Jets rally late to defeat short-handed Panthers 2-1

Scheifele's goal in final minutes lifts Winnipeg over struggling Florida squad

Jan. 31, 2026 at 6:15pm

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The Winnipeg Jets scored twice in the third period, including Mark Scheifele's game-winning goal with 4:14 remaining, to defeat the short-handed Florida Panthers 2-1 on Saturday. The Panthers, who have been dealing with several key injuries, took a 1-0 lead into the final period but were unable to hold on as the Jets rallied for the victory.

Why it matters

The win was a crucial one for the Jets, who have struggled of late, while the loss extended the Panthers' losing streak to three games and dealt a blow to their playoff hopes as they try to climb back into the Eastern Conference wild card race.

The details

Winnipeg was down 1-0 entering the third period but got goals from Cole Perfetti and Scheifele to rally for the victory. Florida played without several injured players, including Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell and Seth Jones. The Panthers had been 17-0-1 this season when leading after two periods, making the collapse all the more surprising.

  • The game was played on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
  • Scheifele scored the game-winning goal with 4:14 remaining in the third period.

The players

Mark Scheifele

A 27-year-old center for the Winnipeg Jets who scored the game-winning goal late in the third period.

Cole Perfetti

A 20-year-old forward for the Winnipeg Jets who scored the game-tying goal in the third period.

Eetu Luostarinen

A 23-year-old forward for the Florida Panthers who scored the team's lone goal.

Sergei Bobrovsky

The 37-year-old goaltender for the Florida Panthers who made 19 saves in the loss.

Eric Comrie

The 26-year-old goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets who made 27 saves to earn the victory.

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What they’re saying

“We must find a way to close out games when we have the lead. This is a tough loss that we need to learn from.”

— Sam Reinhart, Forward, Florida Panthers

What’s next

The Jets will look to build on this win when they visit the Dallas Stars on Monday, while the Panthers will try to end their skid when they host the Buffalo Sabres, also on Monday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the resilience of the Jets, who were able to rally late despite trailing entering the third period, as well as the injury troubles facing the Panthers, who are struggling to stay in the playoff race without several key players.