Flyers emerge from break with SO loss to Jets

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Somewhere between the morning skate and the third period, the message from Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was lost in translation.

Get a strong, motivated start against the Winnipeg Jets. Get the legs moving and the shots coming after a long All-Star break.

For 40 minutes Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center, nothing happened as Laviolette stewed.

He was upset even after the first and I dont blame him, Jaromir Jagr. Thats what happens when you have five days off. Neither team played good. It looked like they had better legs in the first period.

It wasnt until the third period the Flyers actually had some jam in their game with 13 shotsmatching their total from the first two periods.

Nonetheless, they lost 2-1 in their third straight shootout. Bryan Little had the game-winner.

The first and second werent very good or very sharp either way, Laviolette said. There wasnt a lot of chances. The first 10 minutes, didnt have a chance. They were slow coming after that.

The first shot of the game didnt come until there was 9:24 left in the first period when Ilya Bryzgalov had to make a save on Blake Wheeler from the slot. That drew thunderous applausenot because Bryz stopped it, but because someone did something with the puck.

Bryzgalov was strong in net the entire night with 23 saves, including his first two of the season in the shootout.

Just a little bit too late to close the five-hole, he said of Littles game-winner.

The Flyers didnt get their first shot until exactly three minutes after the Jets during a power play as Ondrej Pavelec made a save on Jakub Voracek.

By first periods end, rookie Brayden Schenn had given the Flyers a 1-0 on his fourth goal at 15:11 during that same power play.

Schenn got a couple of backhanded whacks to jam it under Pavelecs pads.

The first two periods it kind of showed therewe werent on our game and were making soft plays, Schenn said.

The Flyers best chances came in the third period. Scott Hartnell almost broke the 1-1 deadlock at 8:38 off a nice pass from Claude Giroux that forced a stoppage.

Every period we started off slow and werent moving our feet, Hartnell said. We ended up getting a point out of it, but were still really disappointed by everybody. We played good in spurts, but you cant win like that in this league.

Hartnell said Laviolette was not pleased with his teams effort.

The way we can play is definitely not the way we have played against the Rangers and Penguins and teams like that, Hartnell said.

I dont know what it is about the Jets, if we take them lightly or what. Our mindset has to be a lot different the next time we play them.

The last time the Flyers defeated AtlantaWinnipeg in Philly was Jan. 21, 2009five home games ago.

The important news here was the return of Jagr after missing two games with a groin pull.

Laviolette wanted to ease Jagrs way back into the lineup by not having him play too many minutes. Hence, Jagr didnt skate with his usual partnersGiroux and Hartnell. Instead, Jagr was paired with Schenn and Matt Read at the start.

By the third period, Jagr was back with his buddies.

I was glad to play after 10 days, Jagr said. Probably better for me to start on a different line. Probably less pressure. Slowing get into the game.

Hartnell thought Jagr looked pretty good on the ice.

He was carrying the puck, making plays, holding onto it like he does when hes playing really well, Hartnell said. It was good to see him back and not be hesitant.

The last couple of times he came back, he worried how he was going to be and felt 100 percent in the game. Thats what we need from him.

Chris Thorburn, who Hartnell goaded into that first-period penalty that led to the Flyers only goal, tied the game at 2:08 of the second period with a wicked wrister from the right circle that found nothing but net.

He also became yet another in a long line of players to get his first goal of the season against the Flyers. A number of NHL players scored their first career goals against the Flyers this season, as well.

Schenns unit had some decent chances off the rush that period. Jagr fired one coming into the zone and it went off the crossbar, straight up and out of play.

Later, Jagr gave Schenn a pass off the rush and the rookie fired it wide of the net.

It wasnt very pretty, Jagr said. Too bad we couldnt get two points.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcastsportsnet.com.

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