sign in sign up
<<
Home , Brian Bellows, Dave Hakstol, Extra attacker, Nolan Patrick, Travis Sanheim

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/flyers-end-jets-four-game-winning-streak- 476460643.html

Laine can't lift Jets over Flyers 40th isn't enough as video review gives Philadelphia the edge in matinee

By: Mike McIntyre

PHILADELPHIA — Patrik Laine’s milestone goal wasn’t enough to keep the good times rolling for the injury-riddled Jets, who couldn’t match the level of a desperate Philadelphia team Saturday.

Looking to make it five straight victories, the Jets instead dropped a 2-1 decision to the Flyers in a matinee at Wells Fargo Center.

Laine scored the only goal of the game for Winnipeg, and the third-period tally was certainly a big one. His 40th of the year ties him with Alexander Ovechkin for most in the NHL this season. It also gives him 76 for his career, putting him in a tie for third all-time with and Brian Bellows for most NHL goals by a teenager. Only Jimmy Carson (92) and Dale Hawerchuk (85) are ahead of him.

"It was a tough game. It was a tight one. We had a lot of good scoring chances, but I think Mrazek was really good," said Laine, who wasn’t in a celebratory post-game mood despite now having 15 goals and six assists in his past 11 games.

"I’m not happy because we lost. But maybe tomorrow I’ll be happier. I got to be proud of myself. (40 goals) is a great number. But now it doesn’t feel good," he said.

Petr Mrazek made 27 saves while Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald scored in the second period for Philadelphia, which snapped a five-game winless streak as they fight to stay in the tight playoff race. Winnipeg falls to 41-18-9, including 3-1-0 on this season-long six-game road trip.

The Jets had to scramble once again due to injury, this time to Toby Enstrom. Tucker Poolman was recalled on an emergency basis from the Moose and had to rush from Chicago to Philadelphia in time to dress. Enstrom has a nagging lower-body issue that flared up again and is considered day-to-day. Winnipeg was also without Dmitry Kulikov, who was hurt Thursday night in New Jersey. Joe Morrow replaced him, and skated in a pairing with Poolman. Other regulars out of the lineup with injuries included Jacob Trouba, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry and Steve Mason.

Head coach also got the blender out as the game progressed, trying to find a spark, including some badly needed secondary scoring. It didn’t work.

"To get that game tied we needed somebody to find the back of the net. We’ve got a few guys that it’s been a while. We were just OK for the most part. We had a few guys fighting the puck," Maurice said following the game.

Mathieu Perreault began the day on a unit with Matt Hendricks and Jack Roslovic, but was later moved up with Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. Andrew Copp started off with Joel Armia and Brandon Tanev, but was joined later in the game by Roslovic and fellow rookie Kyle Connor. Hendricks took Copp’s place on that line. The only line that stayed intact was the red-hot trio of Paul Stastny with Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Laine was sent flying late in the second period off a big hit from Travis Konecny, and defensive specialist clung to him like glue at times in the game. It’s perhaps a sign of what’s ahead for the Jets as opponents try to step up and limit Laine’s chances.

One encouraging sign for Winnipeg on Saturday was their continued prowess killing penalties. The Jets were two-for-two, and have now killed off 22 straight minor penalties on the road dating back to late January.

Giroux opened the scoring 5:40 into the second period on a delayed call to Winnipeg. With the Jets scrambling in their own end, Giroux patiently waited out Hellebuyck and beat him with a low, hard shot.

Hellebuyck looked to have made a miraculous save just over two minutes later, getting a glove on MacDonald’s wrister. Play continued, but the horn sounded seconds later in the arena indicating the NHL wanted to have an immediate look. Replays confirmed the puck had just crossed the line before Hellebuyck snagged it.

"I thought it was a save. (The NHL office in) Toronto hasn’t really been helping me out too much this year," said Hellebuyck, who made 33 saves in the game. "I thought I had it, I felt it in my glove. That’s the only way I could possibly get it. It was maybe a fraction of an inch. It’s a little unlucky. It’s just the goalie anatomy that the hand’s going to come back when you’re trying to hold on to a puck. It stinks, but I’ve got to live with it."

Maurice said he knew it was a goal before the buzzer even went off to halt play. He joked after that he can’t figure out offside — referring to a recent challenge against Nashville he lost — but he has no trouble figuring out whether the puck crossed the line.

Nolan Patrick drew one of the assists on MacDonald’s game-winner, giving him 10 points in his past 12 games. The 19-year-old Winnipegger, drafted second-overall last summer, is coming on strong after a slow start to his rookie season.

Laine cut the lead in half midway through the third period when he ripped a power-play goal off a beautiful cross-ice pass from Wheeler. Stastny drew the other assist.

"I think it was just pretty usual on the power play. (Wheeler) saw me again, gave me just a hard flat pass through their guys. I just tried to shoot and it went in," Laine said.

That’s as close as the Jets would get on this day. Winnipeg’s power play failed to click on three earlier chances, looking disorganized at crucial times when they could have used a goal.

"I think they were just pressuring us pretty hard. We were just fumbling every puck," Laine said. "We were just not quick enough." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/poolman-on-wild-ride-between-moose-and-jets- 476473853.html

Poolman on wild ride between Moose and Jets

By: Mike McIntyre

PHILADELPHIA — Tucker Poolman’s yo-yo season continues, as the rookie defenceman was pressed into emergency duty on Saturday afternoon when the injury bug bit the Winnipeg Jets once again.

Poolman was with the Manitoba Moose in Chicago when he got the call Friday night that Toby Enstrom might not be able to answer the bell for their matinee against the .

"For me, this year, I guess you gotta stay sharp and stay ready because you never know when you’re going to have to take a plane ride somewhere and be good the next day,” said Poolman.

He hopped on a plane and arrived in the City of Brotherly Love around midnight, then was in the lineup a little more than 12 hours later.

"I wasn’t sure of anything until I got here and talked to the coaches. I found out maybe an hour or two before that I was going in," said Poolman, who dressed in his 16th NHL game, but his first since Feb. 1.

He was paired with Joe Morrow, who was playing in his fifth game with the Jets in place of an injured Dmitry Kulikov.

"It wasn’t your average game day, but that’s something I have to be ready for," he said.

