The Jets’ losing streak reached seven games (0-5-2) last night following a disastrous second period in which they surrendered four goals to the Lightning en route to a 6-4 loss to open their four-game road trip. Things won’t get any easier as Winnipeg heads across the state to Sunrise, where they’ll face the Panthers this evening. While the Jets will be playing their second game in as many nights, Florida will be well-rested, having not played since handing Winnipeg a 5-1 defeat four days ago.
With 13 of 84 games in the books, the Jets are now a shade over 15% of the way through their season, and the numbers paint a concerning picture. Winnipeg ranks 28th in the NHL in goal scoring (2.46 goals per game) and 17th in goals against (3.23 per game). Special teams have fallen off the map after their hot start, with the power play sitting 25th (17.1%) and the penalty kill ranking 23rd (73.5%).
Of particular concern is the power play, which has gone ice cold with just two goals in its last 28 opportunities, including an ongoing drought of 16 straight unsuccessful chances. With three of those four major statistical categories sitting in the bottom quarter of the league, it’s not difficult to see why the Jets find themselves mired in a seven-game losing streak.
It will also be interesting to see whether head coach Scott Arniel makes any changes to his lineup, particularly on the back end, where Tyrel Bauer could draw back in. With the Panthers bringing a heavy, physical game, inserting Bauer would give Winnipeg some additional size and toughness against a team that isn’t shy about making life difficult for its opponents.
Skate news:
No morning skate.
Jets projected lines & D pairs:
Perfetti-Scheifele-Vilardi
Connor-Bjorck-Mercer
Rosen-Lowry-Iafallo
Koepke-Barron-Lambert
Samberg- Pionk
Ferraro – DeMelo
Fleury – Salomonsson
Daws/Stevenson/Skinner
Panthers projected lines & D pairs:
B. Tkachuk – Bennett – M. Tkachuk
Verhaeghe – Reinhart – Vilmanis
Luostarinen – Lundell – Eller
Imama – Schwindt – Hathaway
Forsling – Ekblad
Mikkola – Jones
Kulikov – Gudas
Schmid
Black
Odds:
The Jets head into tonight’s matchup against the Panthers with Florida holding a significant edge as the home favourite. Winnipeg will be looking to snap its seven-game losing streak and avoid an eighth straight defeat against a formidable Panthers squad. Generating more quality scoring chances, finding a spark on the power play and tightening things up defensively will be key if the Jets hope to get back into the win column. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.
Up Next:
Puck drop is at 6 PM CST. Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action. You can join us on our YouTube channel for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show around 8:40 PM CT as we discuss and analyze the results of the game.
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