WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets return home Tuesday night looking to snap a five-game winless streak when they welcome the Florida Panthers to Canada Life Centre for their final home game of October. Winnipeg is coming off a 2-1 loss to Montreal in Sunday’s Heritage Classic and has dropped each of its last five games by a single goal.
Scoring continues to be a concern for the Jets, who fired 34 shots at Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler on Sunday but managed to beat him just once. Much of Winnipeg’s best offensive work came from the line centred by Mark Scheifele, while Isak Rosén scored the Jets’ lone goal.
Head coach Scott Arniel knows the Jets need more production from throughout the lineup.
“I thought the Lowry line. There were some moments there in the second and the third. They obviously scored the goal, and yeah, we need secondary (scoring). We need other people stepping up, and it makes it hard if all the heat, all the heat’s on Scheif line to try to do that,” Arniel said Sunday night.
Arniel also stressed the importance of getting to the net and finding ways to score the kind of goals that can help a team through a difficult stretch.
“So, that's part of that. The mindset of our players that, like I just talked about, you got to get to the net. You got to go get greasy goals, something that bounce off your skate or your foot or your back, whatever it is. You know we got to get inside.”
The Jets have now lost five consecutive games by a single goal and own a 3-3-3 record in one-goal games. Prior to Monday’s NHL action, no team had played more one-goal games this season.
Forward Adam Lowry believes the Jets showed signs of the approach they need to sustain over a full 60 minutes.
“We just got to find a way to work our way out of it. I thought in the third we did a really good job being direct, getting on pucks, creating turnovers, whether it was off the forecheck or at the lines, and being aggressive, and really generated some chances,” Lowry said Saturday.
“That’s the way we need to play for a full 60. We’ve got to be on our toes. We’ve got to be a hard team to play against, and we got to move the puck fast. I think you know that’s when we’re at our best.”
Tuesday’s matchup will also be a special occasion for Dawson Mercer, who will make his Canada Life Centre debut on his 25th birthday. Mercer has played twice on his birthday in the past, recording two assists in 2024, but has yet to score a birthday goal.
A total of 25 players have scored on their birthdays in franchise history, with Kyle Connor leading the way with three birthday goals.
Despite the result, Mercer was pleased to get on the ice with his new teammates and begin building chemistry.
“Obviously, the outcome is not what we wanted, but overall, nice to get going with the guys right away and then build on it from here,” Mercer said Saturday.
“They gave me some video, but obviously, getting right into without like pretty much any practice time, just that one day before, just go out there, play the game, kind of just play hockey, make reads, see it how you see it.”
The Jets will hold their morning skate at Canada Life Centre at 10:30 a.m. CT. Check back here for lineup updates and more information ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Panthers.