Poolman showed a bit of rust Saturday, especially on one play where he tried a blind pass to a teammate, only to have it picked up by Philadelphia forward Matt Read, who went in on a breakaway, but was stopped by Connor Hellebuyck.

"I just wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be in the second and third (period). I liked my start," Poolman said of his game.

Poolman has played 17 games with the Moose this year, giving him just 33 games total all year. That’s because he’s spent a good chunk of the season as a healthy scratch with the Jets.

He’s actually played less this year than he did in college while competing at the University of North Dakota.

"I guess pro hockey’s just that way in general. For me, this year, I guess you gotta stay sharp and stay ready because you never know when you’re going to have to take a plane ride somewhere and be good the next day," Poolman said.

He has put up one goal and nine assists while playing big minutes with the Moose, and just one goal with no helpers while playing a much lesser role with the Jets.

He praised Moose Pascal Vincent and his staff for working closely with him on his game.

"You get your feel back a little bit," Poolman said of his recent time.

With Enstrom battling an ongoing nagging injury, and Kulikov’s short-term status up in the air, it’s a good bet Poolman may be sticking around for a bit in his latest stint with the Jets.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/laine-stays-hot-sniper-scores-40th-as- jets-see-four-game-winning-streak-snapped

Laine stays hot: Sniper scores 40th as Jets see four-game winning streak snapped

By Ken Wiebe

PHILADELPHIA – The Patrik Laine Show remains must-see TV, but the well is running a little dry for several of the other top guns on the Winnipeg Jets.

Although Laine was able to extend his point streak to 11 games by scoring his 40th of the season, it was all the offence the Jets could produce in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

While the Jets had a four-game winning streak snapped, the Flyers halted their own five-game losing skid.

“I’m not happy because we got the loss. Maybe (Sunday) I’ll be happier,” said Laine, who is up to 63 points in 68 games. “I can be proud of myself. That’s a great number. But right now, it doesn’t feel good.”

The Jets, who slipped to 41-18-9 on the season, continue a six-game road trip on Monday against the .

Laine’s recent run has basically been absurd, 15 goals and 21 points in those 11 games.

Prior to the streak, Laine was sitting at 25 goals and looking like he was going to finish somewhere in the 40-45 range.

But thanks to the outburst, Laine moved into a tie for the Rocket Richard Trophy with Caps sniper Alex Ovechkin and now, 50 goals doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.

Through five games on this road trip, the Jets have scored 14 goals and Laine is responsible for nine of them, with linemates Nikolaj Ehlers and Paul Stastny adding one each.

That leaves three others came from Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot and winger Joel Armia.

The Jets are obviously missing some key pieces, but a balanced attack has been a key to their strong season and right now the Stastny line needs some additional support.

“To get that game, we need somebody to find the back of the net. We’ve got a few guys that it’s been a while (since they scored),” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “For the most part, the guys ended up playing as hard as they could. We had a few guys fight the puck a little bit and so did they. It was a tight game.”

Maurice quickly dismissed a query about Laine’s hot streak might be leading some players to believe he was simply going to take care of the scoring.

“I understand the question, don’t get me wrong. But the NHL doesn’t work like that,” said Maurice. “Nobody has ever said I feel better now, I don’t have to score because (Laine) will. We’ve got some different combinations and a different kind of hockey being played at this time of year. It’s a little harder to score and a little harder to get to those areas.

“We’ve got some other guys with 20-plus goals, other guys with 15 and we haven’t scored a lot. There’s a point in the game where you don’t need to (score). We’ve had the lead in four previous games. We’ve scored enough.”

The game-winning goal required video review, as it was ruled a save on the ice.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made a strong push across and snared a rebound attempt from Andrew MacDonald out of the air.

After watching the video replay as the play continued on, eventually the NHL situation room ruled the puck had completely crossed the line, putting the Flyers up 2-0 at 8:01 of the second period.

“I thought I had it. I was all over it. My goalie movement was very nice and what I would do over and over again. When the buzzer went, it stinks, but I just thought they wanted a closer look,” said Hellebuyck, who finished with 33 saves. “I thought it was a save. Toronto really hasn’t been helping me out too much this year. I don’t know. I thought I had it. I felt it in my glove. I just took a look at it (on video) and it’s in by maybe a fraction of an inch.

“That’s a little unlucky. With the goalie anatomy, the glove is going to come back when you’re trying to hold onto the puck. It stinks, but we’ve got to live with it.”

Maurice said he didn’t need a signal from the off-ice officials to realize the Flyers had extended the lead.

“I knew it was a goal before the buzzer went off,” said Maurice. “Offside, I can’t (expletive) get. Those I get.”

There had been plenty of examples of frustration shown by the Jets throughout the course of the game.

After taking the first two minor penalties of the contest, the Jets had three rather futile power plays before finally cashing in on the fourth to make it a one-goal game.

“Both teams power plays were grotesque, until we scored,” said Maurice. “Hang on, let’s be positive. Both of these penalty kills were outstanding, until we scored.”

Flyers goalie Petr Mrazek made 27 saves in the contest, picking up his fourth win since being acquired from the after Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth went down with injuries.

Claude Giroux had the other goal for the Flyers and it came with an extra attacker as Jets defenceman Tyler Myers was going to be given a slashing minor on the play.

Winnipegger Nolan Patrick chipped in an assist for the Flyers as he continued his strong stretch of hockey.

Patrick has five goals and 10 points during the past 12 games.

Following a slow start, the second overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is up to 10 goals and 23 points in 60 games.

As for the Jets, they are long past the days of moral victories – though it can’t be overlooked that on a day when they didn’t have their best effort, this still came down to a one-shot game.

Only this time, there was no furious comeback with the out.

“We’ve been in this situation a lot. We’ve proven ourselves here,” said Hellebuyck. “We all believed, right until the end. It’s just one of those (games) we didn’t get it. If I was a betting man, I’d say the majority of the time we do get that equalizer. We played pretty hard.

“I liked my game and I liked our team game. We were doing a lot of good things. We’ve got to put this one behind us and continue winning. We’re not in the playoffs yet and we need to keep building toward it.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/poolman-draws-in-jets-defenceman-on- emergency-recall-as-enstrom-sits

Poolman draws in Jets defenceman on emergency recall as Enstrom sits

By Ken Wiebe

PHILADELPHIA – Tucker Poolman will take what he can get.

