Mark Scheifele scored two goals – including the game-winner with 28 seconds left in overtime – as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the host Florida Panthers 5-4 on Saturday night in Sunrise.
Vladislav Namestnikov also scored two goals and added one assist for Winnipeg.
It was just Winnipeg’s third win in its past 12 games. The Jets also got one goal and two assists from Nikolaj Ehlers, 44 saves from Connor Hellebuyck, three assists from Kyle Connor and two helpers from Blake Wheeler.
Scheifele, who has a team-high 38 goals, rebounded his own shot for the game winner past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (22 saves).
The Jets swept two games this season against their former coach, Florida’s Paul Maurice.
However, Jets star defenseman Josh Morrissey was injured in the third period and did not return.
Florida, which had its season-high-tying, three-game win streak snapped, got two goals from Matthew Tkachuk and one each from Sam Reinhart and Marc Staal. Tkachuk has 30 goals, second-best on the team behind Carter Verhaeghe (32).
The Panthers got two assists each from Brandon Montour and Aleksander Barkov.
Florida fell behind 2-0 for the second straight night. By the end of the first period, Winnipeg led 3-1 on just nine shots — 10 less than Florida.
Schiefele opened the scoring with his power-play goal from the slot. The goal was set up by Connor’s cross-ice feed and Wheeler’s one-touch pass to the slot.
The Jets made it 2-0 on Ehlers far-post, on-the-rush shot from the right circle.
Florida, thanks to its power play, got on the board with 2:16 left in the first as Tkachuk shoved in a rebound off a Montour shot. It was career point No. 200 for Montour.
Winnipeg closed the first-period scoring on Namestnikov’s goal from the slot with 53 seconds left. The Jets pulled Hellebuyck on a delayed penalty and had a 6-on-4 man advantage on the goal.
With 4:09 expired in the second, Florida cut its deficit to 3-2 as Reinhart tapped in a pass from Barkov for a power-play goal off a 3-on-1 rush.
However, Winnipeg regained its two-goal advantage as the Jets won a face-off, leading to an Ehlers shot and Namestnikov’s rebound goal with 12:59 expired in the second.
Florida cut its deficit to 4-3 just 33 seconds into the third. The Panthers skated to a 4-on-2 rush, and Staal finished with a shot off Hellebuyck’s glove. Staal’s brother Eric got the primary assist.
The Panthers tied the score 4-4 with 13:36 left as Tkachuk knocked home a rebound off a Barkov shot.
–Field Level Media