SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers kept rolling Friday night, and Anton Lundell made sure the headline belonged to him by the time it was over.
Lundell turned in a hat trick as Florida beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2, the fifth such game for the Panthers this season. Seth Jones also delivered another major night, scoring his second goal of the season and finishing with his fifth multi-point game of the month as Florida won for the third straight time. The Panthers have taken the last two meetings with Winnipeg, while the Jets have now lost eight in a row.
Jones was central to the offense all night, and Sam Reinhart was right there with him. Reinhart scored on the power play and picked up an assist on Jones’ second-period goal. Akira Schmid continued his strong run in net, stopping 22 shots for his third straight win.
The game also came with a notable statistical wrinkle for Florida’s top pair of contributors. Per NHL Stats, Matthew Tkachuk and Jones became the ninth set of teammates in NHL history to each record 15 assists in a single October, and only the third forward-defenseman duo to do it. They joined Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey in 1988, plus New York’s Brian Leetch and Darren Turcotte in 1990.
Jones also reached a milestone of his own, becoming the fifth American defenseman in NHL history to post 15 assists in a single October. With his three-point night, he tied Keith Yandle for the most points by a Florida defenseman in a single calendar month.
Florida got on the board first late in the opening period when Reinhart scored on the power play at 18:15. He carried the puck in from behind the goal line, sold the pass, and beat Nico Daws with a wrist shot from down low.
Lundell added his first of the night at 2:38 of the second, leading the rush and firing a shot through from the left circle for his second goal of the season.
Winnipeg answered on a 5-on-3 at 9:51 when Kyle Connor finished a slick sequence by working around Jones and scoring with six seconds left on the double delay-of-game penalty. That pulled the Jets within one, but Florida didn’t let the momentum last.
At 15:24, Jones restored the two-goal cushion by finishing a one-timer from Reinhart for his second goal of the season and third point of the night.
Winnipeg made it interesting again in the third when Morgan Barron drove off the halfwall and beat Schmid at 8:46 for his first goal of the season. But Lundell shut the door on any comeback hopes with two more.
His second came at 13:33 when he redirected a shot from Lars Eller in front and then knocked the loose puck in off Daws. He sealed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 18:21.
Lundell was the clear first star, with Jones and Reinhart rounding out Florida’s top three. The Panthers now move on to Game No. 15 with the Detroit Red Wings coming to Sunrise.
In Other News...
Panthers Crease Picture Just Got More Complicated Than It Looked
Akira Schmid is back in the crease for Florida against the Winnipeg Jets, a reminder that the Panthers are still sorting through their goaltending picture while Jacob Markstrom works his way back from an upper-body injury. Markstrom has been on injured reserve since Oct. 20, but he is skating with the team and his return window is starting to line up with some upcoming games, which keeps the situation fluid for a club that has had to lean on depth in net.
The matchup also brings a little extra intrigue on the other side, where Winnipeg is expected to turn to Nico Daws, recently acquired and in line for his debut. For Florida, the bigger question is how the crease settles once Markstrom is ready, especially with Schmid already getting extended looks in the meantime and the Panthers having to balance immediate results with the long view. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Getting A Huge Boost From An Unexpected Scoring Source
Anton Lundells hat trick gave Florida the kind of finishing touch it has needed while key forwards are out, and Seth Jones kept driving the offense from the blue line in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Jones added a goal and two assists, continuing a remarkable October that has turned him into one of the Panthers most productive weapons at a time when the lineup is still missing Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand.
The broader takeaway for Florida is just how much offense it is getting from a source that was supposed to be more about stabilizing the back end. Jones has been piling up points while the Panthers wait for their injured forwards to work back into game shape, and the team has at least gotten encouraging signs with both players resuming skating. For now, though, the Panthers are leaning on unexpected scoring to keep the points coming. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are About To Unveil A Look Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Panthers are set to add a very different look to their Hometown Remix collection this season, and it is one fans will almost certainly have opinions about. Beginning Monday, Florida will wear a new pink-themed jersey in 10 home games, marking the first time the club has taken the ice in a pink sweater for a regular-season game.
The design leans into a bright pink body with accent colors and a modernized logo, and the team is also expected to pair it with matching goalie pads. The jersey release is scheduled for Monday morning, giving supporters a first chance to see whether this latest alternate becomes a favorite or a talking point. [Read more 🡒]