The Florida Panthers arrive in Winnipeg tonight with a little momentum and a lot of familiarity with their opponent’s problems.
The Jets have spent the past week juggling major change and more frustration. As they prepared for Sunday’s Heritage Classic - played outdoors at the home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers - they finally closed the book on the Connor Hellebuyck saga by trading the gold-medal winning goalie to the New Jersey Devils. Then came another one-goal defeat, a 2-1 loss to the Canadiens that extended Winnipeg’s slide to five straight games.
Every loss in that run has come by a single goal, leaving the Jets at 0-3-2 over that stretch.
The bigger issue, though, has been there all season. Winnipeg just isn’t scoring enough.
The Jets rank 27th in the NHL at 2.45 goals per game, and their attack has leaned heavily on Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti. Connor has nine goals and Perfetti has six, which means more than half of Winnipeg’s goals have come from those two alone.
Mark Scheifele, usually a steady 30-plus-goal presence, has only two goals in 11 games.
That imbalance has caught up with them, and coach Scott Arniel said as much after the Heritage Classic.
“We need secondary (scoring). We need other people stepping up,’’ he said.
“It makes it hard with all the heat on ‘Scheif’s’ line to try to do that. That’s part of the mindset of our players.
Like I just talked about. You’ve got to get to the net.
You’ve got to get greasy goals…
“We’ve got to get inside. That’s just part of how you have to score goals in this league.
It isn’t all just cute stuff. It has to be some of that stuff that’s a little bit greasier.
We do need other people to pick up some of that load.”
The Panthers are coming off a far messier game, but one they still managed to win. After road losses in Ottawa and Pittsburgh, Florida went into Chicago and survived a night where the Blackhawks had plenty of chances to swing the result their way.
Akira Schmid came up with breakaway stops, the posts helped out, and Ryan Donato even broke his stick with a wide-open Florida net in front of him. Then, with the clock winding down, Chicago’s sloppy line change opened the door for Lars Eller, who threaded the puck past Spencer Knight for the game-winner.
Florida left with a 3-2 win and two points anyway.
Winnipeg’s roster situation is still being shaped by the Hellebuyck trade. Dawson Mercer is the only player from that deal who has suited up for the Jets so far.
Former Panther Nick Bjugstad was also included, but he has been rehabbing from offseason surgery and is not expected back for another two to three months. Mercer, a solid 20-goal scorer, should help.
Nico Daws is in the mix for the backup goalie job, where he’ll be competing with 27-year-old Clay Stevenson, who has spent most of his career in the minors.
The Jets are also missing Josh Morrissey, who has sat out the last seven games with a hand injury and is considered week to week. That’s a major absence on defense.
Florida coach Paul Maurice didn’t tip his hand on any lineup changes after the Chicago win. His message was simpler: stay disciplined.
The Panthers killed off all seven Chicago power plays Sunday, and the Blackhawks bring the NHL’s worst power play into the game at 8.3 percent. Winnipeg’s power play is far better at 19.4 percent, even with its scoring issues.
The Jets may be losing, but they’re not fading quietly. Florida should expect a hard push tonight in Winnipeg, and again on Friday in Sunrise when the teams meet for a second straight game.
The puck drops Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Canada Life Center in Winnipeg. Last season, the teams split their meetings 1-1.
This season, Friday’s game was at Florida and Tuesday’s is in Winnipeg. The all-time regular-season series has the Thrashers/Jets ahead 58-35-9, with five ties.
Florida’s next game after this one is Monday, Nov. 2 against the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m.
In Other News...
Panthers Face A Telling Test As Road Trip Ends In Winnipeg
The Panthers are wrapping up a four-game road trip in Winnipeg with a matchup that offers a useful measuring stick for where they stand after a needed win in Chicago. Florida got past the Blackhawks 3-2, with contributions coming from Lars Eller, Sandis Vilmanis, Matthew Tkachuk, Akira Schmid and Seth Jones, and now gets one more chance to bank points away from home before heading back.
Winnipeg arrives with its own pressure, having gone five straight without a win and coming off a 2-1 loss to Montreal in the Heritage Classic. For Florida, it is the kind of late-trip game that can say plenty about the teams legs, its focus and whether one good result in Chicago can become the start of a steadier stretch. [Read more 🡒]