The Winnipeg Jets’ losing streak has reached six after a 5-1 setback against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre.
It was a game that turned quickly after the opening minutes. The first five minutes were fairly even, but once Cole Koepke took the game’s first penalty, Florida made the Jets pay.
Carter Verhaeghe scored on the power play for his seventh goal of the season, with Brady Tkachuk and Seth Jones earning the assists. A little more than a minute later, Niko Mikkola buried a wrist shot from near the faceoff dot to push the Panthers ahead 2-0.
Florida wasn’t done. Less than two minutes after that, the Panthers added another on the man advantage after the Jets were penalized for too many players on the ice.
Verhaeghe struck again, and suddenly Winnipeg was staring at a 3-0 deficit despite holding an 8-6 edge in shots after the opening period. Clay Stevenson gave up three goals on Florida’s first five shots, while Winnipeg also came up empty on its lone power play in the first.
The second period was tighter, with both clubs registering five shots in the first half of the frame. Florida got another power play after DeMelo was called for tripping, but the Jets kept the score right where it was.
Winnipeg finally broke through when Adam Lowry scored shorthanded on a wrap-around after Akira Schmid failed to connect on a pass behind his own net. Schmid lunged to stop the puck, but after a quick review the goal stood.
The momentum didn’t last long, though, as Sam Reinhart answered less than a minute later to restore Florida’s three-goal cushion.
Winnipeg had another late power play before the second intermission, but the man advantage stayed quiet and the Panthers carried a 4-1 lead into the third. Florida also led the shot count in the period, 11-10, and the Jets were left needing a big push to get back into it.
That push never really came. Winnipeg tried to chip away in the third, but Florida kept things under control before Brady Tkachuk scored with eight minutes left to make it 5-1. Matthew Tkachuk picked up his fourth assist of the night on the goal.
Stevenson ended up allowing five goals on 20 shots, while the Jets finished with a 25-24 edge in shots. Winnipeg is now 4-5-3 on the season, and the skid has stretched to six straight losses.
The Jets now turn the page to Thursday, when they begin a four-game road trip in Tampa Bay against the Lightning.
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