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Home , Barry Long (ice hockey), Bob Boughner, Denis Malgin, Derek MacKenzie, Eric Comrie, Goaltender

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-fall-to-florida-6-4-for-second-straight- loss-of-road-trip-462687833.html

Spinning out in Sunrise Winnipeg suffers second-straight loss; league-leading Lightning up next

By: Jason Bell

SUNRISE, Fla. — video coach Matt Prefontaine has his work cut out for him after the debacle in south Florida on Thursday night.

Let the record show the Winnipeg Jets fell 6-4 to the before a sparse crowd at BB&T Center.

Against a better opponent, it might have been worse.

Winnipeg goalie ’s second NHL start was anything but memorable as he surrendered five goals on 35 shots, including two talllies on the first four shots he faced.

"If you don’t get the win, you’re not doing your job," said Comrie. "My job is to get wins and I didn’t do that."

But the 22-year-old from didn’t exactly get the assistance an AHL call-up would expect to receive from the fellows on the big club.

"We didn’t give (Comrie) much support on the ice," said Jets right- , whose 15th of the year, coming early in the third period, evened the game 4-4.

Florida’s Micheal Haley snapped the tie, redirecting a from Derek MacKenzie past Comrie at 9:58 of the third period, as the Panthers (11-13-4) won their first game in four outings and their fourth in the past 10 games.

"Before Detroit, we scored 21 goals in four games, so I think the team just thought it’s going to be easy for these two games because these teams are doing not so well as us," said Laine. "And that’s a mistake, like everybody saw on the ice. We weren’t ready to battle. They played really well and we weren’t playing our game."

The Jets had a couple of late power-play chances, including a two-man advantage for more than a minute, but couldn’t stuff the puck past Florida starter and product .

The Jets (17-8-4) suffered their second-straight defeat on their current three-game road trip. The pasted them 5-1 Tuesday.

It’s the first time Winnipeg has lost back-to-back games in regulation since the Central Division club kicked off the 2017-18 NHL campaign with losses to the Maple Leafs and .

The Jets will have their hands full Saturday when they take on Steve Stamkos and the electrifying , the NHL’s premier club.

"Well, it will be good for us. Because if we don’t play with a defence-first attitude, they’ll put 10 by us," said Winnipeg . "It will be a good opportunity for us to get our minds right."

He and his staff will have plenty of miscues to out when the video is reviewed of the loss to the Panthers, who got goals from Mark Pysyk and within the first four minutes of the game.

Comrie likely desired a re-do on the game opener, a quick shot by Pysyk from just outside the top of the circle that beat him cleanly. Just one shift later, he was left alone to stop Ekblad as the all-star blue-liner barged in and made good on his second whack at the puck.

Maurice switched up his defensive pairings with his club down by two, moving Josh Morrissey back with Dustin Byfuglien and pairing up Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot — to mixed reviews.

Vincent Trocheck added a pair of goals for Florida, including an empty netter, while Denis Malgin also scored for the hosts.

Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry replied for the Jets, who rallied to take a 3-2 lead early in the second frame but squandered it.

"We started off the game in their zone for about four minutes, so I think our start was pretty good. And then it’s 2-0 and have to regroup and shut the game down a little bit," said Wheeler. "We fought back into it, had a lead, tied 3-3 going into the third on the road, that’s a game we expect to win."

Winnipeg was loose defensively for the second straight game, allowing Florida too much time and space to generate chances.

Malgin’s tying goal late in middle frame was a prime example as the Jets botched two clearing attempts and then blew the coverage as Colton Sceviour found his linemate alone in front of Comrie.

Penalties were problematic, too, as Dustin Byfuglien joined a fairly innocuous scrum and took a needless roughing minor and then Wheeler was called for a careless high stick on Keith Yandle in the offensive zone just before the second period expired.

Florida’s power play carried into the final period and Trocheck cashed in on a goal-mouth scramble just 48 seconds into the third.

"We had enough opportunities to score goals and finish on plays that we didn’t get to the net. We missed the net 18 times," said Maurice. "Just a little too loose on our coverage. We’ve given up 10 hockey goals (not counting the empty-netter) in our last two games and we’re going to have to play a little tighter than that."

Winnipeg’s power play, so deadly in recent weeks, couldn’t connect in the late going. Kyle Connor hit a post during a late scramble, couldn’t poke in a puck lying on the goal-line and Laine’s free look sailed well wide on the two-man advantage.

"That was a great chance to score. I just had an empty net myself and couldn’t score," Laine said. "Those are the chances that you have to score, late in the game, chasing one goal, five- on-three, you just have to score."

Reimer, who hails from Morweena northwest of Arborg, had an average night. He made 35 saves but didn’t look good on Laine’s low shot that squeezed through him

The Panthers’ main man, , is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

Florida lost talented to an upper-body injury. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/third-line-excelling-despite-goal-drought- 462697133.html

Third line excelling despite goal drought

By: Jason Bell

SUNRISE, Fla. — If its preventive efforts weren’t so tough to ignore, the third line of the Winnipeg Jets might have been ripped apart by now.

But how do you discount the tremendous work of Adam Lowry, Brandon Tanev and Andrew Copp as part of the NHL club’s winning formula?

Lately, when the Lowry trio is on the ice, not much seems to be happening — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While the fourth-year has just one goal in eight contests and his wingers are caught in extended scoring droughts, they’re making it tough on opposing lines to do much offensive damage.

The other night in Detroit, Winnipeg yielded five goals during five-on-five play in a 5-1 defeat to the Red Wings, but the third line wasn’t on the hook for any of them. The only other Jets player without a minus by his name was Dmitry Kulikov, whose play, interestingly, was singled out by head coach Paul Maurice during his post-game comments.

Lowry’s line also fired six shots at Wings goalie , who snapped out out his pad to make an outstanding off Copp in the second period with the Jets only down by a goal.

That’s been Copp’s luck lately. Prior to Thursday’s battle here with the Florida Panthers, the 23- year-old from Ann Arbor, Mich., hadn’t scored in 11 contests dating back to a 5-4 loss to the on Nov. 4.

