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Winnipeg Jets Ready to Get Back at the Florida Panthers

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Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov celebrates after scoring in the third period of a 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers

The Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers are true road warriors of the NHL.

Their geographic location requires substantial travel, even for games within their respective divisions. 

On Saturday night, the Jets made the 4-plus hour flight home after losing 5-0 to the Panthers. 

The Panthers made that same trek on Monday and will play the Jets tonight. 

Winnipeg still has the best record in the NHL, even after its recent three-game road trip ended with losses on both coasts of Florida.

The Jets had won seven straight and 15 of their first 16 before losing 9-1 in the Sunshine State.

The shutout in Sunrise marked the first time Winnipeg was shut out this season.

It was also the first time the Jets gave up a shorthanded goal.

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Winnipeg is a premier team and did not take the humbling losses in Florida lightly.

The Jets are home now and determined to atone for Saturday’s blowout before heading on the road again.

After the loss Saturday, coach Scott Arniel knew exactly what went wrong: Everything.

“We got beat on a coverage goal; we got beat on a 4-on-4 goal; we got beat on a shorthanded goal; we got beat on a rush goal,” Arniel said. 

“So what we did is make mistakes against the Stanley Cup champions.”

The good news, per Arniel, is they get another shot at the champs immediately. 

The Jets will be ready.

“We get to go home and put a little bit better product on the ice,” he said, “be better at what we do, not give up the easy offense to them like we gave tonight.

“Hopefully the results will be better for us because then we have to turn around and go out for six more on the road.”

Lars Eller said the Jets have to make life a bit tougher on whomever is in net for the Panthers tonight.

“On a goalie like Bobrovsky, you give him a clean view of the puck, he’s going to stop it,” Ellers said. 

“We’ve got to get the pucks deep, we’ve got to work their defensemen, create the turnovers like we’re really good at. That’s the way we will then get our chances.”

Arniel ran a challenging practice on Monday but knows his team is capable of resuming where they left off before coming to Florida.

“We certainly weren’t happy that we lost both games,” he said, “but it’s like we’ve kind of done in the past, whether it was a big win, or if it was a loss. It was reset and get ourselves ready to go again.

“The interesting thing is it’s Florida again, who we just played. That doesn’t usually happen. They still are the Stanley Cup champions, and we saw them at their best the other night. 

“We know that we have to be better than what we were, and I have all the faith in this group that we reset and come back out tomorrow night with a better product on the ice.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, are 6-2 away from Sunrise but lost their previous two at home to the Devils before beating the Jets on Saturday. 

Florida had not beaten Winnipeg in its previous four tries, and were happy with Saturday’s performance. 

“I think everyone was pumped to get one back and excited to play a good team,” Gus Forsling said. “I think everyone really bought into it. We stayed tight on them. We gave them nothing. We had Bobby who made some huge saves at critical times.”

The Panthers are healthy, with only Jesper Boqvist questionable after he got clipped by Neal Pionk on Saturday — which cost the Winnipeg defenseman $5,000.

Boqvist missed Monday’s practice, but Paul Maurice said he could be OK to play tonight. 

ON DECK: GAME 19
FLORIDA PANTHERS AT WINNIPEG JETS 

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