(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor
With the erratic Flyers clinging on to as much playoff hope as they can, they embark on a four-game road trip that kicks off tonight in Manitoba, against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jet and Flyers have had almost-similar stories this season. Both teams are considered to be up-and-comers in their respective conferences, and both teams had flirted with playoff position at varied points in the middle of the season.
Opening face-off is set for 8 p.m.
| Flyers Leaders | GP | G | A | P | Jets Leaders | GP | G | A | P |
| Jake Voracek | 71 | 17 | 38 | 55 | Mark Scheifele | 69 | 28 | 43 | 71 |
| Claude Giroux | 71 | 14 | 37 | 51 | Patrik Laine | 64 | 33 | 27 | 60 |
| Wayne Simmonds | 71 | 29 | 18 | 47 | Blake Wheeler | 72 | 21 | 39 | 60 |
| Brayden Schenn | 68 | 22 | 25 | 47 | Nikolaj Ehlers | 72 | 22 | 36 | 58 |
| Valtteri Filppula | 68 | 8 | 29 | 37 | Dustin Byfuglien | 72 | 12 | 35 | 47 |
| Player to Watch | |
| 9 Ivan Provorov | 55 Mark Scheifele |
| Last 5 Games: 1 G, 3 A, 4 P, -1 | Last 5 Games: 0 G, 4 A, 4 P, -1 |
Young Ivan Provorov played like a seasoned veteran in the Flyers' come-from-behind victory against Carolina on Sunday. Not only did he net a slick water-bottle goal in the first period, he helped set up both Travis Konecny's tying goal and Brayden Schenn's game-winner.
The Jets are known for their large influx of young talent — with some outlets going as far as to proclaim them the 2019 Stanley Cup champs — and Mark Scheifele is a big reason why. He's well on his way to shattering career-highs in offensive categories, in his fourth professional season.
| Goalie Matchup | |
| 35 Steve Mason | 34 Michael Hutchinson |
| 21-20-7, 2.76 GAA, .905 SV% | 15-5-3, 2.69 GAA, .904 SV% |
After a rough outing against New Jersey — a game that saw him yanked due to injury — Steve Mason bounced back with 19 saves on 22 shots against the Hurricanes. Mason will make his sixth consecutive start.
Michael Hutchinson steps in between the pipes for the Jets, after earning a 13-save win. Hutchinson's numbers have been a bit down this year, but he's been a capable backup regardless.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Scratches: Roman Lyubimov, Nick Cousins (upper-body injury, day-to-day), Brandon Manning (upper-body injury, day-to-day), Michael Raffl (lower-body injury, out 6-8 weeks)
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| 40 Jordan Weal | 28 Claude Giroux | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
| 11 Travis Konecny | 51 Valtteri Filppula | 93 Jake Voracek |
| 10 Brayden Schenn | 14 Sean Couturier | 22 Dale Weise |
| 76 Chris VandeVelde | 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 24 Matt Read |
| Defense | ||
| 9 Ivan Provorov | 47 Andrew MacDonald | |
| 55 Nick Schultz | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
| 15 Michael Del Zotto | 3 Radko Gudas | |
| Goalie | ||
| 35 Steve Mason |
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (13th, 14th on road), Jets (22nd, 22nd at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (23rd, 25th on road), Jets (29th, 30th at home)
- Recent History vs. Jets
- Nov. 17, 2016 – Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead jut 34 seconds apart midway through the first, and though Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler scored in the second, Mark Streit also tallied for a 3-2 Flyers lead after two. Wayne Simmonds struck in the third, and Brandon Manning buried an empty-netter to seal a 5-2 Flyers win. Steve Mason finished with 30 saves on 32 shots.
- Oct. 30, 2016 – ThMark Streit and Wayne Simmonds scored in the second to take a 2-0 lead, but Mark Scheifele's goal before the period could end and Blake Wheeler's tally early in the third relenquished it. Claude Giroux struck in overtime, though, for a 3-2 win. Steve Mason finished with 26 saves on 28 shots.
- Milestone Watch
- Matt Read remains one assist from 100 in his career.
- Claude Giroux needs two goals to move into 15th all-time in Flyers history.
- Wayne Simmonds needs two points for 300 as a Flyer.
Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
