Flyers at Jets
THE STORY: The Winnipeg Jets will vie for a season sweep of
the Philadelphia Flyers when the teams reconvene at MTS Centre on
Tuesday. The Jets have won six straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings
with the Flyers dating back to last season when the former club was
known as the Atlanta Thrashers. Winnipeg has won three in a row and sits
one point behind the Southeast Division-leading Florida Panthers.
Philadelphia has dropped six of its last eight.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CS Philadelphia (Flyers), TSN (Jets)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (32-19-7): Philadelphia is doing its best to retool
its ailing defensive corps. After acquiring defenseman Nicklas Grossman
from Dallas on Thursday, the Flyers added defenseman Pavel Kubina from
Tampa Bay on Saturday. Of course, Philadelphia's never-ending
goaltending problems continue to rear their ugly heads. After signing
Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million deal in the off-season, the
eccentric Russian was booed off the ice after yielding a pair of
shorthanded goals in Saturday's 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh.
ABOUT THE JETS (29-26-6):
Right Wing Blake Wheeler has been a key cog in the Jets' upward climb
in the standings. Wheeler, who was named the NHL's Second Star of the
Week on Monday, collected a goal and seven assists in his last three
games - including a four-assist effort in Sunday's 5-1 victory over the
Colorado Avalanche. Wheeler has five assists in three games versus the
Flyers this season.
OVERTIME:
1. Winnipeg netted a pair of power-play goals
Sunday. Prior to that, the Jets failed to score with the man advantage
in their previous five contests.
2. Flyers left wing James van
Riemsdyk had an assist in his return Saturday after missing 15 games
with a concussion. The second overall pick of the 2007 draft, van
Riemsdyk had two goals and an assist in the team's wild 9-8 loss to the
Jets on Oct. 27.
3. Winnipeg left wing Evander Kane has three
goals and three assists in his last three contests. The former
first-round pick has scored a goal and set up two others in a pair of
games versus the Flyers this season.