After handing Winnipeg back-to-back defeats for the first time this season, the Florida Panthers can now send the Jets on their first extended losing streak.
The visiting Panthers aim to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Jets, who’ll try to avoid a third consecutive loss Tuesday night.
Winnipeg opened the season with an NHL-best 15 wins in 16 games, including a 7-0-0 start on the road. Then, the Jets fell 4-1 at Tampa Bay on Thursday and were severely roughed up in Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Florida.
This mini-slide is the first true test of Winnipeg’s mettle amid a dream opening to the season — especially since its offense has hit a rut after totaling 73 goals in the first 16 games. The Jets are coming off their first shutout loss of the season.
“I think we got away from certain aspects (Saturday) that make us good,” Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo told NHL.com.
“Nothing that we were surprised about, but I think things that we’ll definitely be aware for next time. A good blueprint for us to see what we can expect on Tuesday.”
The Jets have outscored opponents 37-19 while going 8-1-0 at home, where they’ve won four straight and allowed just one goal in the last three contests.
“We need to bring it,” DeMelo said. “Now it’s our turn, in our building. So, I think we’re excited to get home and play them again.”
The reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers momentarily rebounded themselves Saturday, after allowing 10 combined goals in losing back-to-back home games to New Jersey. Aleksander Barkov had a goal with two assists, Sam Reinhart recorded three assists and Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves for his 45th career shutout as the Panthers snapped an 0-3-1 skid against the Jets.
“This was not about Winnipeg for us,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice, who coached the Jets for parts of nine seasons from 2013-21. “It was about our past two games and righting the ship.
“We needed that kind of a foundation game to get back to the basics of what we’re good at.”
Florida heads to Winnipeg trying to build on that needed victory and to extend its road winning streak to six games.
While Barkov has 17 points in the 10 games he’s played this season, Reinhart has recorded 16 of his team-leading 28 during a 10-game point streak.
Bobrovsky is 4-1-0 with a 2.41 goals-against average on the road this season. Florida backup goaltender Spencer Knight has allowed at least three goals in his three road starts of 2024-25.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck matched a season high with those five goals allowed Saturday. But the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has stopped 114 of 119 shots faced during his current four-game home winning streak.
Kyle Connor leads the Jets with 22 points, but he’s been shut out in five of the last six games — including two straight and each of the last three at home. Connor, though, has seven goals and 13 points in 12 career games versus Florida.
The Panthers’ Evan Rodrigues, who scored his fifth goal Saturday, has four with eight assists in 11 games against Winnipeg.