"I think we’re playing in the offensive end more than the stats will show, we’ve been cycling well, we’ve had a ton of chances," said Copp following Thursday’s morning skate. "I’m probably the biggest culprit not being able to bury. It’s something we have to bear down on for us as a line to take the next step. We’ve had such good puck control down low and we’re working their (defence). We just have to finish."

Tanev had just a pair of goals this season prior to the matchup with the Panthers, the last tally coming 20 games ago when the team fell 2-1 to the in overtime. Lowry, meanwhile, went seven games without a goal before finally registering one Thursday night against the Florida Panthers.

Despite their inability to light the lamp, the linemates find solace in knowing they’ve allowed very few recently.

"As a line, we’re doing our job. We’re going out there and doing what the teams needs from us," Tanev said. "We all understand our role and our strengths to play well as a line, we’re communicating and playing pretty effectively.

"We’re getting chances and the puck’s not bouncing our way. You might think of changing things up if the chances weren’t there, but I think over this stretch, we’ve created some great opportunities."

The three skaters have pretty much been joined at the hip since Lowry returned Nov. 6 from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for nine games. In 15 games since, the trio has supplied just four goals, but the ice isn’t tilted toward the Jets’ net when they’re on the ice. In fact, they’re a combined plus-six, thanks to some ice time when other forwards dent the twine or timely tallies by their teammates on the blue line.

Copp said the good habits are there, and he believes the line’s work will soon bear fruit.

"We’re not just forechecking, hitting them and watching them break out, we’re controlling the puck and making plays," he said. "So, it’s time we start scoring a few and growing our game." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/leadership-takes-many-forms-on-a-hockey-team- 462619183.html

Leadership can take many forms Even the best captains have strong supporting casts

By: Scott Campbell

"Leadership" is a controversial word in the these days, notably around the and Winnipeg Jets.

According to a report last week, those "deeply involved with Oilers" were lamenting they had let Matt Hendricks go last summer.

This was a reaction to the Oilers’ struggles and the Jets soaring near the top of the NHL — after Winnipeg picked up the fourth-liner with a late-summer signing.

A big part of what Hendricks brings as a player is leadership, according to seemingly everyone who has played with him.

Which got me to thinking I should take a closer look at the word.

I joined the Houston Aeros of the as a rookie and walked into a dressing room that had several players who were part of two Avco Cup championships.

The veteran lineup had plenty of guys who made sure everyone was ready to play each game. While we had our funny guys who kept things loose, it was also a club well policed about when it was time to get serious.

Next up for me was the Winnipeg Jets, the team I joined for the last Avco Cup win in 1979 (after the Aeros folded at the end of the season) along with a bunch of Houston teammates.

We walked into a dressing room full of players who were already two-time Avco Cup winners and were the defending champs.

Our , Lars-Erik Sjöberg, missed most of the year with an Achilles injury, returning near the end of the season.

While a fairly quiet guy, he had a terrific sense of humour, knowing exactly when to inject it. When he spoke seriously, everybody listened intently. He always backed it up with his play.

It’s been written more than once that (former Aero) Terry Ruskowski was the heart and soul of the Jets that year. Though he was just five-foot-eight, he was absolutely fearless and a fantastic player.

For me, the list of inspirational players that year is lengthy: Barry Long fearlessly blocking shots without a helmet; Billy Lesuk tracking down every puck like he owned it; Kim Clackson laying down the law.

Leadership comes in many forms, and there were a of others who contributed here.

The following year, we entered the NHL and lost several top-end players, as the NHL teams got their revenge by stripping the four clubs that came from the WHA.

We still had Sjöberg as our captain for one last year. That team worked hard and lost a ton of close games — we did everything we could with what we had.

After "Shoe" retired, I was named captain for the following season. I was told to just be myself, but I looked for things from the leaders before me and tried to ensure I was saying and doing the right things.

I sustained a shoulder injury and played in only 14 games that year. Unfortunately, I ended up the only plus player on a team that had a couple guys in the minus-50s and another at minus- 61.

However, I couldn’t have saved the team from their 30-game winless streak with a rousing pre- game speech while not playing — you need to lead with your on-ice actions as well.

Some leaders inspire others to be at their best using only their play; some use their voices. The odd time, you get a good mix in one player.

Overall, my dressing rooms had jokers who kept us loose and guys who reminded us that it’s time to turn the music off and get serious.

Preparation for a game actually started the night before and continued throughout the day, so this is only the closer. If you had enough "good pros" in your room, the young ones knew what to do.

Mark Messier has had many stories told about him, but even he had help in the dressing room, and obviously led with his play on the ice. At times, folklore pushes a great story into the realm where some people believe in magical powers.

Today, a form of leadership really starts in the summer, shown by players’ tough off-season workouts and skills training.

As to that report out of Edmonton, goalie was a stud last year — this season, he’s the opposite and now injured. The Oilers have more problems than that, but it’s a good place to start when wondering what they’re missing.

Professionals such as Hendricks are often talked about when a team is winning because of someone else. Earlier this season, it was ’s goaltending that stole points for the Jets. Lately, they’ve improved their five-on-five performance and their power play is lighting it up.

I don’t see Hendricks’ (or anyone else’s) "good words" as being a big factor, unless he’s the Goalie-and-Power-Play Whisperer.

Captain Blake Wheeler mentioned the Jets had a fairly quiet room before the arrival of Hendricks, so his positive voice has likely helped them with their preparation.

The bottom line, though, is that everyone needs to contribute on the ice, and Hendricks has done what head coach Paul Maurice has asked of him.

Numerous players pushing others to greater heights makes for a better dressing room.

To that end, don’t let the narrative run wild on one guy, or you run the risk of missing how many "leaders" you actually have wearing your favourite team’s sweater.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/panthers-claw-past-jets-make-it-consecutive- regulation-losses-for-first-time-since-early-october

Panthers claw past Jets: Make it consecutive regulation losses for first time since early October

By Ken Wiebe

SUNRISE, Fla. – Even if the Winnipeg Jets weren’t looking for a reality check, they’ve officially got one.

This is why Jets head coach Paul Maurice has been telling anyone who will listen that you can’t attach any permanence to trends through the first 29 games of the season.

Because the game has a way of humbling you if you get a bit too comfortable near the top of the standings.

