Lundell hat trick helps Florida snap Winnipeg winless streak

The Florida Panthers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Friday night at their home arena in Sunrise. The win extended Florida’s recent winning streak to six games and ended a home-and-home series that Winnipeg lost on both ends. Winnipeg has now lost or drawn in its last eight contests, falling 0-6-2 in that stretch.

Anton Lundell scored three goals for Florida. His third goal, an empty-netter with 1:39 remaining, sealed the victory. This marked the fifth hat trick for the Panthers in the current season. Seth Jones added a goal and two assists for Florida.

Jones finished October with 18 points, consisting of two goals and 16 assists. This total broke the record for the most points by a Florida defenseman in a single month. The previous record was 17 points, set by Keith Yandle in March 2018. Sam Reinhart also scored a goal for the Panthers.

For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor scored the team’s only other goal, marking his 11th of the season. Morgan Barron scored his first goal of the year midway through the third period to reduce Florida’s lead to 3-2. Lundell’s second goal of the game restored a two-goal advantage for Florida.

Akira Schmid made 22 saves for Florida. The Panthers played without forwards Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand due to injuries. Coach Paul Maurice said both players resumed skating this week. Maurice expects Marchand to return in about three weeks and Barkov in about four.

Bokondji Imama of Florida and Tyrel Bauer of Winnipeg fought 2:04 into the game. The two players had a notable fight in the AHL in 2024. The exchange lasted more than one minute, and the players exchanged a nod after it ended.

The Panthers had played only three home games before Friday, the fewest in the NHL. More than half of the league had played at least seven home games by that date. Winnipeg plays at Carolina on Sunday, and Florida hosts Detroit on Monday night.