Reilly Smith Scores 2 Goals To Lead Panthers Past Jets, 3-2
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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Reilly Smith had two goals and Jaromir Jagr scored the winner to send the Florida Panthers past the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Smith's goals were his 20th and 21st of the season for Florida, which snapped a first-place tie with Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division. Jagr scored his 21st, and Vincent Trocheck assisted on both of Smith's goals.
Dustin Byfuglien and rookie Andrew Copp scored in the second period for Winnipeg, which lost its fifth straight home game.
Roberto Luongo made 30 saves for the Panthers, who improved to 1-1-1 on a five-game road trip.
Ondrej Pavelec stopped 19 shots for the Jets, who began a five-game homestand. They are 13-15-1 on home ice and they play a season-high 11 games at home in March.
Winnipeg led 2-1 going into the third period, but Smith's second goal on the power play, while Copp was in the penalty box for slashing, tied it at 1:46.
Jagr made it 3-2 when his shot went off the stick of Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba at 3:31. Jagr is two points from tying Gordie Howe (1,850) for third in NHL history.
Smith scored the game's first goal at 13:48 of the first. Trocheck brought the puck over the blue line and sent a pass over to Smith as he skated straight at Pavelec and redirected the puck into the net.
The Jets challenged the play, claiming Trocheck was offside, but the review was inconclusive and the goal stood.
Luongo turned aside 16 shots in the first period, while Pavelec let in one of the five he faced.
Byfuglien made it 1-all when he banged in a rebound off Nikolaj Ehlers' shot in front of the net at 5:23 of the second.
Copp scored his second goal of the season, and first since Oct. 31, a couple of minutes later on a breakaway just a second after a Winnipeg penalty expired.
Alexander Burmistrov sent Copp a pass from near center ice. He gloved it down, went in on Luongo, deked and shot the puck between his pads at 7:58.
After Smith tied it 2-all, Jagr got the go-ahead goal 45 seconds later.
NOTES: Winnipeg went on the power play with 1:01 left in the game when Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson, playing in his 300th NHL game, was called for interference. ... The Jets host the New York Islanders on Thursday, while Florida travels to Colorado for a game the same day.