By Canadian Press

Connor scores twice, adds assist as Jets win home opener 6-4 over Panthers

Oct 14, 2023 | 5:27 PM

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored two goals and added an assist as the Winnipeg Jets won their home-opener 6-4 against the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon.

Mark Scheifele and Mason Appleton each had a goal and assist while Morgan Barron and defenceman Dylan DeMelo also scored for Winnipeg (1-1-0).

Josh Morrissey added two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the Jets, who were starting a three-game homestand at Canada Life Centre.

Evan Rodrigues had two goals and two assists for the Panthers (0-2-0). Sam Reinhart had a goal and helper. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov each added a pair of assists.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 shots for Florida in the second match of a three-game road trip.

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The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and Winnipeg led 4-2 following the second.

Scheifele scored 33 seconds into a power play after he split two Panthers, took a pass from Connor and sent a shot past Bobrovsky on the glove side at 3:30 of the opening period.

Florida had two power plays and hit the mark six seconds into the second one after Rodrigues passed the puck to Reinhart at the side of the net and he redirected it behind Hellebuyck at 17:03. Tkachuk also picked up an assist, the 300th of his NHL career.

The teams struck fast to start the second period.

Rodrigues put a rebound past Hellebuyck 25 seconds into the frame, but Connor replied 10 seconds later to even it up at 2-2.

A quick dose of offence gave the Jets a 4-2 lead.

Rasmus Kapari put the puck in the crease for Barron to get his stick on it and score at 8:20, then DeMelo fired the puck in from the high slot at 9:55.

The third period opened with Scheifele and Tkachuk throwing some punches at each other just over a minute into the action. Earlier in the game, Tkachuk and Jets captain Adam Lowry exchanged some shoves and heated words.

The Panthers had their sixth power play midway through the third, but couldn’t get a shot through traffic and Rodrigues also fired wide of the net.

Appleton scored a shorthanded goal on a head’s up play from the bench.

As Appleton skated toward Florida’s end, Lowry followed but he’d lost his stick. When he skated by the bench, Morrissey handed him a stick and Lowry got the puck and passed it to Appleton, who put a shot under Bobrovsky with 5:43 remaining.

Verhaeghe made it 5-3 at 16:31 and Rodrigues scored 65 seconds later to squeeze the score.

Tkachuk hit the post less than a minute later, but Connor made good on an empty-net goal with 1:10 remaining.

Florida was 1-for-7 on the power play and Winnipeg 2-for-6.

HELLO FANS

The Jets have won their past six home-openers and have some notable numbers in those games.

Connor has scored in each of those contests, netting a total of eight goals, which is the most for home-openers in franchise history.

Scheifele played in his 12th home-opener, tops in franchise history.

UP NEXT

Winnipeg hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, while Florida travels to New Jersey to play the Devils on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2023.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press