Poolman, the mobile rookie defenceman, was recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis and replaced Toby Enstrom on Saturday as the Jets fell 2-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Poolman got the call with the Moose in Chicago on Friday afternoon and arrived in Philadelphia just before midnight.

It was a bit of a mixed bag on Saturday, as Poolman took 14 shifts for 9:01 of ice time, finishing with a shot on goal, a giveaway and several smart rushes.

“It wasn’t your average game day, but it’s something you have to be ready for and find a way to be good and do your job out there,” said Poolman, who appeared in his 16th NHL game of the season, but first since Feb. 1. “Early on, I liked (my game) more than the last parts. I wasn’t as sharp as I want to be in the second and third (periods). Just little passes here and there that I didn’t make on the tape. I’ll just try to be a steady guy out there.”

“For me, going down (to the minors) was great. The coaches were great with me, it’s a good locker room down there. You get some ice time and get your feel back a little bit. There’s nothing like playing in hockey games.”

After hearing a Jets teammate call for the puck, Poolman made a blind pass in the neutral zone that was picked up by Flyers forward Matt Read.

Although Read got a partial breakaway, Poolman recovered and forced him to take a weak shot that Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck handled easily.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice felt Poolman handled the promotion fine.

“He was all right,” said Maurice. “He had some pucks get away from him and there were some execution things, but there was also a lot of good there for a rookie defenceman who hasn’t played here for a little bit.”

Fellow defenceman Joe Morrow was already in the lineup for Dmitry Kulikov, who is officially listed as day-to-day after suffering an upper-body injury in the second period of Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Morrow appeared in his fifth game with the Jets and had 10:01 of ice time while being used on a pairing with Poolman.

Maurice said Enstrom hasn’t suffered a setback, but has been playing through pain for a good chunk of the season.

“He’s been running the same thing for about three months,” said Maurice. “If it’s sore, he’ll play on it, but there’s a point where I don’t want this thing to keep grinding on him. We were off the ice with him (Friday) and we were hoping there would be a 24-hour improvement and there wasn’t. So he was status quo from the day before.”

Speaking of injuries, Jets forward Jack Roslovic finished the game, but he blocked a shot with his left leg during the third period and was limping noticeably as he left the arena on Saturday.

Since the Jets have cancelled their Sunday practice, there won’t be an update on Roslovic’s status until the morning skate on Monday.

Associated Press http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/chiarot-finds-comfort-zone-jets- defenceman-on-five-game-point-streak

Flyers overcome Laine's 40th goal for narrow win Jets' forward moves into tie with Ovechkin for league lead

By The Associated Press

While the Philadelphia Flyers couldn't prevent Patrik Laine from scoring his 40th goal, they were able to stop everyone else and end their slide.

Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald scored in the second period and the Flyers overcame Laine's milestone in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday that snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Philadelphia Flyers took down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 at home on Saturday afternoon, snapping a five-game losing skid and moving them into a tie with the Washington Capitals for second place in the . 1:43 "We needed the two points. Looking at the standings, we needed it," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "It was a good for us to get headed in the right direction."

Laine moved into a tie with Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the most goals in the league when he scored on a one-timer on the power play at 8:58 of the third period. The 19-year-old Finn has 15 goals and six assists during an 11-game point streak.

"Hitting the 40 mark, but skating now. He looks so much better than he did a month ago," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. "A special young man, 19 years old and still growing into his body. A really competitive guy, wants to score. He's going to be a good Winnipeg Jet for a long time."

Winning streak ends Trouble is, he got no help, despite Maurice mixing up his lines. Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots for the Flyers, bouncing back from a stretch of 18 goals allowed in four games.

"I felt pretty good from the beginning," Mrazek said.

Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the Jets, who saw their four-game winning streak end.

Mrazek robbed Laine with his glove in the first period, then the Flyers took control in the second period, with their second goal coming in odd fashion.

After the officials ruled Hellebuyck had kept the puck out of the goal when he swiped out MacDonald's backhand with his glove at 8:01, play continued for 41 seconds until the NHL replay unit in Toronto alerted the scoreboard operator to blow the horn.

Play was stopped with the puck loose near centre ice. The replay showed it crossed the line just inside the right post before Hellebuyck threw it out.

"Toronto really hasn't been helping me out too much this year," Hellebuyck said.

MacDonald picked up his fifth goal, Jakub Voracek earned his NHL-high 58th assist and rookie Nolan Patrick also earned a point against his hometown team.

Earlier, Giroux found a way to stop the Flyers' woes on the power play by scoring on a delayed penalty.

The Flyers drew boos on their first man advantage and were outshot 2-1 on their second to fall into a 2-for-26 slump. But Giroux then scored his 24th from the left dot after Mrazek had skated off for an extra attacker at 5:40 of the second period.

Emergency recalls The up-and-down Flyers were playing the fifth game of a difficult six-game stretch against teams with a combined record of 245-118-37 entering Saturday. Their 0-4-1 skid had followed a six- game winning streak that moved them atop the Metropolitan Division.

The Flyers entered the day third in their division and the Jets were second in the Central Division.

Both teams had to make emergency recalls from the minors before the game.

The Jets played their second straight game without 51-point scorer Mark Scheifele (upper body). Defencemen Dmitry Kulikov and Toby Enstrom were also out after being injured in Thursday's 3-2 win at New Jersey.

Defenceman Tucker Poolman was called up.

The Flyers announced that defencemen Robert Hagg will miss two weeks and Johnny Oduya was out and day to day with upper body injuries, forcing defenceman Travis Sanheim's recall.

The Jets did little until Laine struck again. His 76th career goal moved him past and into a tie for third with Brian Bellows for the most goals by a teenager in NHL history. He trails Jimmy Carson (92) and Dale Hawerchuk (85).

Next up for Laine: a matchup with Ovechkin on Monday night.

"Maybe tomorrow I will be happier and proud of myself. It's a great number," Laine said. "But now it doesn't feel good."

Philly.com https://theathletic.com//267544/2018/03/09/the-winnipeg-jets-have-earned-the-opportunity-to- rest-and-think-long-term/?redirected=1

Flyers end five-game skid as Petr Mrazek keys win over Jets by Sam Carchidi,

The Flyers put an end to a growing crisis Saturday afternoon.

