Mark Scheifele gets hat trick as Jets get back at Panthers

Mark Scheifele scored in each period for his ninth career hat trick and the host Winnipeg Jets beat the Florida Panthers 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Three days after Winnipeg lost 5-0 at Florida to suffer back-to-back losses for the first time this season, it got back at the Panthers to close a home-and-home set. Scheifele capped his hat trick with 10:14 left in regulation with a nifty goal just after a power play ended to give the Jets a 4-2 cushion.

That marker proved key, as Matthew Tkachuk got Florida within 4-3 with a power-play goal past screened Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (20 saves) with 3:22 left in the third period. However, Morgan Barron recorded two short-handed empty-netters to provide some insurance for Winnipeg, which improved to 9-1-0 at home.

A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, who have lost three of their past four games after winning seven straight. The result also ended a six-game road winning streak for Florida.

While the Panthers showed some early pressure against Hellebuyck, the Jets struck first. Kyle Connor, who had failed to record a point in five of his previous six games, cruised through the slot and backhanded the puck past Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (21 saves) with 5:47 remaining in the first period.

The Jets made it 2-0 with 2:20 to play before the first intermission. Off a drop pass from Gabriel Vilardi, Scheifele made his way into the circle, then sent a wrister by Bobrovsky.

Winnipeg failed to convert a five-on-three advantage early in the second. However, the Jets managed to notch a power-play goal with 4:19 remaining in the period, when Nikolaj Ehlers sent a circle-to-circle pass for Scheifele to successfully one-time.

Florida finally answered with 2:36 left before the second intermission. Greer sent the puck through traffic, where it was redirected off two Jets before going past Hellebuyck.

The Panthers got within 3-2 at 7:10 of the third via their own power-play score. Florida's relentless pressure on the man advantage was rewarded through Reinhart, who has nine goals during an 11-game point streak.

--Field Level Media