaj Ehlers (IR, shoulder), 33 Dustin Byfuglien (IR, lower body).

Join the Discussion: » 409 Comments » Post New Comment

» Lightning Strike Takes Down Jets

» Practice Day, Ersson, Jay Greenberg, A Personal Note

» Flyers Gameday: Game 12 vs. BOS

» Wrap: Brink Lifts Flyers over Blues, 2-1

» Game 11 Preview: Flyers vs. STL