Barely.

Getting strong goaltending from Petr Mrazek, they snapped a five-game losing streak and defeated Winnipeg, 2-1, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald scored for the Flyers as they halted the Jets’ four-game winning streak.

“We had a tough stretch and couldn’t find ways to win,” Giroux said. “It was a good test for us. Winnipeg is a pretty good team, and we played a responsible game tonight.”

The Flyers were coming off a crushing 3-2 loss Thursday in Boston, which scored with 22 seconds left.

“We moved on, and hopefully a game like this will get us going,” Giroux said.

Mrazek (27 saves) has been either very good or very bad in the eight games he has played since being acquired from Detroit.

“He was awesome. He did a great job of tracking the puck,” MacDonald said. “They have a lot of weapons over there. It’s a big team, and he fought through a lot of traffic.”

The Flyers’ defense kept most of the Jets’ shots to the perimeter.

“We played a pretty tight game tonight and I think we should keep building off this,” said right winger Travis Konecny, who was benched and received strong words from coach Dave Hakstol after a third-period tripping penalty led to the Jets’ lone goal.

Winnipeg made the Flyers pay for the penalty as Patrik Laine scored on a one-timer from the left circle, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 11 minutes, 2 seconds left in regulation. It was Laine’s 40th goal and league-high 18th on the power play.

Mrazek made a key stop on Tyler Myers’ right-circle blast with 4:27 to go, and he denied Paul Stastny in front as the Jets were swarming the net with 54 seconds remaining.

The Flyers, playing their sixth game in the last 10 days, took a 1-0 lead on Giroux’s ninth goal in his last 15 games.

The Flyers had an extra skater because of a delayed slashing penalty on Myers, and Giroux (24 goals) was given an inordinate amount of time to creep closer to the net from the left circle. With Wayne Simmonds setting a screen, a he fired a shot past Connor Hellebuyck with 14:20 left in the first.

A little over two minutes later, MacDonald scored a bizarre goal that wasn’t awarded until it was reviewed a couple of minutes later in Toronto.

Crashing the net, MacDonald tried to lift a rebound over Hellebuyck, but the goalie reached back and swatted it out of the net with his glove. Referee Garrett Rank immediately signaled that the puck did not cross the goal line.

“I got a fortunate bounce off the boards and I was able to just get enough wood on it,” MacDonald said.

A few minutes after Rank waved off the goal, the horn stopped play and the shot was reviewed and it was ruled the puck had crossed the goal line to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.

Mrazek, meanwhile, resembled the goalie who allowed a total of four goals in his first three games with the Flyers — and not the one who surrendered 18 goals over his next four games.

“I felt pretty good from the beginning,” Mrazek said. “…We played very well defensively, and it’s a big win for us.”

Mrzaek, who appeared sharper after getting a game off on Thursday, made a great glove save to deny Laine from the high slot in the first period, and he turned aside Joel Armia on a shorthanded three-on-one and Josh Morrissey on the rebound with about 18 minutes left in the second. Later in the second, he made a quality stop on Ben Chiarot’s drive with Blake Wheeler in the goalie’s face.

Two nights earlier, the Flyers failed to take advantage of several injuries to key Bruins, but they capitalized on the Jets missing three injured defensemen and star center Mark Scheifele.

“Thirteen games left. Every game matters. Every point matters,” said Mrazek, whose team is now one point behind second-place Pittsburgh and two points behind first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division.

Breakaways Matt Read played well in his second straight game, and the struggling Jordan Weal was again a healthy scratch. … led the Flyers in shots (five) and blocked shots (five)….Giroux needs four points to pass Eric Lindros for fifth on the Flyers’ all-time list. … The Flyers will host Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and amazing Vegas on Monday

NBC Philadelphia https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/csn/flyers/Flyers_say_goodbye_to_skid__hellip__ and_maybe_hello_to_streak-476478163.html

Flyers Say Goodbye to Skid & Maybe Hello to Streak

By Jordan Hall | NBC Sports Philadelphia

Flyers say goodbye to skid … and maybe hello to streak

Who knows where the Flyers would be without their streaky nature.

This season (and years past, too), when the Flyers have lost a game, it has tended to spill into the next.

Fortunately for them, victories have come in bunches, too.

So when the Flyers countered a deflating fifth straight defeat by beating one of the NHL's top- five teams, it wasn't crazy to think this could be the start of another run.

With wounds still fresh from a crushing last-minute defeat to the Bruins, the Flyers impressively turned the page Saturday by picking up a 2-1 win over the Jets at the Wells Fargo Center (see observations).

"I think after Boston, we got together, we talked about it and we can't let it faze us," Claude Giroux said. "We moved on and hopefully a game like this can get us going."

Would anyone be surprised if it does?

The Flyers have suffered losing streaks of 10 games, five games (their most recent) and four games this season. They've also won six straight twice and own three four-game winning spurts, as well.

"When you get the result, it is a lot easier to carry that energy and that positive energy as you go forward," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said. "It doesn't mean there aren't things out of this game that we have to clean up because there are. So we will do that. We will address that. We needed the two points. Just looking at the standings, we needed it. It was a good win for us to get headed in the right direction - not just having good efforts."

No, the Flyers didn't play a perfect game against Winnipeg, but there were plenty of positives, especially off a 0-4-1 stretch to open March.

For one, Giroux's production only continued with his 24th goal of the season and 81st point, tied for third most in the NHL. Once Giroux handed the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period, Andrew MacDonald tacked on another goal less than three minutes later to make it 2-0.

That was enough for Petr Mrazek, who got himself right along with the Flyers. The goalie was 0- 3-1 with a 4.42 goals-against average in his last four games. He looked nothing like that form by making big stops against the likes of Patrik Laine, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers (see highlights).

"You cannot focus just for one guy," Mrazek said. "When you look at their lineup, you see a lot of big names there, they can shoot and score.

"You have to be lucky in a couple of situations, but obviously you have to be big in net."

Most importantly, though, the Flyers held the NHL's second-ranked power play in check as the Jets' man advantage went 1 for 4. Laine scored his 40th goal of the season, but not until the 8:58 mark of the third period as the Flyers nailed down a timely win with 13 games left on the regular-season schedule (see standings).

