Match date: 9 November 2026.
Final score: Jets 4, Lightning 3.
The Jets beat the Lightning 4-3 on 9 November after M. Scheifele scored with two seconds left in regulation, rescuing a game that had swung from a 3-0 Winnipeg lead to a late tie. It was a brutal finish for Tampa Bay, who had erased the entire deficit in just over four third-period minutes.
Game Story
A scoreless first period gave way to a controlled middle spell from the Jets. C. Perfetti opened the scoring at 1:53 of the second, converting with M. Scheifele and H. Fleury supplying the assists. M. Barron then doubled the home side's advantage at 12:38, assisted by N. Pionk and V. Björck.
The Jets carried that 2-0 lead into the third and appeared to put the contest beyond reach when B. Yager made it 3-0 at 8:10. V. Björck collected his second assist of the night, with A. Iafallo also involved.
Tampa Bay's response was sharp and increasingly urgent. B. Hagel got the Lightning on the board at 10:22 from A. Cirelli. P. Holmberg then turned the game in the space of 26 seconds, scoring at 14:01 with E. Cernak and Z. Girgensons assisting before levelling at 14:27, again from E. Cernak, with I. Mikheyev on the second goal.
From 3-0 down, the Lightning had made it 3-3 with 5:33 remaining. Yet two late Tampa Bay penalties left the final sequence unsettled, and the Jets found the one finish that mattered. Scheifele scored at 19:58, assisted by Perfetti and G. Vilardi, to settle a seven-goal regulation game at the last possible moment.
Turning Point
Holmberg's equaliser at 14:27 completely changed the finish, wiping out Winnipeg's three-goal advantage and forcing the Jets to respond under late pressure. They did so at 19:58, when Scheifele's goal turned a likely point shared into a home victory.
Standout Performers
Scheifele led the Jets with a goal and an assist, and his final strike was the difference. Perfetti also recorded a goal and an assist, opening the scoring before assisting on the winner. For Tampa Bay, Holmberg scored twice in 26 seconds to complete the comeback, while Cernak assisted on both of those goals. Björck supplied two assists for Winnipeg. In goal, S. Skinner made 18 saves on 21 shots, while A. Vasilevskiy stopped 21 of 25.
Tactical Observations
The scoring sequence showed two very different third-period games. Winnipeg built its 3-0 lead through goals spread across the second and third periods, then saw Tampa Bay turn a manageable chase into a tied game through three goals between 10:22 and 14:27. The Jets were outshot 21-25 but made their 25 attempts count, and the final minutes demanded a response after the Lightning had seized the momentum. Tampa Bay's two late penalties also became part of the closing game state before Scheifele struck.
Coach Mark Comment
A 3-0 lead disappearing is the sort of swing that can make a bench tighten up, especially when the equaliser arrives only 26 seconds after the previous goal. What I like about this finish is that Winnipeg did not need to pretend the wobble had not happened. There were still 5:33 left, then penalties, then one final puck to play at 19:58. Scheifele's goal gave the Jets a result, but it also spared them the long, unhappy wait that usually follows surrendering a lead that size.
What It Means
The Jets took the result despite allowing Tampa Bay back from three goals down, and their leading contributors were spread across the decisive moments: Perfetti started the scoring, Björck helped build the lead and Scheifele finished the game. The Lightning's comeback earned no reward after Holmberg's two-goal burst was undone in the final seconds.
What Comes Next
For the Jets, the immediate question is how to carry the attacking contribution that created a 3-0 lead while managing the kind of third-period surge Tampa Bay produced. The Lightning will have to reckon with a comeback that was complete on the scoreboard but not at the final horn.