Jets fall 2-1 to panthers in shootout struggle
The Winnipeg Jets have not won in overtime or a shootout since October.
On Thursday night, the Jets fell to Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers by way of a 2-1 final from Canada Life Centre.
The game wasn't fun, fast or filthy. It was just another slow-moving casualty of a jam-packed month of January hockey in advance of the upcoming February Winter Olympic break.
Neither team really seemed all that interested in scoring on the night. Goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck and Daniil Tarasov did their respective parts, shutting down most of what they faced.
Ultimately, a late-period goal in the middle stanza from Sam Bennett gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead heading into the third.
But it took just five minutes for Jonathan Toews to setup Cole Perfetti for the game-tying goal on a nifty strip play, leading to Perfetti's fourth of the season.
Unfortunately for Winnipeg, that was all the offence the team could seem to muster up.
Regulation ended with the two clubs deadlocked at ones, but overtime did not solve anything. Josh Morrissey nearly ended the game, but hit the gaol post on a chance with less than a minute remaining.
The Panthers were near surgical in the shootout, with both Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett beating Hellebuyck, while both Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were unable to score for Winnipeg as the Jets dropped to 20-23-7 on the season.
HIGHLIGHTS:
PHOTOS:
The extended photo library from Thursday's game vs. Florida is courtesy of Danny Truong:
QUOTEABLE:
Scott Arniel on lack of overtime success:
“Whatever. I’m not sure. I don’t know what the answer is, but at the end of the day, especially with where we are in the standings, we think we have to end that game right there and sometimes, we get on the wrong side of people and give up opportunities. But tonight, man, we had some opportunities, we had some really good looks there. Obviously, Josh (Morrissey) off the crossbar and a couple of others. When you’re out there, (it’s about) recognizing who you are out against, that type of thing. Different personnel as well.”
Cole Perfetti on the game:
“Yeah, I thought we played a better third period. Took it to them a little more. They play a hard style of play against with the high flips and the swarming. It's not easy to play against and it's not necessarily the most entertaining game. And I think they want to lull you to sleep. And I thought the first two periods we kind of got caught in that little trap game kind of thing. And then in the third, I thought we took it to them a little more. Got pucks behind the D and were able to establish a little bit more pressure. It was a better third.”
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Jets close out their crazy stretch of home games with a Saturday evening tilt against the Detroit Red Wings.
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