WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets slipped past the Florida Panthers in a six-round shootout to snap their four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory at MTS Centre on Thursday.
Mathieu Perreault put away the game winner for Winnipeg. The Jets also got a goal from Bryan Little in the shootout while Vincent Trocheck scored for Florida.
“We haven’t played the way we wanted to for the past couple games,” said Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers. “Getting this win tonight, even though we didn’t play our best game, is huge.”
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Winnipeg scored the only goal of the first period despite being out shot 19-8. Dustin Byfuglien beat Roberto Luongo for his fourth of the season with 11 seconds left to play. Rookie Patrik Laine set up the goal with a cross-ice pass.
Both teams had chances earlier in the period to open the scoring. Florida’s Nick Bjugstad jammed at a rebound less than six minutes into the game but the puck was gloved by Connor Hellebuyck on the goal line. Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey missed an open net opportunity mid-frame.
The Panthers scored three power play goals in the second period – all of them with Winnipeg defenceman Toby Enstrom in the penalty box. Aleksander Barkov chipped in a rebound from the Jets’ doorstep for the equalizer. Reilly Smith later made it 2-1 by sniping a shot to the top corner of the net over a screened Hellebuyck. Trocheck swept in a loose puck at the 11:58 mark of the period. Florida entered the game owning the NHL’s worst power play. Winnipeg has now given up a goal while shorthanded in each of its last four games.
Adam Lowry whacked in a rebound 10:11 into the second for Winnipeg’s lone goal of the period. Lowry’s seventh matches his season total from last year.
Bryan Little tied it up 3-3 for Winnipeg less than three minutes into the third period during a four-on-four. Little put the puck past an out-of-place Luongo for his fourth of the season.
“After not playing for a few days, we were expecting it to be a little bit ugly and sloppy,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler.
“It definitely was through two periods. We found a way to gut it out in overtime and luckily got the two points.”
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Hellebuyck made 41 saves to earn his 11th win of the season. Across the ice, Luongo stopped 29 shots.
Jaromir Jagr picked up an assist on Barkov’s second period goal to move three points back of Mark Messier on the NHL’s all-time leaders list.
The loss marked Florida’s sixth in its last seven games.
The Jets (13-16-3) wrap up their two-game homestand on Sunday against the league’s last place Colorado Avalanche, the same team the Panthers (13-13-4) face Friday night.
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