Hart makes 31 saves for Flyers in victory against Jets

PHILADELPHIA --
Carter Hart
made 31 saves for the Philadelphia Flyers in their season-high fourth straight win, 3-1 against the Winnipeg Jets at Wells Fargo Center on Monday.

The 20-year-old rookie, who made his NHL debut Dec. 18 against the Detroit Red Wings, is 7-5-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 13 games.
"I've felt comfortable at this level," Hart said. "The first game against Detroit, my nerves were crazy for that game. Then I realized it's just another game, the boards are the same, the ice is the same, just got to go out and play. That's the approach I have to have."
WATCH: [All Jets vs. Flyers highlights]
Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist, and Phil Varone and James van Riemsdyk scored for the Flyers (20-23-6). It's Philadelphia's longest winning streak since it won six in a row from Feb. 16-26, 2018.

Jack Roslovic scored for Winnipeg (31-16-2), which has lost two in a row. Laurent Brossoit made 28 saves.
"I thought we outplayed them, for the most part," Brossoit said. "The goalie on the other end had a good game, lot of key saves, especially on the power play in the first period. That got them into the game, and he was hot from then on in. And they did a good job in the third period sitting on the lead."
Hart was strong early, including four saves at the end of the first period with the Jets on the power play after Sean Couturier was called for high-sticking Bryan Little at 18:56.
"I don't think he knows how to panic," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. "That's a good thing. When you're 20 years old and you have that composure and confidence, it's impressive."
Varone, who gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 9:47 of the first period, started the season with Hart with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He said the goalie he's seeing now is even better against tougher competition.

"It's not easy for anyone to transition to pro, especially a goaltender," Varone said. "At the start of the season, he was trying to learn a lot, not just at the rink, but away from the rink. Since he's been up here, he's been phenomenal. I think it's more than what I saw in the American league."
Roslovic ended a 22-game goal drought when he scored on the power play at 12:59 to tie it 1-1. Stationed in the high slot, he tipped Jacob Trouba's point shot under Hart's glove.

It was one of the few times the Jets felt they got enough traffic at the Flyers net.
"We shot everything from the outside, no traffic in front," Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler said. "The Grade A [chances] we had, he made some big saves, but we didn't really do a whole lot."
Konecny, playing his 200th NHL game, gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead with 1:14 remaining in the second when he redirected Andrew MacDonald's shot from the right point past Brossoit.
Van Riemsdyk scored with 3:35 left in the third period to make it 3-1. He jumped on a loose puck in the Jets zone, slid it to Konecny, and then redirected Konecny's return pass by Brossoit.

It was his seventh goal in six games after he scored six times in his first 27 games.
"I knew coming into a new situation, new team, these things take time," said van Riemsdyk, who signed a five-year contract with the Flyers on July 1. "I'm trying to figure out my way here as much as the coaches and management are trying to figure out the best way to use me. Those things take time."
Each team was playing for the first time since its five-day break before 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.

They said it

"We believe we've got a skilled team that can make some plays and there are times we can ebb and flow with how we run our offensive game. We were less direct than we needed to be tonight." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice
"Guys like [Patrik] Laine and [Mark] Scheifele, those guys beat some of the best goalies in the League. He looked like he was pretty confident in there, making some big saves." -- Flyers forward Travis Konecny on rookie goalie Carter Hart

Need to know

It was the first loss in regulation for Brossoit in 12 starts this season. He was 10-0-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .946 save percentage. ... Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was scratched during warmups because of a lower-body injury sustained during the morning skate. Coach Scott Gordon said Gostisbehere could play against the Boston Bruins on Thursday but will be out against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. ... Hart is the first NHL goalie to win four consecutive starts before turning 21 since Steve Mason with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008-09. ... Couturier had his six-game point streak end.

What's next

Jets: At the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, TVAS, NESN, TSN3, NHL.TV)
Flyers: At the New York Rangers on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, MSG, NHL.TV)