Frolik, Jets topple Panthers

[December 21, 2013]  WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Jets 5, Panthers 2: Defenseman Tobias Enstrom and Blake Wheeler scored power-play goals 33 seconds apart in the opening period as host Winnipeg snapped Florida's five-game winning streak.

Rookie defenseman Jacob Trouba, Evander Kane and Michael Frolik each had a goal and an assist and Wheeler also scored as the Jets halted a six-game home winless drought (0-3-3). Mark Scheifele and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien each collected a pair of assists and Ondrej Pavelec turned aside 21 shots to end his five-start losing streak.

Shawn Matthias and Nick Bjugstad registered unassisted goals for Florida, which was denied a sweep of its four-game Canadian road trip. Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves and remained winless in his last seven starts (0-5-2).

Winnipeg responded to Matthias' goal by scoring three times in a span of 4:51 — the first coming on a fortunate deflection when Trouba's pass went off defenseman Tom Gilbert's stick and into the net at 11:06. Enstrom pounced on a rebound on a 5-on-3 and blasted a shot past Markstrom before Wheeler tipped in defenseman Zach Bogosian's shot from the left point to make it 3-1.

Kane finished off a 2-on-1 with Frolik 63 seconds into the middle session but Bjugstad answered just under four minutes later, pouncing on a turnover and beating Pavelec glove side. Frolik restored the three-goal lead against his former team, burying a rebound of captain Andrew Ladd's shot with 2:07 left in the period.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Enstrom snapped a 21-game goalless drought with his first tally since Nov. 2 as Winnipeg improved to 4-of-6 on 5-on-3 situations this season. ... Matthias' goal was his fourth of the season and first in 15 games. ... Scheifele has three goals and four assists during a five-game point streak.

[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.