Paul Maurice Live Blog

It's a very un-Florida-like in Winnipeg tonight as the temperature plunges to -25C - -37C with the wind - while the Jets celebrate Canadian Forces Night during warm-up. There's a buzz in the air as the Jets take the ice with two games in-hand on the Dallas Stars while trailing the Stars for top spot in the Central Division by just two points. The Panthers enter the game in fifth-place in the Atlantic Division, some 13 points back of division-leading Boston, and they bring with them a familiar face in head coach Paul Maurice!

I'm not here to gloss over that fact as the former Jets head coach left Winnipeg abruptly after compiling a 315-224-62 record with the Jets. It should be noted that Maurice first coached against the Jets during his first season behind the bench in the NHL with Hartford. His Whalers won that game in Winnipeg by a 3-2 score before they dropped the second game against the Jets at home by a 5-2 score.

He was also behind the bench for the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2011-12 season which saw the Jets return to Winnipeg. During that season in which the Jets and Hurricanes were division rivals in the Southeast Division, Maurice's Hurricanes were 2-3-1 against the Jets including being 1-2-0 in Winnipeg that season.

If you're keeping track of Maurice's career, those would be the only times he has faced the Jets as the opposing coach being that the Jets moved to Arizona in 1996-97 and Maurice was dismissed from the Hurricanes in 2011-12. Will he add a win tonight as the head coach of the Jets? Let's find out as we do a live blog featuring the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets!

First Period

• We get our first coach comparison shortly after the first shift ends as Kevin Sawyer, colour commentator for the Jets, tries to draw comparisons between Rick Bowness and Paul Maurice.
• Three minutes in, the Jets lead 3-0 in shots, Spencer Knight looks solid in the Florida end, and Maurice's team looks lost in their own zone. In other words, everything is going as expected with these two teams.
• Decent pace to this game, but not a lot of pucks hitting goalies yet as we're seven minutes into this game. This feels like a chess game so far.
• Mike Eyssimont, it should be noted, was originally a draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings back in 2016, but never saw action with the Kings despite a few solid seasons with the AHL Ontario Reign. The former Fargo Force and St. Cloud State forward is certainly making his time count with Winnipeg as he's on the second line tonight with Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
• Dylan DeMelo showing some offensive moxie by trying to split Montour and Forsling, but he draws the penalty as Montour will sit for two-or-less for the infraction.
• A ton of offensive presssure as they spent the entire two minutes of the advantage in the Panthers' zone, but credit Spencer Knight with making a few key saves to keep this game tied at zeroes. Impressive by Winnipeg, though.
• How can anyone not like Axel Jonsson-Fjallby? Dude is pure hustle! He may not score, but he forechecks like a demon!
• Here comes the video tribute for Paul Maurice and Jamie Kompon as the two former Jets coaches get their moment from the fans in Winnipeg. After 600 games here, take a bow, gents. You didn't bring a Stanley Cup to Winnipeg, but the memories and the memes were plentiful.
• With Sam Bennett in penalty box, the Jets capitalize as Pierre-Luc Dubois corrals a loose puck in the slot and slides it to Mark Scheifele who puts it behind Spencer Knight at 13:20! WINNIPEG JETS LEAD 1-0!
• Connor Hellebuyck announces his presence with a solid glove save off Aaron Ekblad.
• With Brendan Dillon in the penalty box, Carter Verhaeghe goes shelf over Hellebuyck's glove at 14:11. FLORIDA PANTHERS TIE THE GAME AT 1-1!
• Moments after the Florida goal, Pierre-Luc Dubois flips a backhand pass to Kyle Connor, and Connor's quick wrister beats Knight on the stick side at 14:28! WINNIPEG JETS LEAD 2-1!
• Both Schiefele and Connor have good chances on consecutive plays to make it a two-goal lead, but the Panthers escape both opportunities unscathed.
• Matthew Tkachuk spears Brendan Dillon, leaving the big defender on the ice in pain. Dillon heads to the room upon getting up while Tkachuk's stupidity will cost him two minutes in the sin bin. Jets are, notably, 1-for-2 on the power-play.
• Nothing comes of the power-play, and the final seconds tick off the clock as the Jets take the lead into the first break.

Intermission #1

For those that missed it, here's the video tribute that the Jets had on the scoreboard for former coaches Maurice and Kompon.

