Panthers Let Another One Slip Late in Tough 2-1 Loss to Jets
By [Your Name]
SUNRISE, Fla. - It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to feel like you had the game in your hands-again-only to watch it slip away late. For the second straight outing, the Florida Panthers let a third-period lead evaporate, this time falling 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena.
It’s their third consecutive loss, coming right on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Now sitting at 28-23-3, the Panthers are searching for answers in a stretch that’s proving more frustrating than foreboding.
A Strong Start, But Not Enough Finish
Florida came out with purpose in the first period, controlling the pace and generating a 14-6 edge in scoring chances. They got on the board first at 14:40 when Eetu Luostarinen got his stick on an Evan Rodrigues shot and redirected it past Jets goalie Eric Comrie for the 1-0 lead.
That early goal felt like the start of something promising. The Panthers were buzzing, dictating tempo, and limiting Winnipeg’s looks. But despite the strong push, they couldn’t extend the lead, and that would come back to haunt them.
“We had the lead, right? That’s what you want,” Rodrigues said.
“Their goalie made some saves, but throughout the game we didn’t play bad, per se. They capitalized on a couple chances they got, and they did that more than we did.”
Bobrovsky Stands Tall-Until He Couldn’t
Sergei Bobrovsky was solid between the pipes, especially in the second period, where he made several key stops to preserve the one-goal lead. His best save came just past the midway point of the frame, when he flashed the glove and robbed Kyle Connor on a dangerous backhand from close range.
According to NaturalStatTrick.com, Bobrovsky stopped five high-danger chances on the night. He gave the Panthers every opportunity to close this one out.
But in the third, the dam finally broke.
Jets Take Their Chances-And the Game
At 8:34 of the third, Cole Perfetti crashed the net and buried a rebound from an Adam Lowry shot to tie things up 1-1. It was a gritty, second-effort goal-exactly the kind of play that turns tight games.
Then, with under five minutes to go, Winnipeg struck again. This time it was Mark Scheifele, finishing off a cross-ice feed from Gabriel Vilardi on the rush. Just like that, a game Florida had largely controlled was flipped on its head.
Here’s the kicker: the Panthers gave up just five shots on goal in the third period. Five. But two of them found the back of the net.
“We gave up five shots,” head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. “I don’t expect Sergei to have that second one.
We just got caught flat footed on a line change-that’s as much my fault as anybody else’s. When you play in these tight, tight games, it’s going to be one shot.”
Frustration Mounts
There’s no panic in the room, but there’s definitely frustration. This wasn’t a case of being outplayed for 60 minutes. It was more about missed opportunities, untimely mistakes, and a lack of finishing touch.
“I think we were fine, and then just a couple sloppy plays or mistakes and they scored on us,” Luostarinen said. “That’s a frustrating way to go down.”
Rodrigues echoed the sentiment: “They just capitalized on a couple plays that they made. I don’t think necessarily they were seriously bad plays or anything like that. They just capitalized on the couple chances they got.”
By the Numbers
- Florida split the season series with Winnipeg 1-1.
- Sam Bennett led the team with nine faceoff wins.
- Niko Mikkola brought the physicality, logging a team-high nine hits.
- The Panthers out-attempted the Jets 55-34 in shot attempts.
What’s Next?
No time to dwell. The Panthers are heading into a critical three-game divisional stretch before the Olympic break, starting Monday night against the Buffalo Sabres at home. It’s a chance to reset, refocus, and get back in the win column.
As Maurice put it: “We’ll tape a few guys together and see what we can put together.”
The margin for error is shrinking. And if the Panthers want to stay in the thick of the playoff race, they’ll need to turn these close calls into results-and fast.