"They've got one of the most lethal guys obviously in the league," Hakstol said. "I thought overall, collectively throughout the game, the PK was outstanding."

Which is one aspect that could make for another streak.

With these Flyers, you just have to wait and see.

The Athletic Philadelphia https://theathletic.com/268649/2018/03/11/flyers-2-jets-1-10-things-we-learned-from-a-losing- streak-ended/

Flyers 2, Jets 1: 10 things we learned from a losing streak ended

By Charlie O'Connor

The Philadelphia Flyers put together a solid effort against the on Thursday night, but a last-minute goal prevented the team from earning a much-needed standings point and possibly halting the losing streak that reached five games due to the defeat. Against the Winnipeg Jets, however, the Flyers made sure that the results matched the process this time around.

Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald both scored for Philadelphia in a dominant second period, and while a Patrik Laine power play goal in the third made things a bit dicey, a strong game from Petr Mrazek ensured that the Jets would get no closer, as the Flyers (35-23-11) ended their losing streak, winning by a 2-1 score. Nolan Patrick picked up his eighth points in his last 10 contests, and Mrazek made 27 saves on 28 shots to earn the win. Connor Hellebuyck took the loss in goal for Winnipeg, which had a four-game win streak of its own snapped by the Flyers.

Note: This article will reference advanced hockey stats. If you're looking to better understand any of the referenced metrics, please read this primer which explains the concepts behind them.

1: Flyers' recent play was building up to stellar second period

The Flyers may have been swept in their mid-week back-to-back versus Pittsburgh and Boston, but there absolutely were positives that could be taken from those losses. Against the Penguins, Philadelphia was clearly the superior team for the first 30 minutes before losing their footing in the back half of the second period and failing to regain it in the third. In Boston, the Flyers delivered a strong 40-minute effort, but ran out of gas in the third. The team was trending upward. Still, the nature of Thursday's defeat had the Flyers at something of a crossroads: they could build off that solid underlying performance, or let the disappointment of the end result bleed into their game just two days later. Back at home for a matchup with the Jets, the Flyers laudably went with the former trail.

The two teams basically played to a draw in the first period, with the Flyers matching Winnipeg in terms of shot volume but the Jets generating more quality chances. But even though Philadelphia didn't dominate the period, it was clear that they were having no trouble keeping up with a very good Winnipeg club that has quietly turned itself into a contender. The Flyers' efforts were rewarded in the middle stanza, which felt like a culmination of all the good things that the team had done over the previous seven periods, with none of the bad. They scored two goals, carried play at 5-on-5 (55.17% Corsi), and allowed the Jets just one high- danger chance over the twenty-minute period. They were the better team in every facet of the game.

Giroux noted after the game that the club had met as a group following the defeat in Boston with the goal of using the performance as a springboard rather than drowning in disappointment, and it showed on the ice.

“After Boston we got together, we talked about it, and we can’t let it faze us,” the said. “We knew we played a good game in Boston, we put ourselves in a great position at the end to get at least one point and they got that lucky goal. We moved on and hopefully a game like this can get us going.”

Winnipeg may not have been at full strength (Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba and Tobias Enstrom all missed the game due to injury) but this was still a very good team on a four-game winning streak that the Flyers largely took apart in a true 60-minute effort.

2: Konecny's third-period penalty gets him benched, a talking-to from Hakstol

The first 48 minutes of Saturday's game were fairly uneventful for Travis Konecny. He had one shot on goal, picked up a cheap hooking call on Laine in the second period, and had a few solid shifts but nothing overly dangerous. It was looking like the kind of ho-hum day that happens periodically to every player during an 82-game schedule, even the great ones.

About a half hour later, Dave Hakstol was in the locker room having a not-so-private conversation with Konecny in front of all the assembled media, turning this day from run-of-the- mill to notable for the 21-year-old forward.

Though the talk between coach and player was not overheard, it wasn't difficult to guess the likely content of the conversation. At the 8:26 mark of the third, with the Flyers holding a 2-0 lead, Konecny took a blatant tripping penalty in the neutral zone, dumping Nikolaj Ehlers to the ice and handing a power play opportunity to a Winnipeg team that the Flyers had stifled to that point in the period. Laine's goal on the ensuing man advantage amped up the tension, and even though Philadelphia was able to hold on, Konecny did not see the ice for another shift after he left the penalty box, clear remedial discipline on the part of Hakstol in response to the needless penalty.

Konecny predictably declined to comment on the nature of their conversation, and Hakstol downplayed it, stating, “There are a lot of those conversations that go on with individual players.” But let's not kid ourselves — Hakstol almost certainly intended to have the media see his conversation with Konecny, elevating its importance beyond all of the little one-on-ones that surely happen after games. The Flyers' PR staff waits for a go-ahead from the team before opening the doors of the locker room to the media, and to my best recollection, Hakstol has never before still been in the room when the media flooded in. Hakstol wanted the press (and by extension, the fans) to know that Konecny was getting a talking-to.

Was the on- and off-ice discipline warranted? It surely was a stupid penalty. The thing with situations like this is that it's tough to know the conversations that preceded the event; for example, if Hakstol has been leaning on Konecny to clean up certain elements of his game and this mistake was just the last straw. Hakstol-coached Flyers teams have been consistently well- disciplined from a penalty standpoint, posting +20 and +30 penalty differentials in his first two seasons and sitting at +39 entering Saturday's game. Considering the results, it seems like Hakstol's message about discipline gets through to his team, so it's fair to trust him when he feels like one needs to be sent to a player in this area.

3: Third period was basically perfect otherwise

One of the reasons why Konecny's penalty was so glaringly negative — in addition to the power play goal it allowed to occur — was because the Flyers otherwise played about as good of a third period with a lead as a team can play. Generally speaking, trailing teams take control of the pace of a contest over the final ten to twenty minutes of play, a phenomenon usually referred to as “score effects.” Sometimes it involves the leading team “sitting back,” but more often it's a result of the trailing team taking more risks, such as utilizing a more aggressive forecheck that results in more puck races won but leaves the team open to counter-rushes. On this day, however, the Flyers imposed their will in the third period, essentially replicating what the Penguins did to them on Wednesday night.

