Flyers, Bryzgalov warm up in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Toward the end of the American national anthem on Tuesday night, there was a smattering of boos echoing throughout the cozy MTS Centre.

No, Jets fans were not expressing their satisfaction with their less hockey-mad neighbors to the south. The video board, instead, was showing Ilya Bryzgalov standing in the Flyers' crease.

Bryzgalov is still Public Enemy No. 1 in Winnipeg for the disparaging remarks he made about hockey's smallest market nearly 3 years ago. His Phoenix Coyotes, long in financial straits, were rumored to be returning back to the city from which they came in 1996.

"Not many people live there, not many Russian people there," Bryzgalov said in April 2010. "Plus, it's cold. There's no excitement except for the hockey. No park, no entertaining for the families, for the kids. It's going to be tough life for your family."

Bryzgalov publicly apologized during his first trip to Winnipeg with the Flyers last November, yet he's still one of the town's most reviled opponents.

It wasn't the first time Bryzgalov has put his foot in his mouth. Even with the mocking "Il-yaaaa, Il-yaaaa" chants that began immediately at puck drop in the NHL's loudest building, Bryzgalov put his best foot forward and willed the Flyers to an important, 3-2 victory over the Jets.

"It's always nice to play in Canada," Bryzgalov said afterward, "because the building is always packed and they passionately support their team. It's a good win for us . . . I think all of us had a bounce-back today and played real well. We survived the storm."

Bryzgalov said the booing doesn't bother him. "They don't cheer anything bad," he said. "They just cheer my name."

The win was just the Flyers' second on the road (2-6-0) this season, as they are in the midst of a seasonlong six-game swing that still includes stops in New Jersey, Montreal, Long Island and Pittsburgh.

In a quarter of a season filled with solid performances, Bryzgalov's 24-save effort in Winnipeg was perhaps his most impressive, less than 24 hours after a game he'd rather forget. He was yanked from Monday's game in Toronto after allowing four goals in a little more than 26 minutes, though coach Peter Laviolette said Bryzgalov could not be faulted for his goals.

Monday's drowning by the Maple Leafs was the first time Bryzgalov had been pulled from a game since Feb. 18, 2012. Coincidentally, Bryzgalov followed that game with a 5-4 overtime win in Winnipeg just 3 days later. That road trip last season was when Bryzgalov finally began to find his game, just before he reeled off seven straight victories and nearly set the NHL modern-day shutout streak record.

Truth is, Bryzgalov always has bounced back well for the Flyers. Last season, he was 3-0-1 in his next start following a game in which he was pulled early.

"I thought 'Bryz' was sharp for us the entire game," Laviolette said. "To bounce back after last night, where there were some breakdowns and not necessarily his fault, still you've got to bounce back from that. I thought he was tremendous."

In "Winterpeg," Bryzgalov was peppered early and often, as the Flyers needed more than 6 minutes to register their first shot on goal, and staved off a frantic Jets rally late in the second period.

The Flyers clung to a 2-1 edge at the second intermission, despite posting just 12 shots on net. It allowed Tye McGinn to add an insurance goal early in the third period, which turned out to be needed.

There was a marked difference in the Flyers' approach on Tuesday, after posting 46 shots on Toronto's net a night earlier. Rather than quantity, the Flyers focused on quality.

Brayden Schenn, Kimmo Timonen and McGinn all scored with heavy traffic in front of the Jets' net, where they were buzzing all night. The same could be said about Winnipeg, crashing the net in a frantic fashion, but it was Bryzgalov who was steady as ever amid the cold, the chanting and the chaos.

"He was outstanding," Jake Voracek said of Bryzgalov. "He's played so consistent, all season long. He is our best player so far this season."

Rookie Tye McGinn dropped Mark Stuart in a spirited, second-period fight . . . To make room for Harry Zolnierczyk on the 23-man roster, the Flyers moved forward Jody Shelley to injured reserve with a hip injury. For those conspiracy theorists that believe the Flyers were hiding Shelley, the injury is a nagging one that Shelley has been managing daily . . . The Flyers have killed 28 of their last 30 shorthanded situations . . . Winnipeg starting goalie Al Montoya, who left the game after the second period with a lower-body injury, was replaced by Ondrej Pavelec.