Mark Scheifele’s Hat Trick Carries Jets to Win Over Panthers – The Hockey Writers NHL News Latest News, Analysis & More

The Winnipeg Jets (16-3-0) snapped their two-game skid on Tuesday evening (Nov. 19), defeating the Florida Panthers 6-3 in the second half of their home-and-home series.

The Jets rode a Mark Scheifele hat trick to victory and capitalized on some Panthers (12-6-1) timely penalty trouble to get back in the win column for the first time since their victory over the New York Rangers on Nov. 12, and rebounded after a 5-0 loss in Florida just three days ago.

Related: Panthers Pummel Jets 5-0 in First Half of Home-and-Home

Scheifele’s third of the game, eventually the game-winner, came just past the halfway mark of the third period to make it 4-2. The Jets held the puck in the zone for a full two minutes on the power play, and just after the minor expired, Connor fed Scheifele from low to high to beat Sergei Bobrovsky on the far side for his ninth career hat trick.

MARK SCHEIFELE MASTERCLASS 😼 pic.twitter.com/CgCuuzxK9U

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 20, 2024

The Jets opened the scoring late in the first period, as Kyle Connor walked in and roofed one on the backhand over Bobrovsky to make it 1-0. Scheifele made it 2-0 three minutes later on a tricky wrister from the left circle for his first of three on the evening. The Jets’ top line had a really strong night, which has become a bit more of a regular occurrence as of late.

After a slow start to the second period, the Jets added to their lead on Scheifele’s second of the night. He rifled home an incredible cross-ice pass from Nikolaj Ehlers on the power play to make it 3-0.

The Panthers got on the board late in the second after a wild bounce made its way past Jets’ netminder Connor Hellebuyck. After the Jets nearly extended the lead, the Panthers came back down the ice and A.J. Greer banked a puck off Jets’ captain Adam Lowry and in to make it 3-1. Just over seven minutes into the third period, the Panthers inched even closer on a Sam Reinhart power-play goal. His 14th of the season cut the deficit to 3-2 with plenty of time left.

After Scheifele’s hat trick goal put the Jets up 4-2, the Panthers refused to go away as they cut the lead to 4-3 on a Matthew Tkachuk power-play goal with the goalie pulled late in the third.

The Panthers went back to the power play late, pulling Bobrovsky again to try and tie the game up, but this time it backfired. Morgan Barron used some geometry to bank it off the wall from his own end and into the yawning cage to make it 5-3 for his first goal of the season. Barron added another empty-net goal for his second to make it 6-3.

Hellebuyck stopped 20 of 23 shots to pick up his 13th win of the season. Bobrovsky was tagged with the loss after giving up four goals on 25 shots.

The Jets had one goal on the power play on four opportunities, while the Panthers had two goals on the man advantage on four opportunities of their own.

Scheifele’s three goals led the charge, with Barron also tallying a pair. Connor, Ehlers, and Josh Morrissey also recorded two points in the win. For the Panthers, Tkachuk tallied a goal and an assist to lead the way.

The Jets are back in action on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Nov. 22, while the Panthers head to the Windy City to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Nov. 21.