NHL: Flyers crush Jets to help playoff standing

Sean Couturier had two goals and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers moved closer to securing a playoff berth with a 7-1 win over the host Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.

Noah Cates had a goal and two assists, while Matvei Michkov scored and had a helper. Porter Martone, Travis Sanheim and Nick Seeler also tallied for Philadelphia. Rasmus Ristolainen collected two assists. Dan Vladar made 27 stops.

Haydn Fleury scored the Jets' lone goal. Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves, while Eric Comrie stopped one shot and allowed two goals in relief after taking over for the third period.

The victory provided the Flyers (41-27-12, 94 points) the ability to hold the third seed in the Metropolitan Division with two games remaining.

The defeat was a large setback for the Jets' (35-32-12, 82 points) slim playoff chances, pushing them five points back of Los Angeles for the final Western Conference wild-card spot with three games remaining.

The Flyers opened the scoring just 1:17 into the game when Travis Konecny made a spinning pass from the slot off the rush that found Martone, who snapped the puck into the net.

The Jets evened the game at 1-1 at the 6:57 mark of the opening frame when Fleury pounced on a long rebound and knocked it home.

Philadelphia regained the lead 1:27 later in the first when Michkov picked his spot to make it 2-1. Just 25 seconds later, Couturier buried a turnover to extend the lead to 3-1.

A point shot by Sanheim extended the Flyers lead 11:41 into the middle frame, giving Philadelphia a 4-1 advantage.

Philadelphia added to the score making it 5-1 after Cates scored short-handed with 32 seconds left in the second.

Couturier got his second of the game 6:23 into the third when he backhanded his own rebound past Comrie to make it 6-1.

Philadelphia made it 7-1 with 6:28 left on the clock off a snap shot by Seeler.

-Field Level Media/Reuters