Nico Daws Makes 33 Saves In First Start As A Winnipeg Jet In 5-2 Loss To Florida Panthers

Nico Daws Makes 33 Saves In Jets Debut Loss To Panthers© Instagram

Eight days after arriving in Winnipeg as part of the Connor Hellebuyck trade, Nico Daws got his first start in a Jets jersey Friday night in Sunrise. He stopped 33 of 38 shots and kept Florida honest through the first period. Then Anton Lundell started scoring, and the game got away from the Jets. The Jets were already on the second night of a back-to-back after a 6-4 loss in Tampa, road-weary and thin on answers in net since Hellebuyck was shipped to New Jersey. Daws gave them a chance. Lundell took it away.

Lundell's Hat Trick Was the Difference

Lundell finished with three goals and three points, earning first-star honors and giving Florida the kind of performance that has made him one of the more dangerous forwards in the Eastern Conference this season. Seth Jones added a goal and two assists, including a power-play tally that held up as the game-winner, and took second star. Florida scored once in the first, twice in the second, and sealed it with two more in the third. The Jets never really threatened after tying it at one in the middle frame. Morgan Barron scored to pull Winnipeg level, and Mark Scheifele drew an assist on the Jets' power-play goal, but the offense dried up quickly after that. Winnipeg finished with 24 shots against a Panthers team that controlled the puck for long stretches and dominated the faceoff circle throughout.

Daws Steps Into the Starter's Job at 5-9-0

Daws came over in the Hellebuyck blockbuster alongside Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, and draft picks. With Hellebuyck in New Jersey, he owns the crease now on a team that has lost seven of its last nine. Stopping 33 shots on zero rest against the defending conference champions is not a bad first impression, and no one is blaming the goaltender for this result. The Jets need their skaters to generate more offense and give Daws something to work with. Carolina comes next on Sunday, and the schedule is not getting any easier from here.