The Flyers won in all of the key underlying statistical areas in the third: 5v5 shot attempts (14- 10), scoring chances (8-6), total shots on goal (9-8) and even Expected Goals (0.47 – 0.46). They did it primarily by owning the neutral zone, bottling up Winnipeg's attack and rarely letting the Jets move through the middle of the ice with speed. In addition, the Flyers did not hesitate to go on the attack when opportunities presented themselves, spending full shifts in the offensive zone and activating their defensemen as if the score had been 3-3, not 2-1 in favor of the home team.

After the game, Mrazek confirmed that sustaining their aggressiveness was a topic of conversation prior to the final stanza. “Yeah, we talked about it in the second period,” Mrazek acknowledged. “We cannot sit down in the d-zone or the neutral zone and wait for them to come on us. We all know how they are a good team, they can play offense. So we talked about it in the second, and then we did a really good job in the third.”

4: Mrazek stellar in net

Mrazek's first three games in a Flyers uniform really couldn't have gone much better than they did — three wins, just five goals allowed, and a sterling 0.947 save percentage. Then, Mrazek began to falter a bit just as the team as a whole did. His save percentage during the first four games of the five-game losing streak was a poor 0.854, and while only one of those losses could be primarily attributed to the play of the Czech netminder (the defeat in Tampa), he wasn't doing much to bail out his team, either. That's why it wasn't a major surprise to see Alex Lyon take the net for the second game of a back-to-back in Boston on Thursday, giving Mrazek his first night off since February 22.

Did the rest do Mrazek good? No goalie will ever acknowledge that not getting a start might have helped in a situation, since they are a competitive lot and never want to relinquish their net. Mrazek was no different after Saturday's victory. But against the Jets, the 26-year-old sure seemed refreshed and back to the version of himself from those first three games. He ended up making 27 saves, allowing only an unstoppable laser from Laine on the power play. Otherwise, the Flyers' goalie was perfect.

MacDonald correctly credited Mrazek's strong performance to his work tracking the puck; to be sure, Mrazek felt controlled on Saturday in a manner that hasn't been seen since the Montreal game almost two weeks ago. Hakstol noted in his press conference that he didn't feel like Mrazek was tired at the end of his poor four-game stretch, saying, “I don’t think he was wearing down. I didn’t see any of that in there or at practice.” My guess is that Mrazek wasn't physically tired, but maybe was a little worn down mentally. Giving him a game off to reset a bit might have been just what the doctor ordered.

5: Sanheim shines in return

As a direct result of the lower-body injury apparently suffered by Robert Hagg in Boston, Travis Sanheim made his long-awaited return to the Flyers' lineup on Saturday. Since being sent down the day after the NFC championship game, Sanheim has been tearing up the AHL, scoring 16 points in 18 games and posting an incredible +8.96% Corsi Relative to his teammates at 5-on-5. From a performance standpoint, Sanheim 100% deserved a recall even sooner than this, but 's apparent hesitance to bring up a player from the AHL without an injury necessitating it kept him in Lehigh Valley. If Saturday's effort by Sanheim is any indication, he won't be returning to the Phantoms anytime soon, even after Hagg is again healthy.

Konecny used “confidence” to describe Sanheim's game against the Jets, and it's hard to think of a better word to encapsulate his day. The 21-year-old was not playing afraid to make mistakes; instead, he was jumping routes in the neutral zone, firing long stretch passes to teammates and directly challenging opponents while in the defensive zone. Aside from one poor shift near the end of the second period in which Sanheim fell twice and partially cause a penalty (Jori Lehtera was whistled but Sanheim could have easily been), Sanheim was dominant in his 12:44 minutes of ice time, as evidenced by his strong 64.50% Corsi For Percentage and even better 77.33% xG rate.

Of course, the low ice time total will raise some eyebrows, especially because Hakstol clearly lacked trust in Sanheim back in January, which directly led to his demotion. But Hakstol was very complimentary of the rookie's performance versus the Jets.

“He just looked like a guy who got his game back a little bit and that’s the benefit of being able to go down and play strong minutes down there in different situations,” the head coach said. “That’s all a credit to him. It’s all how you handle the assignment going back there. He dug in immediately from what I am told from day one and played extremely well right from the start down there. Like I said, it just looks like a guy who absolutely has his game back.”

Whether Sanheim truly needed a demotion to “get his game back” or if he could have worked through his issues at the NHL level is a matter of opinion, but one truth certainly exists: Travis Sanheim is both talented and polished enough to hold at the highest level of hockey, and he reminded fans of that fact yesterday.

6: What is wrong with the Flyers' power play?

After scoring on its first opportunity in Boston on Thursday, it seemed like the sputtering Philadelphia power play had finally resolved its issues. But that proved to be fool's gold — by the third period, they were back to the ugly version of themselves, struggling on entries and just looking all-around sloppy. It carried over to Saturday's game, as the team wasted two power plays and looked awful in the process, generating just three shot attempts and allowing two to the Jets. In fact, Winnipeg probably had the best quality chance by either club during a Philadelphia PP on this day, a 3-on-1 in the second period that Mrazek stopped.

Generally speaking, it's best to trust that the Philadelphia PP1 will eventually figure things out. They unit has worked together for too long, and has too much talent to not turn it around, and it's certainly gone through similar cold stretches in the past. However, a 2-for-26 run over eight games simply isn't good enough. Hakstol (rightfully) noted that Giroux's goal — while not technically a PP goal — came on a delayed penalty 6-on-5 situation, so it was a pseudo-power play tally. But the actual power play absolutely needs to be better, and none of the five members of PP1 would disagree.

7: On the other hand, the PK looked strong again

In a total reversal of how the units have performed for most of the 2017-18 season, the Philadelphia penalty kill is suddenly effective and dangerous just as the power play is going through a rough patch. The PK showed up in Boston in probably its best night of the season, going 3-for-3 on kills and chipping in with a shorthanded goal as well. On Saturday, up until the late Laine goal — which Giroux noted after the game was due to his mistake — the penalty kill looked just as good against the second-best power play in hockey.