Following a 3-0-1 stretch where they often looked like world-beaters, the Jets got loose defensively and have dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time since the first two contests of the season.

After dropping a 5-1 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Jets actually held a 3-2 lead in the second period but ultimately fell 6-4 to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

“We had enough opportunities to score goals and finish on plays that we didn’t get to the net. We missed the net 18 times,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “Just a little too loose on our coverage. We’ve given up 10 hockey goals (not including the empty-netter on Thursday) in our last two games and we’re going to have to play a little tighter than that.”

The Jets, who fell to 17-8-4 overall, close out this three-game trip on Saturday against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

For the second time in as many games, the Jets came out of the gate flat and found themselves behind 2-0 as the Panthers scored twice in 29 seconds before the game was four minutes old.

Not exactly the response the Jets were looking for.

Jets goalie Eric Comrie, making his season debut and just his second NHL start, was beaten twice on four shots but then he settled into a groove – delivering several important saves to keep his team within striking distance.

But giving up five goals on 35 shots was not how Comrie envisioned things going.

Comrie said he misjudged the first shot from Mark Pysyk that beat him on the side just 2:48 into the contest, but there wasn’t another soft goal in the bunch.

That was of little consolation to Comrie.

“It’s not my first pro hockey game. I’ve played a lot of pro hockey games and been down two in the first (four) minutes before,” said Comrie. “I understand I have battle back and do my best job to try and get a win. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that.

“If you don’t get the win, you’re not doing your job.”

Goals from Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry squared the game 2-2 and the Jets used their third- ranked power play to take the lead at 4:46 of the second period as Wheeler finished off a nifty passing play with Patrik Laine and Mathieu Perreault to score his eighth goal of the campaign.

Laine, who finished with three points, had the other goal for the Jets.

“We fought back into it, had a lead (and were) tied 3-3 going into the third on the road,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “That’s a game we expect to win.”

The Jets were unable to convert on a two-man advantage just past the six-minute mark into the third period and Kyle Connor rattled a shot off the post during a late power play opportunity.

A lethal power play has been a major weapon for the Jets this season, but the puck movement wasn’t quite as crisp as usual as the Jets finished one-for-seven with the man-advantage.

“We had two really good looks. Just a little slow on it, I guess,” said Maurice. “The power play has been good. It got us on. It’s going to be looked at as the difference in the game, but it’s the killing and the penalties that we took. So, we move on.”

Not so fast.

While it’s natural for Maurice to try and maintain an even keel, you can be sure the video session is going to be uncomfortable for several Jets players on Friday.

On too many occasions of late, the Jets aren’t doing enough of the little things that allowed them to push to the top of the Central Division and Western Conference standings.

The attention to detail hasn’t been strong enough, nor has the battle level – which has become a calling card for this group.

“Before Detroit, we scored 21 goals in four games, so I think the team just thought it’s going to be easy for these two games because these teams are doing not so well as us,” said Laine. “And that’s a mistake, like everybody saw on the ice. We weren’t ready to battle. They played really well and we weren’t playing our game.”

When the Jets play their game and do what it takes to be successful, they’re a special group.

But when don’t put in the work for a complete game, they can look ordinary.

Putting disappointing defeats in the rearview mirror has been a common theme for the Jets this season.

The Jets next challenge is to get things sorted out defensively before hitting the ice on Saturday in Tampa for a clash against Steven Stamkos and company.

“Well, it will be good for us,” said Maurice. “Because if we don’t play with a defence-first attitude, they’ll put 10 by us.

“It will be a good opportunity for us to get our minds right.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/laine-says-barkov-would-be-a-star-in- canadian-marketnothing-comes-easypre-emptive-strike-for-hellebuyckpraise-for-hutchinson

Laine says Barkov would be a star in Canadian market…Nothing comes easy…Pre-emptive strike for Hellebuyck…Praise for Hutchinson

By Ken Wiebe

SUNRISE, Fla – Aleksander Barkov isn’t an unknown commodity when it comes to those who play in the NHL or those who follow it closely.

But the Florida Panthers top centre still enjoys a certain level of anonymity and remains an underrated force when it comes to his place in the NHL pecking order.

Don’t believe me? No problem.

What do you think, Patrik Laine?

“If he would play in Canada or somewhere else, he would be a star in the city,” Laine, the Winnipeg Jets sniper, said of his Finnish countryman on Thursday before a game against the Panthers. “When people think about the Florida Panthers, you’re thinking about him for sure. I would say he’s underrated in the league.”

Laine and Barkov played together for Finland at the and developed a nice friendship.

“He’s a few years older and was always playing a few years ahead of me, but I met him for the first time during the World Cup and now I would say he’s one of my best buddies for sure,” said Laine. “I don’t have a particular story right now. There’s a bunch of good stories. But you can ask him, he’s a story teller.”

Barkov, who was chosen second overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, had 10 goals and 26 points in 27 games going into Thursday’s action while averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.

Hellebuyck gets breather There was some mild surprise when youngster Eric Comrie left the ice first on Thursday morning and was the Jets starting goalie against the Panthers.

And it had little to do with Comrie, who has enjoyed an excellent season with the of the .

But with the way the games on this three-game road trip were spread out, there was a belief Jets head coach Paul Maurice might just continue to ride the hot hand in Hellebuyck, who is 15- 3-3 with a 2.44 goals-against average and .921 save % in 23 games (and 21 starts).

Maurice was asked if he felt Hellebuyck had shown any signs of fatigue recently?

“No. We’re trying to stay away from (fatigue), we’re trying to stay ahead of that curve and not wait until he’s dragging in games. We just want to make sure he stays sharp,” said Maurice. “(Comrie) came up playing well (in the minors) and now has had a little time with us, a little time on the ice to get used to the shooters at this level. And (Hellebuyck) has played a few more games than we would have liked originally with Steve (Mason’s) injury.”

Hellebuyck should be feeling rested for Saturday’s game against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

As for Comrie, his excitement about starting his second NHL game was evident as he spoke to reporters on Thursday morning, but he wasn’t about to put any additional pressure on himself to perform.

