JGD 76: Jets Go Ghost Bear Hunting in Philly

The Winnipeg Jets will play their final game of the season out east tonight as they head to Wells Fargo Center to face Shayne Gostisbehere and the Philadelphia Flyers. 

They’ll look to rebound after a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night. The Jets allowed three unanswered goals after leading 2-0. 

“We know we didn’t bring it in the third, especially when you give up a lead like that,” said Scheifele. “It’s going to be a tough test against Philly, and hopefully we can make it a good one.”

It certainly will be a tough test. Since the calendar flipped to 2016, the Flyers have been one of the better teams in the NHL, going 21-11-6. Prior to that, they were 15-14-7.

Credit to their turnaround certainly goes to rookie head coach, Dave Hakstol. Hakstol finally has his team playing the way he wants them to play, and the players seem to be fully bought in to the system and playing with confidence.

However, it’s another rookie that deserves maybe just as much credit. 

Since being called up from the minors back in November, Shayne Gostisbehere has taken the league by storm and has quickly climbed up the Calder ranks. In 56 games this season, he’s scored 16 goals and 35 assists for 41 points. That puts him fifth on the Flyers in scoring and sixth among all rookie skaters in the NHL while playing almost 20 less games than the players in front of him. 

Except some guy named Connor McDavid. 

The Jets will certainly have their hands full tonight and they will need to find the motivation to play hard after officially being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the loss to Buffalo. 

No real changes to the forward group in terms of personel. However, it looks like Maurice has promoted tho Petan-Copp-Dano young guns line to the third line. 

Blake Wheeler is on a four-game point streak (one goal, four assists) and Mark Scheifele is on a three-game point streak (one goal, three assists)

Paul Postma enters the lineup to replace the injured Tyler Myers, who has been shut down for the season. 

No confirmation yet on a starting goaltender, but it will most likely be Pavelec after Hutchinson started last game in Buffalo. 

Flyers captain Claude Giroux was shaken up after a somewhat questionable hit by Arizona Coyotes’ Martin Hanzal during the Flyers 2-1 road loss on Saturday. Hakstol says Giroux is fine, though and will play tonight. 

Giroux has three goals in the last four games. Sean Couturier has four points (one goal, three assists) in the last four games. 

Ghost Bear. 

Steve Mason will start for the Flyers. 

Even though Mason has traded wins and losses in his last eight games (4-3-1), he’s put up solid numbers with a 2.22 GAA and a .927 save percentage.