John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (26-26-8) are in Manitoba on Saturday night to take on Scott Arniel's powerhouse Winnipeg Jets (42-15-3). Game time at Canada Life Centre is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 93.3 WMMR with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the interconference clubs. The Flyers and Jets will rematch at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 6. Last season, the Flyers swept the season series. In each of the two previous years, the Flyers managed a split of the two games.
Entering Saturday's game, the Flyers are 3-0-1 over their past four games. The one blemish was a 5-4 overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday after building leads of 3-0 and 4-2. Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off a 2-1 road loss in Nashville on Thursday.
Here are the RAV4 things to watch in Saturday's game plus a look at an x-factor heading into the game.
1. Solving Hellebuyck
The Flyers have heated up offensively since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament break. The club has tallied a combined 16 goals over the past three games.
Neither Stuart Skinner (Edmonton) nor Alex Nedeljkovic (Pittsburgh) were particularly sharp in goal against the Flyers in the last three games. However, when Joel Blomqvist relieved Nedeljkovic on Thursday, the Flyers were limited to one goal on 23 shots.
On Saturday, the Flyers will need to find ways to solve Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck (36-7-2 record, 2.02 GAA, .926 save percentage, six shutouts). Hellebuyck, who started for Team USA at 4 Nations, is now more rested after backup goalie Eric Comrie got the starts against St. Louis on Feb. 22 and the Predators on Thursday night.
As with any goaltender, the key to beating Hellebuyck (baring a rare misplay) is to either render him unable to see the puck or to get him moving laterally where he's unable to get squared to the shooter. As his numbers attest, that's easier said than done. Hellebuyck also has a very good team playing in front of him.
The Flyers will have to be opportunistic offensively. Generating a backdoor goal or a couple deflections would certainly help their cause.
2. Flyers centers: Couturier, Cates, Laughton, Poehling
A big part of Winnipeg's success stems from the team's strength and size down the middle, starting with Mark Scheifele (33 goals, 33 assists, 66 points), team captain Adam Lowry (11g, 15a, 26 points) and fourth line center Rasmus Kupari. Meanwhile, veteran Russian center Vladislav Namestnikov (10g, 20a, 30 points) adds savvy and passing skill to the second line.
Talented forward Gabe Vilardi (26g, 28a, 44 points) is also a capable center but has found success playing right wing on a line with Scheifele and Jets leading scorer Kyle Connor (31g, 42a, 73 points).
Flyers centers Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling will have their hands full contending with their Winnipeg counterparts. It is especially important for the Couturier and Cates lines to step up in this game.
3. Discipline and penalty killing
The best way to combat Winnipeg's lethal power play (an NHL-best 30.9 percent success rate) is to stay out of the penalty box in the first place. The Jets have connected on 51 of 165 power play opportunities this season.
The Flyers penalty kill, which was outstanding through U.S. Thanksgiving and then hit the wall and struggled for a seven-week period, has quietly been on the upswing. Since January 17, the Flyers' PK has posted an 85.7 percent success rate (2nd in the NHL for that span).
Philly has righted its ship on the penalty kill and is inching back to the 80 percent success rate for the season. Even so, it's wise not to press their luck against the Jets' by having to kill more than one or two penalties for the game.
4. Flyers transition game
Coming into this season, head coach Tortorella put a lot of emphasis on having his team adapt to winning games on nights where they can't find the time and space to crank up their transition game. He wanted to see the team improve their ability to cycle the puck and score grinding-type goals.
The line of Cates centering Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink embodies the type of puck support and ability to win 50-50 battles that Tortorella prioritized as keys to teamwide improvement. Overall, however, the Flyers are still largely reliant on breakouts and attacking on the rush. Doing so successfully against the Jets would go a long way toward putting enough pucks past Hellebuyck to earn an upset win.
Lineup note: Setting a tone without Hathaway
Veteran forward Garnet Hathaway has been an important player in terms of injecting energy into the Flyers and providing a spark off which they can build from his physical presence and tenacity. The Flyers will likely be without him against the Jets.
On Thursday night, Hathaway had to be assisted off the ice after going down awkwardly when he was hit -- well away from the puck -- by Pittsburgh's Bokondji Imama. Despite the scare that ensued, Hathaway thankfully avoided serious injury.
Rugged veteran winger Nicolas Deslauriers is available to enter the lineup if Hathaway is unable to suit up. It would take a teamwide effort to channel the physical presence that Hathaway brings.
