Winnipeg Jets' Saku Maenalanen (8) looks on as Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (79) stops the shot and Rasmus Ristolainen (55) defends during first period NHL action in Winnipeg, Saturday, January 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Forward Noah Cates scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.
Kieffer Bellows, Owen Tippett and Tony DeAngelo also scored for Philadelphia. Rasmus Ristolainen chipped in with two assists.
Carter Hart made 40 saves to earn his first shutout of the year for Philadelphia (21-21-9), which is 7-1-1 in its last nine road games.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26-of-30 shots for Winnipeg (31-19-1), which lost its third straight game before being relieved by David Rittich before 14,476 fans at Canada Life Centre. Rittich made three saves in relief.
The Jets are now 17-8-0 at home.
DeAngelo scored on set-up from Scott Laughton at 6:48 of the third period, the goal that chased Hellebuyck from the net.
Tippett scored on a breakaway early in the third period to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead. Ristolainen sent a long pass from deep in his own end to Tippett, who beat Hellebuyck cleanly.
Philadelphia increased the score to 2-0 midway through the second period. Forward Kieffer Bellows scored his first of the year when he was set up in front by Ristolainen. Cates also assisted.
The Jets were playing so poorly that an incensed coach Rick Bowness called a timeout with 7:06 left in the second period.
Early in the second period, Winnipeg defenceman Logan Stanley handed the puck to Flyers forward Nicolas Deslauriers in front of his own net, but Hellebuyck stopped the close-in shot. Hellebuyck also robbed Laughton on a rebound while down after stopping a shot.
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first period. Four seconds after Winnipeg had killed a hooking penalty to Stanley, Cates pounced on a rebound and shot the puck past Hellebuyck. Forwards Morgan Frost and Tippett assisted.
Both goalies made some outstanding saves in the first. Hellebuyck was sharp on a tipped shot by Tippett and stopped a labelled shot from Travis Konecny on a Flyers’ power play. Hart stopped Jets forward Mark Scheifele on a point-blank shot from in front.
NOTES
Winnipeg defenceman Dylan DeMelo missed the game with a lower-body injury. He is not expected to return until after the all-star break. “¦ Veteran winger Sam Gagner returned to the lineup, replacing Axel Jonsson-Fjalby (healthy scratch). “¦ Philadelphia forward Wade Allison (lower body injury) did not play after the Carman, Man., native blocked a shot in the overtime loss to the Wild in Minnesota on Thursday. “¦ Philly was also without forward Zach MacEwen (upper-body). “¦ Flyers centre Kevin Hayes was riding a four-game points streak heading into the game. The former Jet has scored 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his last 13 games and will be Philadelphia’s rep at the all-star game.
UP NEXT
Jets: Will host the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
Flyers: Will host the New York Islanders on Monday, Feb. 6 (after the all-star break).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2023.