“Just the same as any other game for myself, just have to prepare the same way and go there and do the same things I do every single game day,” said Comrie. “I have to treat it the same way, I can’t look at it any differently. I think if you try and ramp up, you get too anxious and too ramped and you start making mistakes instead of being calm and letting the game come to you.”

Well ran dry The biggest surprise to many about Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings was that the Jets weren’t able to generate much offensively, but Maurice offered a reason why while discussing with reporters on Thursday morning.

“We were off a bit from where we felt we’d been playing. We had just come off a stretch of four games where we’d scored 21 goals and it was looking like we felt it should go that way,” said Maurice. “And the NHL doesn’t operate like that.”

Translation, when you don’t have your skating legs and don’t bring your lunch pail to work, goals are going to be hard to come by.”

Praise for Hutchinson After splitting the net with veteran Ondrej Pavelec for a good chunk of last season with the Moose, Comrie’s goaltending partner this season has been Michael Hutchinson, who spent a good chunk of the past two seasons and change with the Jets.

Hutchinson was recently named goalie of the month for November and is one of the hottest netminders not playing in the NHL right now.

Hutchinson, 27, is 9-1 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .951 save % in 11 games this season.

The internal competition with Comrie has been good for both goalies so far and Hutchinson has been a sounding board as well.

“He’s a great guy. He’s a really good . He’s posting some great numbers down there and he’s been a good goalie in the NHL for a couple of years, too,” said Comrie. “For myself, just trying to absorb as much as I can from him. He’s such a good guy and he’s been helping me a lot.”

There are several NHL teams looking at adding depth between the pipes, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff move Hutchinson at some point, even though he’s a valuable insurance policy.

The Panthers could be a candidate, since Roberto Luongo is on the shelf for an extended period of time with a lower-body injury.

Associated Press http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets-florida-panthers-nhl-1.4438641

Panthers hand Jets 2nd loss in a row Micheal Haley scores winner to snap Florida's skid

By Paul Gereffi

The Florida Panthers lost another key player in a win Thursday night.

Micheal Haley scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, and the Panthers overcame an injury to Aleksander Barkov to beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-4.

Barkov left in the second period after taking a blow to the head and did not return. Vincent Trocheck also briefly left the game in the second after being hit near the eye.

"Losing Barky, obviously we had to scramble," coach Bob Boughner said. "We lost [Trocheck] as well. We were mix-and-matching all over the place. But I give a lot of credit to the guys. They found a way to win."

Barkov is day-to-day, while Trocheck returned and scored twice in the third period.

Denis Malgin, Mark Pysyk and Aaron Ekblad also scored for the Panthers, who snapped a three-game losing streak. James Reimer made 35 saves.

Reimer started in place of Roberto Luongo, who left the game last Monday against the with a leg injury and will be out an extended period of time.

The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead, but Winnipeg tied it 2-2 and the lead bounced back and forth several times.

"It was a big battle and we never let up," Trocheck said. "Even when they came back in the first, it'd be easy for us to hang our heads and go out there and let up a little bit, but we stuck with it, got back with our system in the second period and took over."

Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists for the Jets. Blake Wheeler, Adam Lowry and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored. Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots in his second career start.

"The pucks went in for them and didn't go in for us," Comrie said. "A couple deflections here and there and it ends up in the back of the net."

Jets not 'ready to battle' The Panthers took a 5-4 lead when Haley redirected a shot by Derek MacKenzie 9:58 into the third. Trocheck added an empty-netter with 10.1 seconds left.

Trocheck gave the Panthers a 4-3 lead 48 seconds into the third when he poked in a rebound during a power play. The Jets tied it again 1:03 later on Laine's goal.

"Today we just weren't 100 per cent ready to battle," Laine said. "Florida came hard in this game and we just couldn't match that."

The Panthers tied it 3-3 when Malgin took a pass from Colton Sceviour from behind the net in front and poked it past Comrie with 4:13 left in the second.

The Jets took a 3-2 lead on a power-play goal by Wheeler. The Panthers had successfully killed off a five-on-three, but six seconds later Wheeler took a nice pass from Laine and fired a shot from the right circle at 3:50 of the second.

"Tied 3-3 on the road going into the third, that's a game we expect to win," Wheeler said. "It wasn't bouncing for us tonight."

The Panthers killed off two five-on-three penalties.

Pysyk and Ekblad put Florida up 2-0 with goals 29 seconds apart in the first period, but Ehlers and Lowry tied it before the first intermission.

Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/florida-panthers/fl-sp-panthers-jets-20171207-story.html

Aleksander Barkov leaves game with upper-body injury as Panthers beat Jets, 6-4

By Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers dressing room is located on the south side of the BB&T Center. It is decorated with phrases taken from the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team. Its locker stalls are wooden, its carpet red, and during the Panthers’ 6-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, it received two unwelcome visitors.

During the second period of Thursday’s game, Panthers franchise centers Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck disappeared down the tunnel behind Florida’s bench, sounding alarm for a team already without its starting goaltender and top-line right wing. Trocheck’s absence was brief and he returned to the Panthers bench quickly.

But Barkov’s was extended. During a Panthers’ power play just past the halfway mark of the second period, Barkov exited the game after a hit from Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba. He sat on the edge of the bench, hunched over. After a few minutes, Barkov left the bench at 9 p.m. He did not return to the game with an upper-body injury, and was labeled “day-to-day” by Panthers coach Bob Boughner.

“I should know more here hopefully in the morning,” said Boughner, who added that he did not know if Barkov was in concussion protocol.

Barkov’s scare underscored a night on which Florida snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the high-flying Jets. The Panthers jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period, blew it by the end of the opening frame, and ultimately won the game when Micheal Haley tipped in the game-winning goal with 10:02 left in the third period.

Haley, most known for his fighting and not his goal-scoring, has two goals in the last nine days. He entered the season with five career goals in 130 NHL games.

So is Haley a goal-scorer now?

“Don’t tell him,” linemate Derek MacKenzie said.

Florida also killed six of seven Winnipeg power plays on Thursday night, including two 5-on-3 chances. The Panthers’ power play chipped in two goals, including Trocheck’s empty-netter in the final minute of the game to seal the victory.

“I’ll give credit to the guys,” Boughner said. “They found a way to win. Our power play got us a couple goals. I thought we played really hard.”

