Scheifele, Vilardi each has 3 points, Jets defeat Flyers to end 3-game skid

PHILADELPHIA -- Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists for the Winnipeg Jets in a 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.

Gabriel Vilardi had three assists, and Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg (43-16-4), which had lost its three previous games (0-2-1). Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored, and Eric Comrie made 21 saves.

"I thought we played great," Scheifele said. "We got back in the win column. I wouldn't say the last couple games we've played awful, but to get our power play scoring like that, it was a good game."

Matvei Michkov scored his 20th goal, and Samuel Ersson made 23 saves for Philadelphia (27-28-8), which had won 2-1 in a shootout at Winnipeg on Saturday.

"It wasn't good enough, especially for this time of year," Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. "We were flat for most of the game. They seemed to want it more and they're a good team and they made us pay."

Scheifele made it 1-0 at 8:32 of the first period on the power play when he crashed the net to knock in the rebound of a Vilardi shot.

Ehlers scored a power-play goal at 15:13 to make it 2-0.

The Jets entered the game with the best power play in the NHL at 31.2 percent, and they went 2-for-2 Thursday after going 2-for-3 in a 3-2 loss against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. But previous to that they were 0-for-16 during a six-game run without a power-play goal.

"The things that we stress, the attack, the retrievals, the support," Jets coach Scott Arniel said. "'Scheif's’ first goal was a great example of that, a shot with crashing the net. ... That power play was big in the first period and really got them on their heels. Anytime you can do that on the road, that's big."

Connor made it 3-0 at 5:28 of the second period with a shot from the right face-off dot off the rush.

It was his second goal in five games since returning from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"He’s phenomenal," Scheifele said. "He makes so many good plays, obviously it’s nice to see him get a goal. But he makes so many great passes, so many great reads. He’s absolutely fantastic to play with and obviously it’s nice to see him put one home."

Lowry put Winnipeg ahead 4-0 at 9:03 when he skated down the slot and scored off a centering pass by Mason Appleton.

"I think it's just some things in my game are not exactly where I want them to be right now," Ersson said. "Obviously it's frustrating. I know I have to be a lot better, especially this time of year."

Michkov made it 4-1 at 17:18 of the third period when he skated the puck down the left wing and beat Comrie with a shot from the left face-off circle.

It was the second straight loss for the Flyers to start a season-long seven-game homestand, following a 6-3 defeat against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The NHL Trade Deadline coming at 3 p.m. ET on Friday has been an issue for some players.

"There's maybe a lot of distractions off the ice, but it's on us to do a better job coming to the rink and being focused, especially with this home stretch for us, to get a couple wins and stay in the [Stanley Cup Playoff] race and give ourselves a chance," Couturier said. "It's the business side. It's on us to be ready and control what we can control and show up to the rink and bring our 'A' game."

NOTES: The Jets are the first team to reach 90 points this season. ... It was Winnipeg's 20th road win in their 31st game, setting a Jets/Atlanta Thrashers record for fewest road games to win 20, eclipsing the previous best of 33 games last season. ... Scheifele's goal was his 35th of the season. It's his third time scoring that many, second all-time among Jets/Thrashers players behind Ilya Kovalchuk, who had six. ... Ehlers' goal was his 20th, the eighth time he's had that many, tied with Kovalchuk and Connor for second-most in franchise history, behind Scheifele (10). ... Michkov and Tyson Foerster, who scored 20 goals last season, are the first Flyers rookies to score at least 20 in consecutive seasons since Tim Kerr (22, 1980-81) and Ron Flockhart (33, 1981-82).