Jets Knock Down Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 on Sunday night at Bell MTS Place. The Cats, who had their five-game road winning streak snapped, have been victorious in seven of their last nine games overall. The Panthers will not visit Winnipeg next season because both clubs will be part of the NHL Global Series in Finland next season.
     In the first period, Florida(26-24-6) rode out to a 1-0 lead at 8:57 on the power play. Michael Matheson moved the puck from the top of the zone to the top right circle. Denis Malgin scored on a wrist shot for his 10th goal of the year.
     Winnipeg(35-15-9) tied it up 1-1 with their own power play at the 12:06 mark. Blake Wheeler whipped a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Kyle Connor smacked in the puck from the left of the crease.
     The Jets took their first lead of the contest at 4:39 of the second period. Nicolaj Ehlers ripped a shot from the left circle where the puck hit the front of James Reimer, rolled down his back and into the cage. Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey were both credited with assists on the play.
     The Panthers put in another power-play goal at 7:34 to make it 2-2. Keith Yandle released a wrist shot from the top of the zone which was saved by Connor Hellebuyck. Evgenii Dadonov batted the puck with a backhand swing and it went off Aleksander Barkov into the net.
     The second period was capped by Winnipeg with 1:31 left in the frame. Dustin Byfuglien connected a pass from the right point to Wheeler on the right wing. He set up Mark Scheifele for a one-time slap shot from the slot.
     Florida then trailed by two goals at 3:38 of the third period. Myers drove a diagonal pass from the right point to Wheeler in the left circle. He found Connor in the high slot who finished the play with a slap shot for the 21st goal of his rookie campaign.
     The Jets expanded their margin to 5-2 at the 6:03 mark. Myers skated the puck from the right point to the right corner. He centered it to the crease where Bryan Little switched to the backhand for the tally.
     The gap became four goals with 4:33 remaining in the third. Jack Roslovec made a lead pass in the neutral zone to Mathieu Perreault. He skated into the Panthers zone, walked through the left circle and lifted in a wrist shot.
     Winnipeg made it five unanswered goals with 1:35 to go. Patrick Laine scored his 27th goal of the season on a backhand shot from close range off a feed from Little in the left circle.