Panthers extend Jets’ winless streak to six

WINNIPEG – Brady and Matthew Tkachuk combined for seven points as the Florida Panthers cruised to a 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night.

The loss extended Winnipeg’s winless streak to six games (0-4-2), with Adam Lowry scoring the Jets’ lone goal.

Clay Stevenson made 19 saves as his record fell to 1-3. Winnipeg finished 0-for-2 on the power play while allowing three goals on Florida’s five man advantages.

“I just think post-game it’s frustrating. We’re frustrated. We expect more out of ourselves. We expect more out of the team.  We’re not delivering the results," said Lowry.

"We felt like going into the Heritage Classic, that was going to be a great spot to get us right. We didn’t get it done. You want to rebound and it seems like we’re picking ourselves up off the mat." 

The Panthers took the crowd out of the game early, scoring three times in just under three minutes to build a 3-0 lead.

Florida opened the scoring at 7:27 of the first period while Cole Koepke served a holding penalty. Carter Verhaeghe collected a loose puck behind the net and beat Stevenson with a backhand for a power-play goal.

Just 1:15 later, the Panthers struck again. Niko Mikkola sent the puck toward the net from the left boards, and it deflected off Mario Ferraro’s stick before slipping past Stevenson to make it 2-0.

The Jets gave Florida another power play after being called for too many men on the ice at 10:02. Just 20 seconds into the man advantage, Matthew Tkachuk found Verhaeghe, whose shot worked its way through traffic and past Stevenson to make it 3-0.

Winnipeg got on the board in the second period when Lowry took advantage of a bobbled puck by Akira Schmid and appeared to score on a wraparound while shorthanded.

After a brief delay, a video review confirmed the puck had crossed the goal line. It was Lowry’s second goal of the season and the 13th shorthanded marker of his career, moving him past Marian Hossa into second place on the franchise’s all-time list. Lowry is now tied with Thomas Steen.

“So, on the wrap, I thought it went in. As the play goes up the ice, you’re obviously waiting and hoping for a horn. As we get into the defensive zone, the longer it goes I’m going ‘clearly I’ve got bad eyesight.’ And then, you almost forget about it and the horn goes. Am I not mentally sharp or did the period just end?," said Lowry. 

"Fortunately, it was a good buzzer and not a bad buzzer. It was nice to see it go in. It got the building going a bit, but it would have been nice if that led to a comeback for us.”

The momentum didn’t last long. Just 47 seconds after Lowry cut the deficit to 3-1, Sam Reinhart restored Florida’s three-goal lead, one-timing a pass from Brady Tkachuk past Stevenson on the same power play to make it 4-1.

The Panthers added one more at 12:10 of the third period. Matthew Tkachuk delivered a perfect pass to his brother Brady, who tipped the puck past Stevenson to round out the scoring at 5-1.

Winnipeg will travel to Tampa tomorrow and will face the Lightning on Thursday to begin a four-game road trip. They know they have to be better than they were against the Panthers.

"For me, those ones tonight, there was a lot of mental tonight. I’m not saying the Heritage was, coming off of that, the reason why," said head coach Scott Arniel.

"But you play good teams like that, teams that have veterans like that, they’re going to capitalize on those mistakes. We’re going into Tampa and we’re going to see another team, Florida again, Carolina, Montreal….it’s a grind."