WINNIPEG — Head coach Scott Arniel didn’t like the result, but he had few problems with the effort.
The Winnipeg Jets lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday after rookie Matvei Michkov put a backhand shot past star goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
“The goaltender has a lot to do with it,” Arniel said of Flyers' netminder Ivan Fedotov, who made 29 saves.
“Obviously this (Philadelphia) team does a real good job of trying to get into shot lanes. Can’t criticize when guys are taking that many opportunities and getting that many looks.”
The loss took Winnipeg’s NHL-leading record to 42-15-4, while the Flyers (27-26-8) extended their point streak to five games (4-0-1).
The Jets were coming off a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Thursday that ended their franchise-record 11-game win streak.
“Two weeks ago or earlier in the year, all that stuff was going in, especially if we got that much quantity,” Arniel said.
“You know, the last few games goaltenders have made stops and we’ve gotten snake-bitten a couple times. For us it’s just stay with it, stick with what we’re doing, some of those will start to go in.”
Jamie Drysdale scored for the Flyers, who had 22 blocked shots compared to Winnipeg’s 12.
Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets and Hellebuyck made 31 saves in front of 14,436 fans at Canada Life Centre.
“He takes up a lot of the net,” Scheifele said of the six-foot-seven Fedotov. “Makes it look really tough to find a hole. He made some big saves tonight and kept them in it.”
Scheifele notched his team-leading 34th goal of the season with a shot from the slot at 9:58 of the first period.
Drysdale made it 1-1 at 3:48 of the second with a high shot that hit both posts and went in.
“(Nick Seeler) wired it over to me, (Noah Cates) came up high, got open and then made a hell of a play, backhand sauce through two guys and then I kind of just looked up,” Drysdale said of his goal’s setup.
“I wasn’t expecting to have the time and space that I did, to be honest with you, and then I wasn’t going to turn (down) that shot. Heck of a play by him.”
Hellebuyck made a key glove save on Bobby Brink early in the third, then defenceman Dylan DeMelo laid down to disrupt a Flyers’ two-on-one attack midway through the frame.
Cates unintentionally played goalie in overtime when the Jets were attacking. He got into the crease and denied a Kyle Connor shot with his left arm.
"When your team can made a save like this for you, it's unbelievable,” Fedotov said.
Scheifele viewed it as the goal that got away.
“(Connor’s shot), that’s one that goes in most nights. Kudos to them,” he said.
The Jets had a pair of power plays in the final six minutes of the third period. Fedotov made a quick glove save on a Nikolaj Ehlers shot during the first man advantage.
“I hit my shot exactly the way I wanted to. I think his glove was just lucky to be there,” Ehlers said.
The Jets are 0-for-16 on the power play in their past six games.
“We know what we want to do,” Ehlers said of their power-play chances. “I think overall it's just the passing that is not good enough.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2025.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
