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Preview: Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers

The Winnipeg Jets (10-4-3) play their second of three straight games at home on Thursday night, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers (8-8-2).

The Flyers currently sit in the basement of the ultra competitive Metropolitan Division, while just six points back of the first place Devils. Philadelphia is coming off of a pair of shutout losses to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. The Flyers are also one of the two teams that have managed to lose to the Arizona Coyotes this year. So there’s that too.

Philadelphia’s scoring leaders this season are Jakub Voracek (21 points), Claude Giroux (20) and Sean Couturier (19). Couturier is now being trusted in centering Giroux and Voracek on the top line, with positive results.

Meanwhile, Mark Scheifele, the guy who went one pick ahead of Couturier, is also having a good year for the Jets, sitting on 21 points which trails only Blake Wheeler’s 23. Scheifele leads the Jets in goals, one up on Patrik Laine, who has been en fuego as of late.

Philadelphia and Winnipeg have both seen some strong goaltending from guys that were supposed to be backups when the season started. Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the stories of the early NHL season, posting a 9-1-2 record, .930 save percentage and 2.32 goals against average. His counterparts have seen starter Brian Elliott put up alright numbers of 6-5-1 with a .910 save percentage and 2.59 GAA, while backup Michal Neuvirth has been the better of the two with a 2-3-1 record and .928 save percentage and 2.17 GAA. The FLyers are not a team that gives up a lot of goals, sitting sixth in the league in goals against per game played compared to Winnipeg’s 12th. However, they don’t score a lot either, sitting 23rd in the league compare to Winnipeg’s 10th.

Puck drop tonight at Bell MTS Place is shortly after 7 pm CST.

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