Lightning strike Winnipeg Jets for seventh straight loss

Posted October 29, 2026 10:02 pm

2 min read

The good news for the Winnipeg Jets was that they found a way to score on last year’s Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender four times Thursday night.

The bad news was that their opposition found the net six times.

A four-goal second-period surge by the Tampa Bay Lightning helped them defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, sending Winnipeg to their seventh straight loss and a 4-6-3 record overall.

Jets coach Scott Arniel shook up the team’s top forward lines, splitting up Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. It led to the Jets hitting the four-goal mark for just the second time this season.

But the defensive side of the puck was the problem on this night.

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Just over two minutes in, the Lightning struck first as Brayden Point got loose in the slot and ripped a shot past the blocker of Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner.

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But before the period was out, the Jets responded as defenceman Neal Pionk, playing in his 600th NHL game, one-timed a shot from the point and ripped it past Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to tie the score.

With the game still tied just before the midway point of the game in the second period, the Lightning took over with a Manitoban beginning the Lightning surge. Strathclair’s Conor Geekie converted a pass from Dominic James on a partial two-on-one for the Tampa lead.

And then in the period’s final five minutes, the Lightning struck three times — Anthony Cirelli on the powerplay, John Carlson on a one-timer off a Pontus Holmberg pass, and Brandon Hagel capitalizing on a Jets turnover in their own zone.

Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner was pulled at the second intermission after allowing five goals on 21 shots, meaning Nico Daws made his debut in the third period after being traded from the New Jersey Devils last week. Daws stopped all nine shots he faced.

And the Jets ended up making a game out of it with Dylan Samberg, Pionk, and Kyle Connor all scoring goals in the final frame, cutting the lead to one. But with Daws pulled, Holmberg scored on the empty net, giving him four points on the night.

Cirelli and Hagel both had three points while, for the Jets, Mark Scheifele had three assists and Cole Perfetti added a pair.

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The Jets are right back at it Friday night when they visit the Florida Panthers, looking for revenge after Tuesday’s 5-1 loss.