The Winnipeg Jets arrive in Sunrise carrying a seven-game losing streak and a clear problem they need to solve fast: the goals have dried up. On Friday, they face the Florida Panthers, who are coming home fresh after a 5-1 win over Winnipeg on the road this past Tuesday.
Florida has split its last four games, but this one comes with a different setup. The Panthers have been off since that win over the Jets and will begin a three-game homestand with a clear rest advantage. Winnipeg, meanwhile, is still grinding through the second leg of its four-game road trip along the East Coast.
There is at least a little history suggesting this could be a better spot for the Jets than the record says. The teams have traded wins over their last six meetings, and that pattern would point Winnipeg’s way if it holds.
But the bigger storyline is the Jets’ attack. Over their previous six straight losses entering Thursday, Winnipeg managed just ten goals, and that included only one tally in the latest meeting with Florida. That scoring slump has been the main drag on the skid, and the Jets will need a quick jolt if they want to stop the slide.
Winnipeg’s projected combinations for the matchup are Rosén-Lowry-Vilardi, Iafallo-Björck-Mercer, and Koepke-Barron-Lambert up front. On defense, the pairs listed are Samberg-Pionk, Ferraro-Salomonsson, and Fleury-DeMelo, with Skinner in goal.
Healthy scratches: Bauer.
Injured: Morrissey, Namestnikov, Bjugstad.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Have A Nino Niederreiter Problem To Solve
Nino Niederreiter has quietly become one of the more interesting names on Winnipegs roster as the Jets weigh how to handle a veteran forward in the final year of his contract. With no trade protection attached, he gives the club some flexibility, and his recent play has not matched the level he brought in previous seasons, which is part of why his situation has started to draw attention around the league.
The Jets have already had conversations with multiple teams, and the market is clearly there enough to keep the discussion alive. Still, this does not feel like a move on the verge of happening, and one of the bigger questions hanging over the talks is whether Winnipeg would need to keep part of the salary in order to get something done. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Skid Gets More Frustrating After Another Late Collapse Vs Panthers
The Jets search for a clean reset hit another rough patch Tuesday night, and this one carried a little extra weight because it came with a new face in goal. Nico Daws made his first start for Winnipeg after being acquired from New Jersey last week, and he was busy from the opening stretches as Florida kept pushing and eventually pulled away for a 5-2 win. Seth Jones chipped in a goal and two assists for the Panthers, while Akira Schmid backed up the effort with 22 saves for his third straight victory.
Anton Lundell was the difference-maker, scoring his first career hat trick in a game that kept slipping farther from Winnipeg in the closing minutes. The Jets have now lost eight straight, and the latest defeat had the kind of late unraveling that makes a skid feel even longer, especially with another chance to steady things disappearing in the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Prospects Put Hot Start To The Test In Rockford
The Manitoba Moose are wrapping up a six-game road trip with a stop in Rockford, and the early returns have been encouraging for a Winnipeg organization that has been looking for its prospects to take a step. October has been a strong month for Manitoba, with the club piling up offense and getting contributions throughout the lineup while it heads into one more test before returning home in early November.
The Moose have been one of the AHLs most productive teams so far, and the challenge now is carrying that pace into a different building against the IceHogs. For the Jets, the bigger picture is whether this hot start is a sign of something sustainable, especially with another road swing waiting after the brief home stop. [Read more 🡒]