Panthers hope Radim Vrbata can snap slump after role change, concussion The Panthers suffered a huge blow to their season when Roberto Luongo suffered a lower-body injury on Monday night against the New York Islanders. Boughner has described Luongo as the team’s best player since returning from a previous hand injury. Luongo will miss “an extended period of time” that could dip past a month.

So James Reimer was pushed into the starting role once again. The Panthers gave Reimer an early 2-0 lead behind goals from Mark Pysyk and Aaron Ekblad. The two goals came just 29 seconds apart and boosted Florida to a two-goal cushion just 3:17 into the game.

But Winnipeg fought back in the last five minutes of the first period. Nikolaj Ehlers was the beneficiary of a deflected puck from Ben Chiarot’s stick. Chiarot directed a shot towards the goal, it went off Denis Malgin’s stick, off the ice, off Patrik Laine’s skate before Ehlers got the final touch to beat Reimer.

Adam Lowry scored 2 1/2 minutes later on a nice centering feed from Brandon Tanev. The Florida edge was gone, and Winnipeg took a lead in the second period when Blake Wheeler scored on the power play after Mike Matheson gave the puck away in the neutral zone.

Denis Malgin also scored for Florida and Trocheck had two goals.

“I don’t think us goalies like it being 6-4, but it’s fun to win,” Reimer said. “We’ll take wins.”

For Reimer, the game marked the start of another opportunity to prove himself in the NHL. He was best known as a longtime backup in Toronto before signing a long-term with Florida last offseason. He filled in admirably for Luongo down the stretch last season, but was inconsistent earlier this season when Luongo’s hand was hurt.

Reimer made 30-plus saves in his first four starts. His last two ended with him on the bench after allowing nine goals in less than 60 minutes. Before Thursday’s game, Reimer said his approach would remain the same even though was now the starting goaltender.

“The puck’s the same size,” Reimer said before the game. “The net’s the same size.”

Reimer was an obvious replacement for Luongo. But should Barkov miss a sizable amount of time, Florida does not employ a player that can do what he does. He entered Thursday leading all NHL forwards in ice time. He was on pace to smash his career-high for points in a season by 20. He anchors Florida’s penalty kill. He drives its power play.

Barkov’s injury conjures sore memories from last year, when the 22-year-old Finn missed 21 games due to injuries and the Panthers flounder a season after capturing the division title. Through the first third of the season, with Barkov blossoming into the star the Panthers picked No. 2 in the 2013 draft, Florida still entered Thursday five points out of a playoff spot.

The uphill climb would become much steeper without Barkov.

“Yeah, it sucks whenever Barky goes down,” Trocheck said. “Him going down is a big hit for us, but guys stepped up. … That next man up mentality is kind of a mentality that we’ve had these last few years. We’ve had a lot of injuries. We showed that again tonight.”

TSN.ca https://www.tsn.ca/rumour-mill-could-the-jets-and-panthers-be-a-fit-1.938279

Rumour Mill: Could the Jets and Panthers be a fit?

Keep up to date on the latest rumours and speculation around the NHL beat with TSN.ca's Rumour Mill.

Get Together? Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner said earlier this week the team is looking into options to help fill the void of injured goaltender Roberto Luongo, who is set to miss extended time.

One place the Panthers could look, TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie suggests, is Winnipeg - where the Jets have plenty of goaltending depth.

McKenzie wonders if Michael Hutchinson is an option for the Panthers. Hutchinson, who joins Connor Hellebuyck, and Eric Comrie in the goaltending depth chart, has played 99 career NHL games.

Hutchinson has played this season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, posting a .951 with a 1.73 goals-against average. He is 9-1 at the AHL level this season and has a career .910 save percentage in the NHL.

McKenzie believes Hutchinson is available and reports the Panthers aren't just looking for a stop-gap veteran to fill Luongo's role, which they were when the team claimed on waivers earlier this season. https://www.tsn.ca/video/button-on-jets-like-a-pair-of-shoes-they-need-some-polishing~1280235 (VIDEO LINK)

Button on Jets: Like a pair of shoes, they need some polishing

After suffering back-to-back losses in which they have given up 11 goals, Craig Button says the Jets need to clean up their game a little bit. Button also discusses how Patrik Laine has had no fall-off in his game this season.

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-florida-panthers-game-recap/c-293792150

Panthers hold off Jets in seesaw game Haley breaks tie midway through third period; Barkov injured by Alain Poupart / NHL.com Correspondent

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Micheal Haley scored a tiebreaking goal at 9:58 of the third period, and the Florida Panthers overcame the loss of center Aleksander Barkov to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6- 4 at BB&T Center on Thursday.

Vincent Trocheck scored twice, and Mark Pysyk, Aaron Ekblad and Denis Malgin scored for the Panthers (11-13-4), who had lost three in a row. Jonathan Huberdeau had three assists, and James Reimer made 35 saves.

"It was a character win," Reimer said. "Our whole team stepped up, especially without [Barkov]. He's arguably our best player and he can play in all situations, so it's tough losing him. But guys stepped up admirably and our [penalty kill] was incredible (6-for-7). Good to see everyone contributing and it makes the win a lot more enjoyable."

Barkov, who was tied for second on the Panthers with 26 points, left the game midway through the second period. He was injured when defenseman Jacob Trouba's shoulder hit him in the face.

Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists for the Jets (17-8-4), who lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since the first two games of the season. Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry and Blake Wheeler scored, and Bryan Little had two assists. Eric Comrie made 30 saves in his second NHL start, first of the season.

Winnipeg lost 5-1 to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

"We had enough opportunities to score goals and finish on plays that we didn't get to the net," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "We missed the net 18 times. We're a little too loose on our coverage. We've given up 10 hockey goals in our last two games. We're going to have to play a little tighter game than that."

Haley scored when he tipped Derek MacKenzie's slap shot from the boards. Trocheck scored an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left.

Winnipeg had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:14 in the third period but did not score. It also failed to score on a 5-on-3 for 1:13 in the second period, although Wheeler scored 4 seconds after the end of the first penalty.

