The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the teams, and the lone game in Winnipeg. The Flyers and Jets will rematch at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 8.
The Flyers enter this game coming off an 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.
Here are five things to watch on Saturday evening:
1. Cooling off the Jets?
The Jets are scorching hot going into Saturday's game, with eight straight wins and points in 14 straight games (12-0-2). The Flyers have won back-to-back games and have points in four of their last five games (3-1-1).
In each of their last two games, the Flyers have battled back from two-goal deficits and went on to win the game beyond regulation: 3-2 (1-0) shootout home win against Montreal on Wednesday and last night's victory in Minnesota. To beat the Jets, however, the Flyers cannot afford to chase the game. Playing from equal ground or with a lead is a must.
Saturday's game is a "fatigue factor" match heading in, which makes an already tough challenge for the Flyers even more daunting. The Flyers are in the latter game of a back-to-back (with a border crossing into Canada in between), their third game across three cities in four nights, and their fourth game in six nights. By comparison, the Jets have had no travel this week and did not have a game on Friday. They're a rested team looking to nail down a nine-game winning streak in front of their home crowd.
The Flyers have recently dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in several games. On Friday in St. Paul, the Flyers largely went with 10 forwards. Veteran physical winger Nicolas Deslauriers skated just seven shifts and 4:56 for the game, while center Ryan Poehling had 11 shifts and 9:15 TOI (including 1:58 on the penalty kill). As has often been the case this season, Sean Couturier (27 shifts, 22:39 TOI) Travis Konecny (28 shifts, 24:30 TOI), and defenseman Travis Sanheim (26 shifts, 22:47 TOI) absorbed heavy ice time.
Philly may not have the luxury of being able to roll all four lines regularly against the deep Jets attack. Avoiding long shifts hemmed in the defensive zone, bad penalties and unforced turnovers are a must against Winnipeg.
Tippett has scored goals in three straight games. Foerster snapped a 16-game goal drought with his momentum-generating tally in the third period on Friday. Farabee had an excellent all-around game against the Wild.
Cam Atkinson skated 20 minutes of ice time against the Wild. Although he did not score, he created the power play opportunity in OT that led to Farabee's winning goal.
2. Ersson is the probable starting goalie
With Hart having gotten the start in Minnesota, it is likely that the Flyers will tab Samuel Ersson for the second game of the back-to-back. Tortorella is expected to announce the team's starting goaltender in Winnipeg at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET.
On Wednesday against Montreal, Ersson was victimized by deflection tallies on the first two shots the Canadiens generated (their only two shots on goal of the first period). Thereafter, he stopped all 17 shots he faced over the remaining 45 minutes of regulation and overtime. Ersson, who is 13-for-15 on stopping shootout attempts this season, then went on to deny all three shooters he faced in the shootout.
Hart allowed a stoppable goal to Ryan Hartman in the third period of Friday's game. Otherwise, he played a very strong game. This was especially true during the night's first penalty kill and the next five minutes thereafter. Hart was the main reason why the game remained scoreless through the first period.
Bottom line: Both Flyers netminders are generally playing well. To date, Ersson is 10-5-3 with a 2.46 goals against average, .906 save percentage, and two shutouts. Hart is 11-8-3 with a 2.70 GAA, .911 save percentage and one shutout.
3. Flyers power play vs. Jets PK
The Flyers have tallied power play goals in four straight games: one apiece by Couturier (vs. Calgary), Tippett (vs. Pittsburgh), Frost (vs. Calgary) and Farabee (4-on-3 at Minnesota). They'll look on Saturday to make it five matches in a row.
The Flyers cannot worry about their overall league power play ranking for the season. All they do is focus on trying to build off what they've done lately and try to make the second half of the regular season much better than the first half. That said, the Flyers enter Saturday's game ranked last (32nd) in the NHL at 11.9 percent (16-for-135, two shorthanded goals allowed).
Over the nine games the Flyers have played since the Christmas break, the power play has gone 5-for-31 (16.1 percent, tied with Pittsburgh for 22nd in that sample size). It's a modest improvement but an improvement nonetheless.
For the season on the whole, the Jets' penalty kill has not been a team strength. Winnipeg checks into Saturday's game ranked 26th in the NHL at 76.3 percent (opponents are 28-for-118). The Jets, however, are tied with Washington for being the NHL's fifth least-penalized team in terms of times shorthanded. Winnipeg has scored three shorthanded goals this season: one apiece by Vladislam Namestnikov, Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
Over their last 21 games, the Jets rank in the middle of the NHL pack (78.3 percent, tied for 17th). Since the leaguewide Christmas break, the Jets' PK has come through at an 81.8 percent clip (tied for 11th).
4. Flyers PK vs. Winnipeg power play
The Flyers went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill in Minnesota on Friday, although the two kills (especially the first) were not as emphatic as the team has often produced this season. It was more of a "goalie is your best penalty killer" type of night. The latter PK ended early when Minnesota was nabbed on a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty.
For the season, the Flyers' PK ranks second in the NHL at 86.5 percent (opponents are 18-for-133). Philly is tied for the NHL lead with 10 shorthanded goals: five for Konecny, two for Walker and one apiece for Poehling, Scott Laughton and Garnet Hathaway.
Over the last 24 games, the Flyers' PK has come through at an outstanding 90.4 percent success rate with five SHGs. Since the Christmas break, the Flyers have killed off 25 of 28 penalties (89.3 percent) and have scored as many shorthanded goals (three) as they've yielded opposing power play goals.
The Jets do most of their damage at 5-on-5: 97 goals for (second most in the NHL) versus 54 goals against (fewest allowed in the league). That's going to win a whole lot of hockey games.
However, the Jet's power play for the season has been nothing special, ranking 23rd in the NHL at 17.5 percent (22-for-126) with two shorthanded goals allowed. Breaking it down into smaller sample sizes, the Jets are 16.9 percent (11-for-65, ranked 22nd) over their last 24 games. Since the Christmas break, the Jets are 14.8 percent (4-for-27) in nine games.
5. Behind Enemy Lines: Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg enters Saturday's game coming off a 2-1 home win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Third period goals by Gabe Vilardi (10th) and Nikolaj Ehlers (15th) erased a one-goal deficit and lifted the Jets to victory. Lowry had primary helpers on both goals.
Backup goalie Laurent Brossoit stopped 20 of 21 shots to earn his seventh win of the 2023-24 season. Look for workhorse starter Connor Hellebuyck (30 games played, 21-6-3, 2.20 goals against average, .923 save percentage, two shutouts) to be back in net on Saturday.
Thursday's win was a costly one. Leading scorer Mark Scheifele (14g, 27a, 41 points) suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return to the game. He is officially day-to-day and his availability to play against the Flyers is questionable. question mark for tonight's game. The Jets recalled forward Rasmus Kupari from the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
Even without Scheifele, the Jets are a deep and formidable 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) in the league. Any way you slice it, the Flyers will have their hands full. It's another gut-check game.
Side note: After Saturday's game, the Flyers will be in the eastern time zone for all but two of their remaining games. They'll be in St. Louis on Monday and Chicago on February 21. Beyond that, the remainder of the Flyers' road schedule will be against Eastern Conference clubs.
