SUNRISE — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said before Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets that his team needed to treat it like a playoff contest.
With the Panthers eight points out of the playoffs coming into the day, every point is needed.
So, too, are goals.
The Panthers just could not get many of them.
Winnipeg ended up scoring twice on four shots in the third and beat the Panthers 2-1 on Saturday, handing Florida its third straight loss.
The Panthers only got a first-period goal when a shot from Evan Rodrigues went off of Eetu Luostarinen.
It was not enough.
Winnipeg scored on a rebound goal from Cole Perfetti midway through the third then got the go-ahead goal from Mark Scheifele with 3:14 remaining.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves in the loss.
HOW THEY SCORED
Panthers 1, Jets 0 (14:40 1st): Seconds after a power play ends, Evan Rodrigues floats a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that caroms in off of Eetu Luostarinen down low.
Jets 1, Panthers 1 (8:34 3rd): Gabe Vilardi drives the net with Sergei Bobrovsky making the initial stop — but Cole Perfetti hops on the loose puck to tie the score.
Jets 2, Panthers 1 (15:46 3rd): Mark Scheifele cashes in on a 2-on-1 pass from Kyle Connor to give Winnipeg its first lead of the day.
FHN’S 3 STARS
1. Eric Comrie, Jets
2. Mark Scheifele, Jets
3. Cole Perfetti, Jets
ON DECK: GAME No. 55
BUFFALO SABRES at FLORIDA PANTHERS