"Interesting game," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "We sort of shot ourselves in the foot; we were taking too many penalties. Having to defend two 5-on-3s was a tough part of the night for us. Losing [Barkov], obviously we had to scramble. We were mix-and-matching all over the place. But I give a lot of credit to the guys. They found a way to win."

Florida took a 2-0 lead in the first 3:17 when Pysyk and Ekblad scored 29 seconds apart. Winnipeg tied the game 2-2 when Ehlers scored at 15:13 and Lowry redirected a cross-ice pass from Brandon Tanev at 17:43.

Wheeler gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead at 4:46 of the second period with his power-play goal, completing a four-way passing play involving Mark Scheifele, Mathieu Perreault and Laine.

Malgin tied it 3-3 at 15:47 when he one-timed a pass delivered by Sceviour from behind the net.

Trocheck gave Florida a 4-3 lead 48 seconds into the third period with a power-play goal when he scored on a rebound. Laine tied it 4-4 when his wrist shot from the top of the left circle went in between Reimer's body and his left arm at 1:51.

Goal of the game Malgin's goal at 15:47 of the second period.

Save of the game Reimer's pad save on a sharp-angle shot by Brandon Tanev at 18:04 of the third period.

Highlight of the game Florida defenseman Keith Yandle helped Reimer make a save at 16:25 of the third period.

They said it "We could have thought [Detroit and Florida] were going to be easy because these teams are not doing as well as us. That's a mistake like everybody saw on the ice. We weren't ready to battle. We weren't playing our game." -- Jets Patrik Laine

"We knew that's a good team over there. We expected a bit of a rebound game for them and they played well, but the things that we keep going over time and time again is needing 20 guys, needing the power play and the penalty kill to help out, and we got a little bit of all that tonight." - - Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie

Need to know Huberdeau and Trocheck lead the Panthers with 29 each. ... Trouba played his 300th NHL game. ... Ekblad tied for third place on Florida's list for goals by a defenseman (42), behind Jay Bouwmeester (53) and Robert Svehla (61). ... Haley scored the game-winning goal on his second, last shift of the third period.

What's next Jets: At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CITY, SUN, NHL.TV) Panthers: Host the on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; FS-F, ALT, NHL.TV)

The Athletic Winnipeg https://theathletic.com/176368/2017/12/07/how-when-and-why-the-winnipeg-jets-became- worthy-of-their-record/

How, when, and why the Winnipeg Jets became worthy of their record

By Murat Ates

The Winnipeg Jets are winning and those darned analytics folks are at it again.

First, Tyler Dellow called the Jets’ success unsustainable.

Next, Dom Luszczyszyn told us they were getting lucky.

And just this week, Garret Hohl concluded that their point pace is due to falter.

Can’t they see what we see?

Jets tied for 1st in the NHL, Moose tied for 1st in the AHL.

Wheeler 4th in NHL scoring, Roslovic 2nd in AHL scoring.

And tonight's post-game quotes are all about how much #NHLJets love playing together.

Everything about this moment is perfect for Jets fans.

The results in Winnipeg have been sweeter than the maple syrup on a stick at Festival du Voyageur on a cold February day.

So why so many critics?

=== When I was a creative writing student, one of the first lessons I was taught was about characterization. “There are three ways to learn about someone,” my professor told us. “What they do, what they say, and what others say about them.”

The Winnipeg Jets are 17-7-4 on the season heading into Thursday's game against Florida, 6- 3-1 in their last 10, and are fourth in the NHL. Their power play is second in the league, their PK has climbed to 14th, and they seem to be scoring at will. In short, what they have done as a team is nothing short of phenomenal.

What the Jets are saying about each other is just as good. All quotes via Jets Twitter.

Mark Scheifele, on Blake Wheeler: “Wheels is an unbelievable player and he shows it each and every night. I’m honoured to be on a line with him.”

Mathieu Perreault, on Scheifele and Wheeler, as a duo: “[They’re] two of the best players in the league right now.”

And just to prove Wheeler can give it as good as he gets, here he is on Perreault. “When he’s out there, no matter which line… So much stuff seems to happen with him on the ice.”

What are other teams saying?

Senators’ forward Mark Stone called Winnipeg’s 5-0 Sunday night showstopper, “The most embarrassed I’ve ever felt playing in the NHL.”

Nate Thompson, Ottawa’s fourth line centre, said Winnipeg made the Senators “look like a mite team out there.”

=== Here’s the thing. Despite presenting all of this praise, I do see the wisdom in my colleagues’ collective critiques.

Winnipeg did need to start generating more shot attempts. The Jets are riding hot percentages, both while shooting and while Connor Hellebuyck is in goal. And, as Garret Hohl pointed out most recently, they have earned a disproportionate amount of points from one-goal games – historically an indicator of good luck. Plus, if we’re being truly fair, all three of their articles are much more nuanced than the black-and-white statements I cherry-picked at the top of this piece.

But I don’t want to play fairly.

What I am here to tell you today is that the Winnipeg Jets, despite these criticisms, are trending in the right direction – that they are an excellent team, even by metrics they struggled with early this season.

More than that, I am here to argue that this trend can be traced to a very specific day in Winnipeg’s season, November 16, 2017: the day Perreault came back from injury.

There are the usual caveats – the penalty kill continues to struggle and Hellebuyck, who is probably quite good, has instead been amazing – but some of the traditional indicators of a strong team are starting to make themselves known.

Take shot attempts, for example. Here is what they looked like on the day Perreault returned from injury:

Yes, that’s Winnipeg in 30th place. Even though the Jets were 10-4-3 at the time, there were genuine reasons for alarm. Over a long enough time frame, teams that get outshot as badly as Winnipeg did don’t keep winning games.

How long is long enough? Hohl, in the piece I linked above, cites research that CF% through 20 games is more predictive of wins during the remaining 62 games in a season than a team’s actual 20-game win-loss record.

So when Dellow looked at Winnipeg’s shot share and compared it to its even-strength shooting percentage – higher through mid-November than is typical even for end-of-season league leaders – he had good cause for concern. Winnipeg could finish its chances at a higher rate than any team in recent memory and still score less than the Jets had done to that point in the season.

In short, Winnipeg needed to improve its shot share. And, since the return of Perreault, the Jets have done exactly that.

