3 key Winnipeg Jets takeaways: Hellebuyck, fiery offense brought down to earth, and more from 5-0 shutout loss to Panthers

The Winnipeg Jets have been a powerhouse all season long, racing out to NHL history with 15 victories in their first 16 games of the season — the first team to accomplish such a feat.

Before this week, they were undefeated on the road, but that streak ended with a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first of two games in Florida. Hoping to shake off the rare road loss, the Jets entered Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise for a Saturday night matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Unfortunately for the Jets, the Panthers — led by former Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice — pounced all over them, outplaying them in every aspect to secure a 5-0 win.

The Panthers got goals from Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues, Nate Schmidt, Aleksander Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up the 45th shutout of his career, making 27 saves.

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had his first lackluster outing of the season, stopping 26 shots but conceding five goals.

Let's examine the biggest takeaways from a rare off night for the Jets, who already made NHL history this season.

3 major takeaways from Winnipeg Jets' 5-0 loss to Florida Panthers

#1. Connor Hellebuyck had a rare sub-par game

The Jets goaltender had been nearly unbeatable for the first portion of this season and was making a strong case to win his second straight Vezina Trophy and third of his career.

However, he was victimized five times as the Panthers fired 31 shots and appeared vulnerable for the first time in the 2024-25 schedule.

#2. Mark Scheifele's frustration was visible

Jets forward Mark Scheifele, one of the team’s vocal leaders, made his frustration clear late in the game. With the outcome all but decided, Scheifele delivered a hard hit on Gustav Forsling midway through the third period.

He then dropped the gloves against Panthers assistant captain Aaron Ekblad:

Despite their remarkable 15-3 record, the Winnipeg Jets must guard against complacency and avoid developing bad habits that could hurt them later in the season.

#3. Winnipeg's strong offense was halted

The Jets have been carried all season by consistent offensive performances from up and down their lineup, both from stars and depth players. However, for the second straight game, the offensive firepower dried up.

The Winnipeg Jets will hope that these two tough losses in Florida are a temporary setback. Their schedule continues with a chance for redemption against the Panthers on their home ice on Tuesday night.