After dropping their first game to the Calgary Flames by a score of 5-3, the Winnipeg Jets returned home to take on the Florida Panthers. There were some scary moments from the Jets side of things late in the game, but they ended up taking this battle by a score of 6-4. Here are some takeaways from the Jets first win of the season, which gives them a 1-1 record with the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights next on the schedule.
Mark Scheifele Loves Playing Against the Florida Panthers
Mark Scheifele had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, as he scored the opening goal of the contest, picked up an assist on Kyle Connor’s second-period tally, and fought Matthew Tkachuk midway through the third period. He told reporters after the game – “I didn’t like the hit, I don’t know how I get the extra (penalty) there, so be it, he’s a tough customer.” He now has five goals in his past three games against the Panthers dating back to last season.
That’s the second Gordie Howe Hat Trick of his career. He said, ” It was an exciting game, you get a little extra fired up, and that’s where the emotion kicks in.” Scheifele has had an incredible start to his 2023-24 campaign, fresh off of signing a seven-year extension worth $8.5 million per season.
Rick Bowness was impressed with Scheifele’s performance, stating post-game that Scheifele has “been great at both ends of the ice, he’s playing hard, playing with a lot of emotion, when you do that you’re going to get involved in the game physically.” Scheifele has looked notably motivated to start the season, and a motivated Scheifele could go a long way into making the 2023-24 Jets contenders.
Related: 3 Takeaways from Jets’ 5-3 Loss to Calgary Flames
Scheifele was also unbeatable on the draws in this contest, winning 19-24 faceoffs (79%). Entering his age 30 season coming off of a 42 goal campaign in 2022-23, Scheifele looks motivated to repeat that success this season.
The Jets Scored One of the Weirdest Goals You’ll See
In the third period, the Jets scored one of the weirdest goals you will see this season. Adam Lowry was engaged in a board battle and lost his stick, he said postgame that in the moment he was going to “kick it down the ice.” That was before Josh Morrissey’s stick ended up in his lap. Check it out below.
Lowry said he “felt like a running back” in the moment, as the stick hit him in the chest before he could even process the situation. This was a huge goal for the Jets which put them up 5-2 at the time, and proved to be crucial as Florida made it close down the stretch. Lowry said “it was a super heads up play, it happens once in a while, but rarely with someone else’s stick, so that was a great play by (Morrissey)”
All Four Lines Contributed Offensively
The recipe to success for the Jets this season is using their elite-depth offensively to overpower teams. With the Panthers missing both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour in this contest, it was a prime spot for the Jets to feast offensively, and they did just that. The Gabriel Vilardi trade gave the Jets tremendous depth on paper, and it showed in this one.
Bowness shared confidence in the fourth-line post-game, stating “One thing about the fourth-line, I’m not worried about them, they can go up against (Alexander) Barkov, they all know how to play and they’re all reliable players, and it’s a good luxury to have.” This gives Bowness an incredible wildcard to play during games, as the fourth-line has been more than reliable in their limited minutes, and it gives the Jets an advantage going forward.
Morgan Barron had a goal from the fourth-line, Dylan DeMelo had a goal from the back-end, and Mason Appleton scored the previously-mentioned fifth goal. All four lines were clicking on this night, as the Jets threw 34 shots towards Sergei Bobrovsky and netted six goals.
This was game one of a three-game home stand, as next on the schedule are the Kings and Golden Knights, and PL Dubois’ first return to Canada Life Centre since the trade. Those are two bonafide contenders in the Western Conference, and will be a good early-season test for the Jets organization.