SUNRISE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky had an impressive night, saving 27 shots to record his 45th career shutout while Aleksander Barkov contributed a short-handed goal alongside two assists. The Florida Panthers dominated the Winnipeg Jets, who currently lead the NHL, with a convincing 5-0 victory on Saturday evening.
Sam Reinhart was instrumental for the Panthers, providing three assists and helping the team break a two-game losing streak. With this performance, Florida became the first team this season to establish a five-goal lead against the Jets. In addition to Barkov and Reinhart’s contributions, Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues, Nate Schmidt, and Dmitry Kulikov all found the net for the Panthers, solidifying their position as leaders in the Atlantic Division.
In goal for Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck, who entered the matchup boasting the league’s best goals-against average of 1.92, saw that figure rise to 2.15 following the Panthers’ scoring barrage. This marked just his second loss in 14 appearances this season, after allowing five goals on 31 shots.
Reinhart’s performance was particularly noteworthy as he extended his point streak to 10 games, securing his fourth three-point game of the year and his first three-assist game during the regular season. His last similar performance came with four assists against Columbus on December 10, 2023.
Looking at the takeaways, the Jets have had a challenging time in Florida, going 0-2-0 in this series after also losing to Tampa Bay earlier in the week. However, with a remarkable 15-3-0 record, they are still enjoying the best start in team history. Since the franchise’s resurgence in Winnipeg in 2011, no Jets squad had previously exceeded 11 wins in their first 18 games of a season.
On the other hand, Samoskevich made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup following a previous omission against New Jersey, scoring the opening goal of the game—his third in the last seven outings.
A crucial moment in the match occurred when Bobrovsky made a key save on Mark Scheifele’s backhand shot midway through the second period, preserving a 2-0 lead for Florida. Soon after, goals from Rodrigues and Barkov extended the Panthers’ advantage and sealed the outcome.
In terms of statistics, it’s worth noting that the Panthers have five short-handed goals this season within just 18 games, compared to the eight they managed throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 regular season over 82 games.
Both teams are set to clash again on Tuesday in Winnipeg, offering another opportunity for competition between the two squads.