Killing three out of four penalties in a game won't win a team any awards, but it was notable just how toothless the Winnipeg power play looked in those first three opportunities. The Flyers were all over the visitors in the neutral and defensive zones, disrupting entries and forcing turnovers. In fact, the Jets managed just five shot attempts over the course of their four chances with the man advantage, and yet again, the Flyers generated a quality shorthanded chance. As Hakstol noted after the game, it's less been a wholesale shift in philosophy and more just improvements in the little details: fewer failed clears, sticks in lanes actually deflecting passes rather than missing them entirely, clean faceoff wins. The Flyers can only hope that the PK's newfound competency holds for the remainder of the season and hopefully into the playoffs as well.

8: Hakstol matched both Couturier and Filppula versus Stastny line

After acquiring Paul Stastny at the trade deadline, Winnipeg immediately put together a line of their newest acquisition, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, and the three had immediate chemistry. In their first five games together, Laine scored nine points at 5-on-5 (including six goals), Ehlers had six points and Stastny chipped in with four of his own. Even with Scheifele out of the lineup, the Jets' new top line ensured that it would have more than enough offensive firepower to run all over the Flyers, unless the home team had a clear plan as to how it would slow the trio down.

Hakstol's matchup strategy was two-pronged: try to get the Sean Couturier out there as much as possible against Stastny and Co., and when that wasn't possible, let the third line of Michael Raffl, Valtteri Filppula and Wayne Simmonds handle the duties, with the top pair of and supporting both lines. Unsurprisingly, the Couturier line was far more effective territorially, basically breaking even against Winnipeg's dangerous trio in about eight minutes of 5v5 ice time, while Filppula's line had some issues, posting around a 33% Corsi For against Winnipeg's Line 1.

Raffl and Simmonds certainly provide more support for Filppula in a tough matchup than Jordan Weal (who was scratched) and a first-game-back Wayne Simmonds, which was the makeup of the third line on Wednesday when Hakstol used it against Sidney Crosby. Still, the presence of Filppula basically ensures that the line will get outshot when given tough matchups. Hakstol's bet is likely that the line can play “bend, don't break” defense in these matchups, not actually drive play. It is interesting that the Flyers' head coach remains hesitant to use his second line of Patrick, Jakub Voracek and Oskar Lindblom in these situations, though the presence of two rookies on the line probably contributes to that fact.

9: Lehtera is playing solid hockey recently

It was a major surprise on Thursday night when Lehtera scored just his third goal in a Flyers uniform on a shorthanded rush. After all, Lehtera hasn't exactly endeared himself to Flyers fans in his first season with the team, primarily because his lack of skating speed has made him irrelevant offensively. However, over the past few weeks, Lehtera has quietly been playing decent hockey, and for the first time in Philadelphia, his game legitimately appears to be trending upward.

Lehtera wasn't truly dominant against Winnipeg on Saturday — he finished with zero points on the day — but he could unironically be given the tag of difference-maker. Lehtera's tenacity was on display from his early shifts through the conclusion of the game, as he chased down loose pucks, forced turnovers, and easily won battles along the boards and in the corners. He even seemed a bit faster than usual, though that was likely because he was just playing a more direct, decisive game, not that his skating ability is truly improving. He's also been one of the reasons that the Flyers' PK has put together a couple strong efforts in a row.

Since March 1, Lehtera's underlying numbers have been perfectly acceptable — 49.21% score- adjusted Corsi at 5-on-5, -0.01% Relative to his teammates. Compared to former linemate Filppula's ugly 36.19% rate over the same time span, Lehtera looks positively stellar. He's definitely benefited from being away from Filppula (as most players have this season) but it's not just quality of linemates that are boosting Lehtera's results. He's legitimately looked like a more effective player, a capable NHL fourth liner.

10: Laughton line had some solid shifts

In addition to Lehtera's improved play, his linemates were effective in limited duty as well. Scott Laughton has seemingly been dropped back down to the 4C role, but he's still plugging away and creating positive outcomes in spite of the demotion. Laughton only received 6:57 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time on Saturday, but the Flyers won the shot attempts battle 9 to 1 when Laughton skated. It's hard to be more territorially dominant than that.

In addition, Matt Read continues to look the part of perfectly acceptable NHL fourth liner. He has a 61.29% score-adjusted Corsi in his two games since returning to the Flyers' lineup, and he's producing those results the same way he did the past two years: dogged defensive work in his own zone and smart reads in the middle of the ice both with and without the puck. Add in Lehtera's newfound competence, and you've got a solid fourth line that can provide real value. It's not an “energy” line, but don't expect it to spend much time trapped in its own end of the ice.

Sportsnet.ca https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/headlines-marchands-mistake-costly/ (VIDEO LINK)

Headlines: Marchand’s mistake could be costly (Scheifele update at 5:10)

The Hockey Night in Canada panel discussed the ongoing issue of goalie interference, Brad Marchand’s hit on Anthony Duclair and the search for the next GM of the Carolina Hurricanes.

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-philadelphia-flyers-game-recap/c-296818608

Flyers defeat Jets, end losing streak Philadelphia had lost past five; Laine scores 40th goal of season for Winnipeg by Adam Kimelman @NHLAdamK / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers ended a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald scored, and Petr Mrazek made 27 saves for Philadelphia (35-23-11), which is in third place in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the Washington Capitals and one point behind the .

"We had a tough stretch and we couldn't find ways to win and it was a good test for us," Giroux said. "Winnipeg's a pretty good team and I think we played a responsible game tonight."

Patrik Laine scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for Winnipeg (41-18-9), which had won four in a row. The Jets are second in the Central Division, seven points behind the .

Mrazek had allowed 18 goals on 123 shots in losing four straight games in a seven-day span, but didn't play in a 3-2 loss against the Boston Bruins on Thursday and was off the ice Friday.

"I felt pretty good from the beginning," Mrazek said. "We all knew what kind of team Winnipeg is, they have a good power play, second in the League, playing good hockey right now on the road. We did really well defensively and it's a big win for us."

Laine scored on the power play at 8:58 of the third period, one-timing a pass from Blake Wheeler to make it 2-1. The goal was Laine's 40th of the season, tying Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals for the NHL lead.

"Now I'm not happy because we lost, but maybe tomorrow I'll be happier," Laine said. "I've got to be proud of myself, that's a great number. But now it doesn't feel good."

The Jets forward has nine goals during a five-game goal streak, and 21 points (15 goals, six assists) during an 11-game point streak.

It was his 76th NHL goal, tying him with Brian Bellows and Wayne Gretzky for the third-most by a teenager, behind Jimmy Carson (92) and Dale Hawerchuk (85). Laine turns 20 on April 19.

