Flyers, Jets hope to keep solid play going

Friday, 11.15.2013 / 4:04 PM

By Patrick Williams - NHL.com Correspondent / 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

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WINNIPEG -- The Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets will see similar opponents when they meet Friday at MTS Centre.

Both teams have used three-game winning streaks to revive seasons that had been in danger of unraveling after slow starts. The Flyers won 2-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and will wrap their three-game road trip against a Winnipeg Jets team that beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday.

"We have to be ready to go," Jets coach Claude Noel said. "Philly has got the same mojo that we have so they're going to be wanting to go as well."

Philadelphia has used a 6-3-1 run to move back into the Eastern Conference pack after a 1-7-0 start.

"I think we're just coming around all together as a team. Playing together as a team has been the biggest thing for me," Flyers coach Craig Berube said.

Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier said he sees his team adjusting after a difficult October stretch.

"We're playing some good hockey right now and just want to keep it going," Lecavalier said after the team's morning skate. "We're more in sync on the ice. We were off a little bit [and] in the NHL that's all it takes. If you're off a little bit you might lose the game. I think we were always a hard-working team but now I think we're playing better as a team. Right now it's going really well."

Left wing Michael Raffl, who missed the Flyers' past two games with the flu, is healthy again and may be an option for Berube against the Jets.

For the Jets, Noel has stressed puck possession and cited better breakouts, an improved forecheck and better reads as steps that his team has implemented to improve its play recently.

The Jets will return the same lineup that was used Tuesday at Detroit, meaning defenseman Zach Redmond and right wing Anthony Peluso will sit again as healthy scratches. Noel is reluctant to alter his lineup, given the Jets' recent success.

"I'd like to get [Peluso and Redmond] in the lineup," Noel said, "but that's just the way it goes."

Jets defensemen Mark Stuart (hip) and Jacob Trouba (upper body) remain injured and their return dates still are unclear, according to Noel.

Steve Mason, who shut out the Ottawa Senators 5-0 earlier this week, will start for Philadelphia. Ondrej Pavelec will make his fourth consecutive start fresh off a 41-save night against Detroit.

Here are the projected lineups for the Flyers and Jets on Friday:

FLYERS

Scott Hartnell - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek

Brayden Schenn - Vincent Lecavalier - Wayne Simmonds

Matt Read - Sean Couturier - Steve Downie

Zac Rinaldo - Adam Hall - Jay Rosehill

Kimmo Timonen - Braydon Coburn

Nicklas Grossmann - Mark Streit

Luke Schenn - Erik Gustafsson

Steve Mason

Ray Emery

Scratched: Hal Gill, Andrej Meszaros, Michael Raffl