PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers needed a win before they begin a long December road trip, and goaltender Steve Mason delivered exactly that by defeating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Friday.
Mason returned for his second game of the season against the Jets and made 25 saves. He also turned in a 38-save effort at Winnipeg in a 3-2 shootout loss Nov. 15.
The Flyers broke a two-game losing streak leading into a six-game road trip that will take them away from Philadelphia for nearly two weeks. The Jets, who are in the middle of their own six-game journey, had their two-game winning streak snapped.
In helping the Flyers earn their second win in six tries against the Western Conference, Scott Hartnell scored his fifth goal for the hosts that built an early 1-0 advantage. Sean Couturier's second goal five minutes into the second period set up a two-goal lead.
Jets forward Michael Frolik halved the Philadelphia lead with 7:07 remaining in the game and ended Mason's shutout bid with his seventh goal. Ondrej Pavelec returned to the Winnipeg net after a one-game break and saw 34 Philadelphia shots, turning aside 32 of them.
The Jets' power play continued its struggles as well. Ranked 28th at the start of the game, Winnipeg went scoreless on six power-play opportunities that produced three shots.
Left wing Evander Kane, tied for second on the Jets with seven goals, exited the game after Philadelphia defenseman Braydon Coburn hit him along the boards late in the first period. Kane did not return with what the Jets described as a lower-body injury and his status for their next game Monday against the New York Rangers is not known.
Hartnell needed 48 seconds to put the Flyers up 1-0 on their second shot of the game. The puck kicked off Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien's stick into the high slot, where Hartnell directed into the net before Pavelec could scramble into position.
Mason saw two shots in the first period and Winnipeg went the final 15:27 of the period without a shot. Winnipeg faced early penalty trouble, taking four minors in the first. A tripping penalty to Tobias Enstrom at the horn created a two-man advantage for the Flyers that spanned the opening 1:36 of the second period.
Winnipeg managed to kill off the 5-on-3, but with the visitors on their third power play shortly afterward, Couturier jumped on Byfuglien's turnover inside the Flyers' defensive zone. Couturier outraced Enstrom and put the puck between Pavelec's pads at 5:36. It was the fifth shorthanded goal the Jets have surrendered, tops in the League.
Up against a strong Philadelphia forecheck and tight pressure inside the home team's defensive zone, the Jets continued to struggle to sustain offensive pressure. Frolik finally solved Mason late in the third, taking a loose puck to Mason's right before wheeling and flinging a low shot that snuck past the goalie.
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