Giroux would like to see bout between Flyers' Berube, Jets' Byfuglien
In this corner, former Flyers enforcer and current coach Craig "Chief" Berube.
In that corner, Winnipeg's massive defenseman, Dustin "Big Buff" Byfuglien.
The two jawed at one another on the ice after the Flyers' 4-3 overtime win in Winnipeg last month.
The teams have a rematch Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.
"I don't know if Byfuglien and Chief are going to fight tonight," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said after Thursday's morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center, "but I would like to see that."
Who would you take?
"I would go with my coach, I think," Giroux said with a smile. "He's due for a good fight."
"I'm too old for that stuff," Berube, 49, said. "He's too big."
"I'm getting to be too old, too," Byfuglien, 29, countered.
Flyers winger Jake Voracek expects a "tough game, a physical game. When we played in Winnipeg, they hit us pretty hard, and we have to match that and find a way to win the game."
Byfuglien took turns ramming his 6-foot-5, 260-pound body into Voracek, Giroux, Brayden Schenn et al in that game.
"You just have to make sure you don't get hit," said Voracek, whose team has won two straight and is 10 points out of a playoff spot. "You have to skate and get away from him, because if he gets you standing still, it hurts. We just have to make sure we're move the puck well and moving our legs, and hopefully he won't catch us."
Jets coach respects Flyers. Jets coach Paul Maurice said he expects the Flyers to be a hungry team tonight.
"They won a game (Tuesday), so they're feeling good," he said. "They're in full-push mode to get back into the fight _ and we know as well as anybody, from what we tried to do last year _ two or three good weeks and you're back in it. And life's a lot different.
"When you get a team that has had frustration, and you start to get something good going on in the locker room, it can really snowball, so we expect their best tonight."
First-period blues. In the last 15 games, the Flyers have been outscored in the opening period, 17-6, and have allowed the first goal 12 times.
Breakaways. Flyers goalie Steve Mason (9-12-6, 2.41 GAA, .921 save percentage), making his first start since Jan. 10, will face rookie-of-the-year candidate Michael Hutchinson, who is 14-4-2, with a 1.90 GAA and .935 save percentage….Defenseman Mark Stuart (lower-body) will return from an injury and replace Jay Harrrison for the Jets, giving them their regular defensive unit for the first time all season….The Jets (26-15-8) have a 14-6-5 road record and lead the NHL with 33 road points; the Flyers (20-22-7) are 13-7-3 at home.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.