Anton Lundell scores 3 goals, Seth Jones caps record month and Panthers beat reeling Jets 5-2

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Anton Lundell had a hat trick, Seth Jones capped a record-setting month with a goal and two assists, and the Florida Panthers topped the reeling Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Friday night for their sixth win in eight games.

Jones finished October with 18 points — two goals and 16 assists — to break the record for most points by a Florida defenseman in any month. Keith Yandle had 17 points for the Panthers in March 2018.

Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida.

Kyle Connor had his team-best 11th goal for Winnipeg, which dropped both ends of a home-and-home with Florida this week and is winless in its last eight games — going 0-6-2 in that span. Morgan Barron had his first goal of the season midway through the third to get the Jets to 3-2, but Lundell’s second of the night restored Florida’s two-goal edge.

Lundell finished off the hat trick — Florida’s fifth already this season — with an empty-netter with 1:39 left.

Akira Schmid stopped 22 shots for Florida, which remains without standout forwards Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand because of injuries. Both resumed skating this week; Marchand could be back in about three weeks and Barkov in about four, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

Florida’s Bokondji Imama and Winnipeg’s Tyrel Bauer brawled just 2:04 into the game, a reenactment of sorts of their still-talked-about fight in the AHL in 2024. They went at it for more than a minute Friday and — similar to what happened at the end of their fight two years ago — shared a respectful nod toward the other when it was over.

The Panthers entered Friday having played only three home games this season, the fewest in the NHL. More than half the league had logged at least seven home games going into the day.

Up next

Jets: At Carolina on Sunday.

Panthers: Host Detroit on Monday night.

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The Associated Press