Philadelphia @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 28, 2019 ) Winnipeg 1, Philadelphia 3

The Winnipeg Jets look to rebound from a loss to the NHL’s worst team and open a three-game homestand with a positive result when they host the injury-ravaged Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Jets, who are 13-4-2 since the beginning of November, suffered a 5-2 setback at Detroit on Thursday that snapped Red Wings’ 12-game losing streak and coach Paul Maurice looks for his team to pick up the pace against the Flyers.

“We needed the rest,” Maurice told reporters after Saturday’s practice. “We got back to fast today. I liked - more importantly - that they were mentally trying to do what they needed to do even if they couldn’t execute it. At this time of year, it’s as much mental as it is physical.” The Jets enjoy five of the next six on home ice and have won the last three in the series at Bell MTS Place against Philadelphia, including a 7-1 victory last season as defenseman Josh Morrissey and center Mark Scheifele each collected three points. The Flyers, already down four forwards (Travis Konecny, Oskar Lindblom, Michael Raffl, Nolan Patrick), lost two more when Tyler Pitlick and Scott Laughton left Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Minnesota with injuries as they managed only 18 shots on net overall. “There’s no doubt it’s a challenging situation,” coach Alain Vigneault told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “but at the end of the day, we had a couple power plays at the end. We had our best players on the ice. They have to find a way to execute and make the other team pay.”

TV: 5 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia Plus, TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE FLYERS (17-10-5): Konecny (28 points), the team’s leading scorer, is recovering from a concussion and Lindblom (18) is likely out for the season after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. If Pitlick and Laughton can’t go Sunday, Philadelphia may need some reinforcements flown in while more will be expected from captain Claude Giroux (22 points), along with fellow forwards Sean Couturier (23) and Jakub Voracek (22). Carter Hart (10-7-3) made 24 saves Saturday and veteran Brian Elliott (7-3-2, .915 save percentage) is slated to make the start against Winnipeg after winning three of his previous four outings.

ABOUT THE JETS (19-11-2): Scheifele has totaled five goals along with three assists during a five-game point streak to start December and leads the team with 32 points - two more than fellow forward Patrik Laine (nine goals). Kyle Connor also boasts a five-game point streak after scoring twice Thursday and is third on the team with 29 points while fellow wing Nikolaj Ehlers was kept off the scoresheet in the last game after recording six points in six contests. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck (15-8-2) owns a .919 save percentage in five appearances this month after finishing November with a .944 SP - best in the league for those with more than six outings.

OVERTIME

1. The Flyers are 0-for-15 on the power play in the last six games while going 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in the past three.

2. Winnipeg loaned 19-year-old F David Gustafsson (one goal, 22 games) to Team Sweden for the upcoming World Junior Championships.

3. Philadelphia LW James van Riemsdyk scored his third goal in seven games Saturday.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Flyers 2