"He's a special young man, 19 years old and still growing into his body, really competitive guy, wants to score," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "He's going to be a good Winnipeg Jet for a long time."

Giroux gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 5:40 of the second period during a delayed penalty. He jumped in as the extra attacker, took a pass from Valterri Filppula and found an open spot on the left side of the offensive zone.

Giroux has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak.

"I saw [Filppula] going backdoor and I was looking to pass the whole way," Giroux said. "Lucky enough the fans were yelling at me to shoot, so I just tried to find a hole and it went in."

MacDonald made it 2-0 at 8:01 of the second period. Officials ruled Hellebuyck made the save on a backhand from the right side, but video review showed the puck crossed the goal line and play was stopped less than a minute later.

"I was more mad I missed it on the rebound after it came out of [Hellebuyck's] glove," MacDonald said. "I thought I should have had that one. I got to the bench and [Giroux] mentioned it was in and within seconds they blew the horn. Nice feeling to be able to chip in like that."

Goal of the game Giroux's goal at 5:40 of the second period

Save of the game Mrazek's save on Laine at 5:56 of the first period

Highlight of the game Laine's goal at 8:58 of the third period

They said it "I think we all believed right in to the end. It's just one of those nights where we didn't do it. If I was a betting man I would say a majority of the time we do get that equalizer. I thought we played pretty hard tonight." -- Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck

"You don't want to let games pile up the wrong way against you, especially at this time of the year and the way our race is going. For us to be able to come in tonight and have a great, complete game was really big for the team." -- Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald

Need to know Maurice said defenseman Toby Enstrom was sore and replaced him with defenseman Tucker Poolman, who was recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League. … Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg will be out two weeks because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Johnny Oduya is day to day because of an upper-body injury. Defenseman Travis Sanheim was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the AHL on Friday and was plus-1 in 12:44 of ice time in his first NHL game since Jan. 13. … Wheeler and Flyers forward Jakub Voracek each had his NHL-best 58th assist.

What's next Jets: At the Washington Capitals on Monday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, NBCSWA, TSN3, NHL.TV) Flyers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday (7 p.m. ET; SN, NBCSP, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV)

TSN.ca https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/button-laine-has-a-shot-at-50-goals~1341913 (VIDEO LINK)

Button: Laine has a shot at 50 goals

Patrik Laine's release is one of his well-known attributes but as Craig Button explains, his ability to read the play and give himself enough space to take advantage of his release is what is fueling his success. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-win-streak-snapped-at-four-with-loss-to-flyers/c-296822522

Jets win streak snapped at four with loss to Flyers Laine scores 40th goal of the season, extends point streak to eleven games by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - Twice this season, the Winnipeg Jets have been able to rally back to win when trailing after 40 minutes.

In fact, one of those came against the Philadelphia Flyers back in November.

They got halfway, but it wasn't to be this time.

The Jets (41-18-9) saw their four-game win streak snapped after falling 2-1 to those Flyers Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

"I think it was a grinder in the end zones. There was a lot of stretch, but that's Eastern Conference hockey," said head coach Paul Maurice. "There were a few really good chances at both ends, our guy made some real good glove saves. Helly made a couple real good saves, and almost had the second one, which was good.

"I think for the most part, the guys in the line-up played as hard as they could. We had a few guys fight the puck a little bit, but so did they. It was a pretty tight game."

Patrik Laine scored the Jets lone goal, his 40th of the campaign, extending his point streak to 11 games. However, that stat didn't mean much to Laine following the game.

"Right now I'm not happy, because we lost. Tomorrow I might be more happier. That's a great number. But now it doesn't feel good," said Laine, who pulled into a tie with Wayne Gretzky and Brian Bellows with 76 goals before the age of 20.

"It was obviously frustrating, but we can't let that affect our minds and our game. I think we had a good push in the third, but that wasn't enough today."

After a scoreless first period, Claude Giroux opened the scoring on a delayed penalty. Working at 6-on-5 for an extended stretch, the Flyers (35-23-11) worked the puck around the Jets zone before it came to Giroux in the left wing circle. From there, the Flyers captain snapped his 24th of the campaign past Connor Hellebuyck's glove.

Hellebuyck seemed to have added another highlight reel save to his season at 8:01 of the second, when he went cross crease and got his glove on an Andrew MacDonald chance that had resulted from a shot off the end boards.

Play continued, but soon after, the horn sounded in the arena, calling for the play to be looked at again by the NHL. It was ruled Hellebuyck's glove - and the puck as a result - were barely over the goal line. That put the Flyers up 2-0 nearing the midway point of the game.

"I thought I had it. I felt it in my glove. That's the only way I could possibly get it. I just took a look at it, and it's in by maybe a fraction of an inch," said Hellebuyck. "It's a bit unlucky. It's the goalie anatomy that my hand is going to come back when you're trying to hold onto a puck. It stinks, but you've just got to live with it."

On their fourth power play opportunity of the game, the Jets got one by Petr Mrazek. Captain Blake Wheeler threaded the needle, splitting the Flyers penalty killers and finding Laine on the far side. The one-timer beat Mrazek, pulling the Jets within one.

"Wheels saw me again and gave me a hard flat pass, and I just tried to shoot, and it went in," said Laine, who thought the Jets first few power plays of the night could have been better.

"I think they were just pressuring us pretty hard. We were fumbling every puck, and that's their licence to go. We just weren't quick enough on the first couple power plays."

But despite a push for the final 11 minutes of the third period, the Jets couldn't get another by the Flyers goaltender, who finished with 27 saves.

Next up is the fifth stop on the six-game road trip, which takes the Jets to Washington to take on the Capitals.

ICE CHIPS After making his return to the line-up Thursday in New Jersey, defenceman Toby Enstrom didn't play Saturday against the Flyers.

"He's been running the same thing for three months. He comes in, if it's sore, he feels good. If it's sore he'll play on it, but there's a point where I don't want this thing to keep grinding on him," said Maurice. "We were off the ice with him yesterday. We were hoping there would be a 24- hour improvement, and there wasn't. He was status quo from the game before, so I held him out."

Tucker Poolman was recalled on an emergency basis in the morning, and played 9:01 in the loss.