Here are the NHL’s shot attempts from November 16 through the end of December 4, reflecting the 10 games Winnipeg has played* since Perreault’s return:

*Note: data does not include December 5th at Detroit.

It’s a quantum leap – since Perreault’s first game back from injury, Winnipeg is solidly entrenched among the league’s shot share leaders.

The effect isn’t limited to shot attempts. Here’s the NHL’s expected goals per cent at 5-on-5 from the beginning of the season through November 15th:

That’s the Jets there in 23rd. Not that they do outperform their Corsi in terms of xG% – based on my research into 2015/16, I would suggest this is normal for a Paul Maurice coached Jets team. It’s just not nearly enough to cross 50 per cent. Remember that xG% is an estimate of shot quality – even when accounting for systemic advantages in shot location, Winnipeg was below average midway through November.

Want to see expected goals since Perreault’s return? Of course you do:

*Note: data does not include December 5th at Detroit.

Once again, Winnipeg has skyrocketed from the bottom to a range quite near the top of the league.

Unlike some of the Jets’ early results – where they’ve been propped up by excellent goaltending despite being badly outshot – their work over the past 10 games has been legitimately excellent.

Is the difference between Winnipeg winning more than they should and leading the league as black and white as the return of one player?

Almost. There is also one more extremely valuable and, in my opinion, somewhat overlooked reason for Winnipeg’s surge in territorial dominance.

=== Let’s rewind a moment. Here are Winnipeg’s lines during its 5-4 loss to Montreal on November 4 – almost two weeks before Perreault’s return – a game in which the Jets lost the territorial battle by a large margin.

Connor–Scheifele–Wheeler Ehlers –Little –Laine Copp–Matthias–Tanev Lemieux–Hendricks–Armia

The Canadiens’ game-winning goal came on their 50th shot against Hellebuyck. Wheeler, historically a puck possession demon, was on the ice for nine shot attempts for and 29 against at 5-on-5. The Jets as a team were +27, -54 by the same measure – to harp on this for one more beat, Winnipeg allowed two shot attempts against for each one it took. And still got a point. Such was the magic of the percentages run they were on at the time. After that night, Brendan Lemieux was demoted to the press box where he lingered for a week before returning to the AHL Moose. The man who dressed in his place, of course, was Adam Lowry.

And it was in this moment that Maurice struck gold.

*Note: data does not include December 5th at Detroit.

In 130 minutes together at 5-on-5, Andrew Copp, Lowry, and Brandon Tanev have been absolutely formidable. Almost 60 per cent shot attempts. More than 60 per cent shots. More than 65 per cent expected goals and 60 per cent of actual goals scored while they’ve been on the ice.

Who would have thought this was possible? Earlier this season, I wrote extensively on Winnipeg’s depth forwards and identified Copp as worthy of an increased role, but I’m not going to pat myself on the back: I absolutely did not see Tanev succeeding in this role.

It could be that my numbers missed what the eyes make clear – Tanev is a fast, gutsy, straight- line player who skates for miles and hits anything that moves. It could be that Lowry and Copp are propping him up – the two of them fare better in these metrics without Tanev than he does without them – but the line’s success as a whole is undeniable.

Perhaps the single most impressive aspect of this line’s success is that, on occasion, Maurice has chosen them and not Scheifele's line to match against the opposition’s best forwards.

That brings us back to November 16, with Winnipeg at home to the .

That night, with 12:45 remaining in the second period, Maurice found himself down 2-0 with a faceoff to the left of Flyers’ goaltender . The Jets’ power play had just come off the ice and, in an attempt to gain a favourable match-up, Philadelphia sent out its top line of Claude Giroux, , and Wayne Simmonds to take the draw.

Up until this point in the game, Maurice was content to play power vs. power – almost every time Giroux’s line came over the boards, Maurice had countered with Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor. This time, they weren’t ready – they’d just played more than a minute on the power play.

So out comes Lowry’s line. They lose the draw but stifle the Flyers’ breakout attempt. Copp dumps the puck into Tanev’s corner, Tanev wins the race, and Winnipeg’s third line hems in Philadelphia’s first for half a shift.

The Flyers clear it and Giroux gains the Jets zone, but gets stopped by a team effort from Jacob Trouba and Lowry. The puck heads back into the Flyers zone, the Flyers reclaim it, and Winnipeg breaks up yet another zone entry as most of Philadelphia’s top line goes for a change. Exactly one minute has gone by since the beginning of this shift and Giroux’s line hasn’t gotten a sniff.

For the rest of the game, every time Giroux comes onto the ice, Maurice goes right back to Lowry, Copp, and Tanev.

=== By the end of that game against the Flyers, Maurice’s usage of his suddenly formidable third line was enough to give Scheifele and Wheeler a lighter workload and their first Corsi-positive game in nearly two weeks.

The effectiveness of the new trio has given Winnipeg a viable old-school checking line.

Here are Winnipeg’s lines since that night: Connor–Scheifele–Wheeler Ehlers-Little–Laine Copp–Lowry–Tanev Perreault–Hendricks–Armia

We’ve established the astonishing success of Lowry, Copp, and Tanev as the Jets’ third line but it’s time to talk about Perreault again. Here is Perreault with Hendricks and Armia on the fourth line:

*Note: data does not include December 5th at Detroit.

Perreault has nearly single-handedly turned the fourth line from a position of weakness into a decided strength.

Perreault, along with Matt Hendricks and , have been excellent together – five goals for and one against in just under 60 even strength minutes. They’re full value for it, too: with 60.4 per cent of the shot attempts, 66.7 per cent of the shots, and an xG of 64 per cent.

In short, their results are real and they are spectacular. Combined with the ability of Lowry’s line to drive possession against seemingly any opposition, Perreault’s resuscitation of the fourth line gives Maurice a decided matchup advantage.

Winnipeg’s continued commitment to playing skill throughout its lineup gives them exactly the kind of competitive advantage we hoped for when discussing Winnipeg's most optimal lines – it’s just not quite in the form we expected it.

=== Chemistry is a funny thing. As much as we try to predict how certain changes will work, there are some things that simply can’t be known until they are experienced.