Second Period

• Jets come out with some moxie in the second period, and they capitalize early as Connor stick-checks Laumberg, Dubois picks up the puck and feeds Connor, and Connor goes five-hole on Knight just 1:43 into the frame. WINNIPEG JETS LEAD 3-1!
• That will also spell the end of Spencer Knight's night as he's replaced by Sergei Bobrovsky in the Panthers net.
• Axel Jonsson-Fjallby had a head of steam to nearly create a 2-on-1 with Mark Scheifele, but Scheifele was just across the line a step early to end that threat. Jets look like sharks circling in the water right now.
• I like what Josh Mahura of the Panthers has shown tonight. He's not afraid to jump into the play, and he's played a solid game in his own zone thus far. The 24 year-old waiver claim from the Anaheim Ducks looks like he may have a bright future in the league!
• Just short of six minutes into the second period, and Florida is pushing back. Hellebuyck is doing a good job with rebound control and getting square to shooters tonight.
• Bobrovsky with his first big save in turning aside Kyle Connor.
• A scrap between Nick Cousins and Neal Pionk is more of a middleweight tilt, but I'm giving the result to Pionk after a couple of decent shots. No one is hurt, thankfully, as both men sit for five minutes after that bout.
• Florida is showing some good offensive zone presence, but they're not getting quality shots. The shot from Verhaeghe that popped Hellebuyck's mask off was from a very tough angle, so I'm not sure if he was angling for a rebound?
• Yikes. Josh Mahura just hit Blake Wheeler from behind. That's two for boarding.
• Is there a reason why the Jets have gone from controlled entries to dump-ins on their power-play? Zero zone time on this power-play thus far and there's only 40 seconds to go.
• Wow. Controlled entry leads to a tic-tac-toe passing play as Connor feeds Scheifele on the far post for the easy one-timer as Bobrovsky had no chance. WINNIPEG JETS LEAD 4-1!
• Carter Verhaeghe has been Florida's best player all night. How did the Maple Leafs deal this guy to the Islanders for Michael Grabner? How did the Islanders trade him to Tampa Bay for Kristers Gudlevskis? And how did the Lightning let him walk as a free agent? He's 27 and looks great for the Panthers.
• Connor Hellebucyk might be getting better as this game goes on. Fantastic save on Bennett in tight.
• Matthew Tkachuk: only good when playing with good linemates? It might be true. Dude's been invisible thus far.
• Morrissey misses the check on Eric Staal and is forced to wrap an arm around him. That's an easy holding call for the officials as this power-play will carry into the third if no goals are scored in the final 1:05.
• The Jets will carry the three-goal lead into the third period as time expires! 55 seconds left on the penalty.

Intermission #2

Quick update from other games happening:

• Toronto leads Dallas 3-0 after 40 minutes.
• St. Louis defeats the Islanders by a 7-4 score.
• New Jersey shut out Chicago 3-0.
• Pittsburgh downs Columbus by a 4-1 score.
• Detroit defeats Tampa Bay in a 4-2 final.
• Los Angeles beats Ottawa 5-2 in their game.
• Carolina will tangle with Anaheim later.
• Montreal is in Seattle for a late game.
• Warnock has a slight lead over Walker in Georgia.

Third Period

• Morrissey sits in the penalty box, the puck is down, and the Jets are 20 minutes from adding to Maurice's record-setting number of losses. Close it out, Jets!
• Hellebuyck: stopped in the name of glove!
• Mike Eyssimont will be send off for holding. Kevin Sawyer doesn't see a penalty despite Eyssimont's hand clearly being on the Florida defender's arm.
• Jets are doing a good job at standing the Panthers up at the blue line. Not a lot of Panthers' zone time here.
• Impressive penalty kill by the Jets as Eyssimont is released.
• Good transition by the Jets results in a 3-on-1, but Wheeler's shot is stopped by Bobrovsky. In his defence, Wheeler's distance from the goal gave Bobrovsky time to react.
  
• Neal Pionk, changing his angle at the blue line, throws a wrister at the net that finds iron behind Bobrovsky.
• The Florida Panthers, after being under siege, tear down the ice as a five-man unit. Chris Tierney finds Zac Dalpe on the right side with a cross-ice pass, and Dalpe finds the back of the net before Hellebuyck could get across at 9:02. FLORIDA PANTHERS SCORE TO CUT THE LEAD TO 4-2!
• The Scheifele-Wheeler-Perfetti line comes back with a handful of chances, but Sergei Bobrovsky stands his ground.
• Five minutes remaining in Paul Maurice's only appearance in Winnipeg this season. Bobrovsky to the bench soon?
• Bobrovsky was heading to the bench when the Jets broke up a rush as Samberg chips the puck to Lowry, and he hits the vacated cage with 3:01 to play. WINNIPEG JETS LEAD 5-2!
• Less than a minute to play. Put this one to bed, folks!
• Florida with all sorts of pressure in the final seconds, but the horn sounds!

Heck of a night for the Jets as they skate to the 5-2 victory over the Panthers, handing Paul Maurice his 690th career NHL loss to move 56 losses up on the next closest active coach, Lindy Ruff! Overall, a very solid outing by the Jets as they send the crowd home happy on a brutally cold night in Winnipeg!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!