Jets find net, end losing streak

WINNIPEG -- Call off the search party. The Winnipeg Jets have located their scoring touch.

And just in a nick of time.

After scoring only six goals during a five-game losing skid, the Jets beat Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov four times in the second period on the way to a 4-1 victory over the Flyers on Saturday.

It was the first of six consecutive games at MTS Centre for the Jets, who moved back into the penthouse in the NHL's Southeast Division.

But the eviction notice could be issued in mere hours.

Winnipeg (19-19-2) has 40 points, good for first place in the Southeast and an automatic third-place spot in the Eastern Conference.

But Washington took on the Florida Panthers on Saturday night and a Capitals' victory would tie the Jets in points but vault them into top spot in the division on the strength of games in hand.

Winnipeg has only eight games remaining, and each is crucial.

"Obviously, we had to win this game to give ourselves a shot to make the playoffs," said Evander Kane, who scored his 14th goal of the season and chipped in an assist.

"We have six more games at home and two more on the road, and those are going to be just as important. Our season's on the line right now."

The Jets trailed, 1-0, through the first period, but Grant Clitsome, Kyle Wellwood, Kane and Bryan Little scored within a 6:28 span in the middle frame.

Ruslan Fedotenko beat Jets' goalie Ondrej Pavelec on a deflection in the first period for the Flyers, winners of four straight coming into the game.

Philadelphia (17-18-3) remained three points out of a playoff spot before Saturday night's games.

Clitsome's goal was a clean shot from the slot, while Wellwood and Kane popped in loose pucks that came from solid work deep in the offensive end and wraparounds that created rebounds.

"We got pucks to the net," Jets' coach Claude Noel said. "(They were) hard, dirty goals and that's what you have to do to win. There are no easy goals in this league. You have to pay the price."

Bryzgalov, replaced by newly acquired Steve Mason to start the third period, said the Jets were effective creating traffic in front of him.

"You know in basketball, if you lose the rebounds in the defensive zone, you probably lose the game," Bryzgalov said. "In the second period, in particular, (the Jets) drove everything in front. They crashed it."

Both clubs have a couple of days off before returning to the ice Tuesday. The Flyers wrap up a three-game trip against the New York Islanders, while the Jets host the Buffalo Sabres.

Pavelec, who has played 37 of the Jets' 40 games, was superb as Philadelphia outshot Winnipeg, 30-25. He said it was great to have the best seat in the house as the Jets broke out of their scoring slump.

"We scored four goals, so it was one of the best periods we've played," he said. "We were solid defensively and we created our chances.

"We drove to the net; we did a great job around the net. We shoot, make some rebounds and put it in the back of the net."

The Flyers scored the only goal of the first period after a faceoff when defenseman Kent Huskins fired the puck into a crowd in front of the net and it glanced off Fedotenko, bouncing high over the glove of Pavelec at 11:07.

The goal was Fedotenko's fourth of the season.

Philadelphia pressed for more, hemming the Jets in their own end for much of the final eight minutes of the period, but Pavelec was solid. Winnipeg went the last 15 minutes of the first period without a shot on Bryzgalov, who had to make only four saves.

The Jets had an early power play in the second period when the Flyers were caught with too many men on the ice, but Winnipeg never threatened.

The only shot that did damage was a blast from Toby Enstrom that caught Philadelphia blueliner Luke Schenn in the face. He left the ice immediately, bleeding badly, but returned later in the game.

Winnipeg finally got on the board when Clitsome joined the rush, took a pass from Little and ripped a shot past Bryzgalov at 12:38 of the middle period for his third goal of the season.

On the very next shift, Kane worked the puck behind the net and tried a wraparound that didn't work, but the puck squirted out to Wellwood, who scored his third of the season at 13:05.

Only 99 seconds later, Kane scored his 14th of the season in similar fashion, picking up a loose puck in front of Bryzgalov and roofing it.

Little scored his sixth of the season with only 54 seconds left, whipping a wrist shot from the faceoff dot.

NOTES: Kimmo Timonen left the rink walking with a bad limp Thursday following the Flyers' 5-3 win over Toronto and was a game-time decision Saturday. But the 38-year-old defenseman, who averages 21:24 of ice time, dressed and played the very first shit. Philadelphia was already missing a pile of players, including winger Zac Rinaldo (ankle sprain), Max Talbot (broken leg), Andrej Meszaros (shoulder), Braydon Coburn (shoulder) and Danny Briere (concussion). ... Jets' goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a workhorse this season, appearing in 36 of 40 games. He was second in the NHL in shots against (981) and saves (885) entering play this weekend. He also ranked third in minutes played (2,002:10), behind only Pekka Rinne (2,026:43) of Nashville and Ilya Bryzgalov (2,019:25) of Philadelphia. ... Claude Giroux of Philadelphia had taken 939 faceoffs this season before Saturday, most in the NHL. He had won 54.2 percent of his faceoffs. ... Veteran Ron Hainsey entered the game with 99 blocked shots to lead the NHL. It was thought the Winnipeg blueliner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, would be dealt at the trade deadline Wednesday. But the only move the Jets made was the addition of forward Mike Santorelli on waivers from Florida. ... Jets' rookie Zach Redmond returned to the practice ice Friday, only 42 days after he suffered a life-threatening injury when his right femoral artery and vein in his mid-thigh were accidentally cut by a teammate's skate in practice in Raleigh, N.C. "It's nothing short of a miracle considering what he's been through," team doctor Peter MacDonald told the Winnipeg Free Press. The 24-year-old defenseman should be ready for training camp in September.