Somehow, against my own expectations, Winnipeg’s line of Lowry, Copp, and Tanev have earned terrific results against any and all opposition. Maurice couldn’t have known they’d be this good when he put them together but suddenly, the Jets have a third line that is dominating possession metrics.

As for Perreault, I can’t help but conclude that Wheeler was right. Any line you play him on, Perreault finds a way to make good things happen. He and Armia are carrying Hendricks to an expected goal share that is almost impossibly good – impossible, that is, until you look at the somehow-even-better results they’ve enjoyed as a trio.

A week into December, the Jets have one of the best records in NHL and yes, they have been fortunate to earn some of their points. However, since November 16, they have been almost exactly as dominant by possession metrics as they have been on the scoreboard.

With so much forward depth, perhaps it was only a matter of time.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/ates-jets-well-worthy-of-their-record-1.937793

Ates: Jets well worthy of their record

Murat Ates, hockey writer at The Athletic joins the Afternoon Ride and discusses on if the Jets’ record is sustainable despite underwhelming advanced stats, the difference Mathieu Perreault’s return as made metrics-wise, why the Tanev/Copp/Lowry line is a revelation for Winnipeg, and the importance of goal differential. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/minuk-time-and-effort-leading-to-results-for-moose- 1.937713

Minuk: Time and effort leading to results for Moose

Dave Minuk of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show talks with Hustler and Michael Remis about the turnaround of the Manitoba Moose, their nine game and chase to tie the franchise record of ten straight, the importance of veteran players Michael Sgarbossa and Buddy Robinson and more. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/wiebe-starting-comrie-is-a-smart-move-for-jets- 1.937796

Wiebe: Starting Comrie is a smart move for Jets

Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun joins Huslter and Rick Ralph on the show to discuss how starting Eric Comrie is a pre-emptive strike against overworking Connor Hellebuyck, his expectations regarding the Jets start in Thursday’s game against Florida, finding ways to win in one-goal games, and the emergence of Dmitry Kulikov. www.winnipegjets.com

Jets fall to Panthers, lose second straight game on road trip Laine records three points; Comrie makes 30 saves in loss by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

SUNRISE, Florida - In a game where the lead bounced back and forth all night, it was the Florida Panthers who came out on top 6-4, handing the Winnipeg Jets their second straight loss of a three-game road trip.

Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry, Blake Wheeler, and Patrik Laine scored for the Jets, while Eric Comrie made 30 saves in his second NHL start.

Down by a goal, the Jets had chances to tie the game in the third period with two separate power plays a couple minutes apart, but couldn't find a way to get the game back to even terms.

"We had two really good looks. Mark (Scheifele) - I don't know if he saves it or it hits the shaft of his stick, Mark had two really good looks, Patrik got a couple shots off. Just a little slow with it, I guess," said head coach Paul Maurice. "The power play has been good, it got us one tonight. It's going to be looked at as the difference in the game, but it's the penalty killing and the penalties we took."

Two goals 29 seconds apart from Mark Pysyk and Aaron Ekblad put the Panthers up 2-0 early. Pysyk's shot - a wrister from the top of the circle that beat Comrie short side - was one that the young goaltender says he just misread.

"(I was) maybe a little bit amped up, just trying to calm the nerves a bit and relax," said Comrie. "I thought it was going to come off high, and I just misread it.

"I've played a lot of pro hockey games, and I've been down in the first few minutes before. I understand that I have to battle back and do my best job to try and get a win."

But the Jets would get back on even terms.

First Ben Chiarot's point shot deflected off the stick of Aleksander Barkov, then Laine, and finally Ehlers before floating over the shoulder of Panthers goaltender James Reimer.

It was the start of a three-point game for Laine, his fourth multi-point outing this season.

"It doesn't matter right now to have three points or zero points, because we didn't get any points as a team," said Laine. "That's the most important thing for us. We couldn't get that. So I'm not happy."

It wasn't pretty, but it turned the momentum in the Jets favour. Adam Lowry would tie the game 2:30 later, when Brandon Tanev won a puck battle along the wall, and slide a seam pass cross- ice to Lowry on Reimer's stick side.

Lowry's shot squeaked through Reimer and trickled over the line, tying things up at two through 20 minutes.

"We started off the game in their zone for about four minutes, so I think our start was pretty good. It's 2-0, and you have to re-group and shut the game down a little bit," said Wheeler. "We fought back into it, had a lead. Tied 3-3 going into the third on the road, that's a game we expect to win."

Shortly after the first penalty had expired on a 5-on-3 power play, the Jets would take the lead on a highlight reel worthy passing play.

Scheifele gained the zone, then sent a quick pass forward to Mathieu Perreault, who sent a short one-touch drop pass back to Laine who had joined the rush. With Reimer playing Laine's shot, the Finn sent a cross ice pass to Wheeler on Reimer's right side, and the captain made no mistake, sending a wrist shot top corner to make it 3-2.

It was the only power play marker the Jets would get on the seven opportunities they had.

"That was a great chance to score. I had an empty net myself, and just couldn't score," said Laine. "But those are the chances you have to score. Late in the game, chasing one goal, and a 5-on-3, you just have to score."

Florida tied things up when the Jets got hemmed in their zone, and Colton Sceviour slid a backhand pass from below the goal line out front to Denis Malgin. His quick release got by Comrie on the side.

Vincent Trochek put the Panthers back in front on the power play in the opening minute of the third period. With Blake Wheeler off for high-sticking, Trochek was right outside the crease to chip home the rebound after Comrie made the initial save off a deflected point shot.

The see-saw battle continued after the Florida goal, as Patrik Laine squeezed his 14th of the season under the arm of Reimer with a quick wrist shot from his off wing just 63 seconds after Florida took the lead.

Michael Haley put the Panthers back in front for good, when he deflected a Derek MacKenzie's point shot in the slot past Comrie.

Trochek would add an to round out the scoring.

"We had enough opportunities to score goals and finish on plays that we didn't get to the net," said Maurice. "I think we missed the net 18 times. Just a little too loose on our coverage. We've given up 10 hockey goals in the last two games. We're going to have to play a little bit of a tighter game than that."

The Jets wrap up the three-game Eastern Conference road trip on Saturday against the NHL's top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.