Philadelphia Flyers (17-17-3) At

Your Winnipeg Jets (18-19-2)

 

Last Meeting:

February 23rd, Jets 3 – Flyers 5

 

Broadcast:

TV: CBC

Puck Drop: 2:00 (CT)

 

The Jets have fallen out of the playoffs. They have lost 5 straight. The top line hasn’t scored in what seems to be forever. The city is calling for everyone’s head following the trade deadline and this team needed something.

Cue Zach Redmond.

The injured Jets defenseman shocked the hockey world yesterday as he took part in the pre-practice skate with fellow injured teammate Jim Slater, and the teammate that was credited for saving his life Anthony Peluso. Doctors have said his speedy recovery and potential (yet unlikely as it would require a deep playoff run) return to the Jets this season is nothing short of a miracle. This news may be enough inspiration to truly push this struggling Jets team out of their funk, and motivate them to a win this afternoon against a streaking Flyers team. Or at least that is what one can hope.

The Flyers come into Peg City this afternoon on a roll. Winners of their last four, the Flyers are a mere point behind the Jets with 2 games in hand and only three points out of a playoff spot. They haven’t exactly beaten bums either. Wins against Boston, Washington, Montreal and Toronto have this team motivated and thinking they can get themselves right back into the mix. While goaltending remains a question, young Sean Couturier has suddenly caught fire with points in his last 4 games.

The Jets are a team that seemingly need another miracle right now. The goals are not there, the defense is not there, and the saves simply are not there. Would it be too much to ask for Zach to bring with him one more miracle?

Ladd – Little – Wheeler

Kane – Jokinen – Miettinen

Tangradi – Burmistrov – Santorelli

Thorburn – Gagnon – Wellwood??

 

Byfuglien – Enstrom

Hainsey – Bogosian

Postma/Clitsome/Meech – Stuart

 

Pavelec

 

Now a days there are more question marks among the Jets lineup than ever before. What we do know, is that the Byfuglien experiment is over. He is going back to his usual defense spot. We also know that Claude Noel and Burmi really seem to hate each other, and Burmi will feel the wrath of that until things improve, or until one of them smartens up. I would love to see him get a constant role centering that second line, but it really seems as if Jokinen is going to have to get hurt to lose that role permanently. Santorelli and Gagnon were the Jets best forwards Thursday night in Montreal, so at this point I would be willing to even try throwing one of them up in the top 6 for a while. With it being an afternoon game tomorrow it’ll remain relatively unknown until the pre-game warmup as to who the Jets 6th defenseman will be, but you can be sure Trouba won’t get in the lineup until he has had the chance to practice a little more.

 

Voracek – Read – Giroux

Hartnell – Schenn – Simmonds

Fedotenko – Knuble – Gagne

Rosehill – Couturier – Hall

 

Schenn – Lauridsen

Huskins – Gustafsson

Gervais – Timonen?

 

Mason

Once again, the Jets see themselves facing a backup goaltender. Not like it really matters, because it really could be argued that the Flyers always start a back-up. (haha?) The Flyers have been hit pretty hard by the injury bug this year, especially on the blue line where Braden Coburn, Andrej Meszaros, and Nicklas Grossman have been forced to miss extended time. Kimmo Timonen will be a game time decision after leaving the Flyers game in Toronto on Thursday with an undisclosed injury.

The Jets cannot afford a slow start. Facing a struggling goaltender a new Flyer in Steve Mason, a team with a battered and bruised blue line, and at home the Jets need to get some confidence early in today’s game. If not, things have the potential to get ugly in the MTS Center VERY quickly.

 

When Redmond originally left the lineup due to the laceration, the team managed to use it as a motivator to turn their season around the first time. He has worked hard and kept as positive as possible and now finds himself around the team and on the ice again. Go out there play for the guy who would do anything to be out there right now.

 

It’s no secret around the Flyers dressing room that they are right back in the thick of things. Come into the game today ready to go and prepared to take that next step towards the playoffs. Not only could they move themselves closer, they could really push the Jets back with a win this afternoon.

 

The Jets PK has been rather terrible this year. The Flyers PP on the other hand, has been amazing. The best way to suck the energy right out of the building would be to draw the Jets into penalty trouble, and take advantage of those opportunities.