Jets blanked by Flyers for third straight loss

WINNIPEG - The frustration level might be nearing a season-high for the Winnipeg Jets.
A 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night was the team's third defeat in a row, and while no team has played more games since December 2, 2022 than Winnipeg, that doesn't make them feel any better.
"As soon as there is a little adversity - we handled it well early in the year - we're not handling it well right now," said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. "We're a good hockey team. You have to work and you have to compete. As soon as it gets tough, you can't change from that."
Things are certainly hard right now.
The same team that won eight of nine games from late December into the middle of January now has losses in five of seven. In the two wins, the Jets (31-19-1) scored 10 times. In the five losses, they have just five.

It's not for a lack of trying. It just seems to be the way the pucks are bouncing for the Jets of late, even with all the dynamic offensive talent on the team.

"We're disappointed with the effort, disappointed with the outcome, three games in a row that we've kind of let slip away," said Adam Lowry. "I think it's the execution, it's the little details when you're making these 10-foot passes coming out of the zone clean, and sometimes it feels like you miss one pass and you're chasing the game a little bit."
Shortly after the Jets nearly opened the scoring shorthanded - Saku Maenalanen's rebound chance was tipped away at the last second by Owen Tippett's stick - the Flyers capitalized just four seconds after Logan Stanley's hooking penalty expired. Noah Cates potted his eighth of the season, this one with 4:45 remaining in the first, tucking one through Connor Hellebuyck's legs in tight.
The Jets had 16 shots in the opening period, just five less than their total from Thursday's loss to Buffalo.
"I think the first period it was a fairly even period," said Lowry. "There was chances at both ends and for whatever reason we came out in the second and we were flat and they jumped on us."

The Flyers took a 2-0 lead in the second, taking advantage of the Jets being unable to clear the zone. Rasmus Ristolainen found Kieffer Bellows in the slot, and he wired home his first of the season with 8:07 left in the middle frame.
Rick Bowness called a time-out shortly after, and the Jets came close to lighting the lamp on the ensuing couple of shifts. First, Karson Kuhlman rattled a backhand off the crossbar. The next shift, Adam Lowry deflected a point that also found iron.
"What we've been talking about is okay we have a good shift, the next line up have a good shift," said Bowness. "Adam's line was the best line out there by far. We didn't have enough guys going to follow it up."
Those two misses proved costly, as the Flyers extended their lead in the third. First, Tippett capitalized on a breakaway chance. Josh Morrissey nearly broke up the stretch pass from Ristolainen, but the puck seemed to go through his blade and right to Tippett for his 14th.

Just 3:37 later, Tony DeAngelo converted on a 2-on-1 with Scott Laughton to make it 4-0 for the Flyers. That was the end of the night for Hellebuyck, who finished with 26 saves on 30 shots.
"If there was a key or a magic potion that we could do, we would have done it by now. We're just going through a tough stretch," said Brenden Dillon. "We know what the plan is and we know how to be successful and for whatever reason, we're falling behind in games and then it just seems to snowball."
As for pulling Hellebuyck, Bowness' explanation was simple.
"That was enough," Bowness said, adding that Hellebuyck will start on Monday against St. Louis. "He's our guy."
Winnipeg had 17 shots in the final period and hit 40 on the night, but Carter Hart stopped every single one of them for his first shutout of the season.
The Jets have one chance to snap the slide before the All-Star break. They know their starting goaltender, they have a scheduled off day on Sunday, and no game for 11 days after Monday night.
"We commit to the black and white way of how to play and how to be successful, we're going to be OK," said Dillon. "There's not going to be an easy night where we can just throw our sticks out there and play. We're going to have to really up our game and I think it will be good to have a nice stretch here these last 31 games toward the playoffs."