Panthers 6, Jets 3
Alex Kovalev scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with 7:23 left while Tomas Kopecky and Kris Versteeg each recorded a goal and an assist as host Florida snapped a five-game losing streak.
Rookie Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and Tomas Fleischmann chipped in with three assists for the Panthers, who trailed by a tally twice in the third period. Defenseman Brian Campbell and Peter Mueller also scored and Jose Theodore made 22 saves for Florida.
Former Panther Olli Jokinen and blue-liners Grant Clitsome and Tobias Enstrom scored for Winnipeg. Ondrej Pavelec stopped all 16 shots he faced in the first period but only 12 of 17 over the final two.
Jokinen knocked home a pass from Blake Wheeler after a Florida turnover to give Winnipeg 2-1 lead just 1:23 into the third, but Versteeg beat Pavelec from the slot after a nifty pass by Fleishmann 2:11 later to forge a tie. Enstrom put the Jets in front again with a blast from the top of the left faceoff circle at 7:38 and Mueller tied it on the power play 3:42 later.
Kovalev put the Panthers ahead for good 4-3 during a man advantage, unleashing a heavy shot from the slot that got by Pavelec. Huberdeau, who like Kovalev was pointless since the season opener, converted a turnover with 4:31 left and Kopecky added an empty-net tally.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnipeg D Dustin Byfuglien, tied for the team lead in scoring coming in, was scratched with an undisclosed injury. Zach Redmond, making his NHL debut, replaced him on the blue line. … C Marcel Goc returned from an injury to make his season debut for Florida while C Stephen Weiss sat out his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. … Florida had three power-play goals after scoring only two in its previous five contests.