Winnipeg sports news: the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Winnipeg Jets 6 to 4 on Thursday night in Tampa, and Winnipeg leaves Florida with a seventh straight game without a win.
By Maplestime Sports Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 29, 2026
Sources: Illegal Curve Hockey, live game data | Last updated: October 29, 2026, final result
Key Takeaways
- Tampa Bay beat Winnipeg 6 to 4 in the final score at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
- The game was tied 1 to 1 after the first period, Tampa scored four unanswered goals in the second period, and Winnipeg answered with three goals in the third.
- Neal Pionk scored twice for Winnipeg, including the first period goal and a third period goal. Dylan Samberg also scored in the third period on a deflected shot, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele.
- Stuart Skinner started in goal for Winnipeg, with Andrei Vasilevskiy at the other end for Tampa.
- Winnipeg came into the night on a six game winless streak, and this loss stretches it to seven games. Tampa stayed perfect on home ice.
- Winnipeg plays again Friday night in Florida against the Panthers.
How Tampa Took Control in the Second
The game was tied 1 to 1 after the first period. Tampa Bay opened the scoring, and Neal Pionk answered for Winnipeg. The second period belonged to Tampa. The Lightning scored four times without reply and took a 5 to 1 lead into the third period.
Winnipeg Fought Back Too Late
Winnipeg answered in the third period and cut the gap, with Samberg and Pionk among the scorers, but Tampa added one more goal in the third and closed out a 6 to 4 win. The comeback fell short, and the road trip opener ended in another loss for a Jets team that has stayed close in most of these games without finding a win.
What This Loss Means
Winnipeg came into Tampa on a six game winless streak, after a 5 to 1 loss to Florida on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre. The Jets opened a four game road trip in Tampa and play again Friday night in Florida. Stuart Skinner got the start in goal for Winnipeg. The Jets are also playing without defenceman Josh Morrissey. Seven games without a win is now the story of this trip, and Friday in Florida is the next chance to stop it.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Jets road trip as results come in.
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Do you think this Jets skid is a slump they can snap in Florida, or is it now a full blown crisis? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Jets fan following the road trip.
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