Jets Beat Panthers 6-4 in Home Opener

The Winnipeg Jets picked up win No. 1 of the season on Saturday afternoon from Canada Life Centre. 

Playing in its home opener and first game since the season-opening loss in Calgary on Wednesday, Winnipeg came out flying in front of its home fans, scoring first and pulling off a 6-4 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers.

A back-and-forth second period dictated the remainder of the game, as the Jets once again relied on offence from the top-line duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. 

"We were ready to go from the start," captain Adam Lowry said post-game. "Not the ideal start to the second period, but what a response from Scheif’s line with KC scoring 10 seconds later and we were able to pile on. I thought all four lines were contributing and we were creating chances, moving the puck quick. Obviously, you don’t want to give up a couple with the goalie out, but we found a way to buckle down and get it done.”

Just 2:57 into the game, Gabe Vilardi drew a holding call on Florida’s Gustav Forsling, to which Winnipeg finally capitalized on its first power play goal of the season.

Scheifele, Connor and Josh Morrissey each picked up their second points of the season as they combined for Winnipeg’s first goal of the day. Needing just 33 seconds of the man advantage, Connor picked up the puck from Morrissey and fed a streaking Scheifele, who split the red and white sea en route to a slick finish on the rush up ice.

Having gone 0/4 on the power play in the season opener, beginning Saturday’s game 1/1 was certainly a well reaped reward for the Jets.

But that was about it for the good news for Winnipeg in the first.

Back-to-back minor penalties led to Florida’s first goal of the game, as Sam Reinhart put the finishing touches on a pretty passing play that saw Evan Rodrigues find him all alone on the back door for his first of the year.

The Panthers were playing shorthanded, as defencemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad were out of commission, while forward Sam Bennett was also shelved due to injury. Theoretically, playing at home and against a wounded Florida team, the game was Winnipeg’s to lose.

But, as is always the case, that all goes out the window once the puck is dropped.

The opening frame ended with the two clubs tied at ones, while the visitors maintained a slim 10-9 shot lead. 

The second started with a bang, as both teams hammered home a goal before even a minute had ticked off the clock. 

Florida took advantage of the tail end of a late first period power play, as Rodrigues banked home a rebound off a point shot from former Jets defneceman Dmitry Kulikov. 

But just 10 seconds later, Connor found his second of the season 35 seconds into the period. Scheifele picked up the puck from Gabe Vilardi and centred it from behind the net to the slot, where Connor hammered it home. 

The Jets then got back-to-back goals from Morgan Barron and Dylan DeMelo for three total markers in a span of 9:20 for Winnipeg. 

After falling behind quickly, Winnipeg's three-straight gave the home team a commanding 4-2 lead and a 25-20 shot advantage heading into the final frame. 

Although a different kind of 'bang' than the way the middle stanza started, the third began with a fight between Scheifele and Matthew Tkachuk. Although it didn't last too long, the two brought some serious energy into the crowd gathered in downtown Winnipeg. 

"Good for Mark," coach Rick Bowness said. "That's twice this year already where he's gotta stick up for himself and he will. We're counting on him to be a leader on the team. Part of that is you've got to stick up for yourself out there. Everyone does. We're a family and we'll stick up for each other but if there comes a point where you've got to stick up for yourself and Mark hasn't been shy about doing that at all."

The fight helped Scheifele to his second career Gordie Howe hat trick, and first of the season. 

"In the moment I didn't really," Scheifele said when asked if he knew it was a Gordie Howe hat trick. "But it is what it is. I think it's my second one of my career. It is what it is. It's an exciting game. You get a little extra fired up and that's where the emotion kicks in." 

Both teams were given power play opportunities in the third, but failed to capitalize. In fact, it was Winnipeg that got a shorthanded goal on the second Panthers' man advantage of the frame. 

Without a stick, Adam Lowry collected the puck, grabbed a stick at the bench from Morrissey and raced up-ice with Mason Appleton on a two-on-one. He got the puck across ice and Appleton did the rest, giving Winnipeg a 5-2 lead.

“Unbelievable hand-off," Lowry said of the play. "It was so smooth I didn’t even know it was him until we got back to the bench. Him and Vladdy use kind of similar sticks. I was going to kick it down the ice and all of a sudden there is a stick in my stomach. I felt like a running back and hitting the hole. It was a super heads up play."

"J-Mo, he threw it right into his chest," Scheifele laughed. "I don't think Lowry was focusing on it so if the stick is just hanging there, he probably doesn't grab it, but it hit him in the chest. Now I have to take it. Just a great play all around." 

With Bobrovsky on the bench for an extra attacker, Carter Verhaeghe cut into the Jets' lead, jamming a rebound past Hellebuyck with just over three minutes remaining. 

Then, with 2:24 left, Sasha Barkov got Florida to within one, making things rather tense in a building that had been pre-emptively celebrating. 

But Connor put the final nail in the coffin, sliding home a power play empty-netter with 1:10 remaining, just moments after Tkachuk hit the post on a shorthanded breakaway. 

With the loss, Florida fell to 0-2-0 to start the season.

Hellebuyck finished the night with 29 saves on the 33 shots he faced and earned his first win of the year in the process. Bobrovsky was lit up for five goals on 34 shots on the night. 

Winnipeg will stay at home for its next two games, as two Western Conference opponents make their way to Canada Life Centre on Tuesday and Thursday. 

First, it’s a matchup with Pierre-Luc Dubois and the Los Angeles Kings, before the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights make their way to Manitoba. Both games can be found on TSN at 7:00 PM central time.