Coming off of a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, the Jets were responding to a loss for just the second time this season. They were outclassed for 60 minutes, dropping this contest to the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-0.
There was plenty to take away from the Jets’ third loss of the season.
Jets lose two straight for the first time in 2024-25
For the first time this season, the Jets have lost two straight games, dropping to 15-3-0 on the season. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers imposed their will and their forecheck on Winnipeg, and the Jets had no answers.
The Jets have done a great job of bouncing back despite being down early in games this year, but they let this game get away from them in the second period. A 1-0 game quickly turned to 4-0 in the second period, and the game was well out of reach at that point.
None of the Jets’ top forwards were at their best tonight, except for a few solid offensive chances for Nikolaj Ehlers. The top line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi have been on a red-hot stretch in their last seven games, but they failed to make an impact on this game tonight.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
While the Jets’ defence core struggled as a whole, the Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo pairing looked far from their usual steady style of play, as they were constantly overwhelmed by Florida’s forecheck, leading to a handful of turnovers and chances against Connor Hellebuyck.
Jets get a chance for revenge on Tuesday
A storyline that has only emerged twice and will be prevalent once again on Tuesday, Nov 19, is seeing how the Jets respond after a loss. After suffering their second straight defeat, they’ll get another shot against the Panthers inside Canada Life Centre.
Early-season adversity can be spun as a good thing for this Jets squad, who began the season with the greatest 15-game start in NHL history and are looking to maintain that level of play. Rest could play a factor over the next week, as with their next game coming on the 19th, the Jets are slated to have their first two-day break since October 18th.
This has been a grind of a schedule for these Jets, and with the strength of competition building as of late, a two-game slide was bound to happen eventually.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
There could be some added intensity to this upcoming game as well, as the Panthers took exception to a hip check from Neal Pionk late in the game. Mark Scheifele also laid a solid hit on Gustav Forsling at his own blue line, which led to a fight with Aaron Ekblad, who played a solid game against the Jets throughout the night.
These two playoff opponents play a physical style, and their games follow that trend. Tuesday night in Winnipeg should be no different, as the Jets look to avoid a third straight loss for the first time this season.
Up next:
After the Jets complete their home-and-home series against the Panthers, they’ll hit the road for a six-game road trip, beginning in Pittsburgh on November 22. This is their longest road trip of the season, with five of the six games coming against Western Conference opponents, three of which made the playoffs in 2023-24.
There are plenty of tough opponents on the upcoming schedule for the Jets, who have passed the eye test this season and have hit their first bump in the road.
