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Panthers try to end slide in Winnipeg

Jan 21, 2012 - 4:16 PM (Sports Network) - The sliding Florida Panthers will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they visit the Winnipeg Jets for tonight's Southeast Division clash at MTS Centre.

The Panthers are 0-2-2 over their last four games, giving the club its longest slide since a 10-game skid from March 19-April 8 of last season. Florida is also just 1-3-3 in January and has fallen into a tie with Washington for first place in the Southeast.

The Jets are just three points behind the Panthers and Caps for the top spot in the division.

Florida will try to salvage the finale of a three-game road trip tonight after dropping recent games in Colorado and Chicago. The Panthers were dealt a 3-1 loss Friday in the Windy City, as Patrick Kane notched a goal and an assist to lead the Blackhawks to the home victory at United Center.

Jason Garrison scored the lone goal for the Panthers, while Jose Theodore was tagged for all three goals on 22 shots.

"Right now we're a little, I wouldn't say sloppy, but we're just battling that adversity," said Panthers center and former Blackhawk Tomas Kopecky. "We've got to learn to push through it."

Florida is 10-10-4 as the guest this year and has lost eight straight (0-4-4) on the road.

Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off Thursday's 4-1 home win over visiting Buffalo and tonight Winnipeg will try to post consecutive victories for the first time since it ended December on a three-game winning streak.

Andrew Ladd and Nik Antropov each finished with a goal and an assist to help Winnipeg defeat the Sabres at the MTS Centre. Tobias Enstrom and Tim Stapleton also scored and Kyle Wellwood added a pair of assists for the Jets, who rebounded from a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 25-of-26 shots in the victory for the Jets.

"I liked the fact that we won the game," Jets head coach Claude Noel said. "I thought we did the things necessary to get to them in the first period and I thought we put a lot of pucks at (Buffalo goaltender Ryan) Miller, which was our intent."

The Jets have played the last five games without defenseman Zach Bogosian, but he may return from his lower-body injury tonight. Bogosian is second among Winnipeg defenseman with 19 points this year.

Winnipeg is 15-8-1 as the host this season compared to a 7-12-4 record on the road. The Jets will head out on a six-game road trip after this evening's test.

The Jets and Panthers have split a pair of meetings this year, with each team winning on the road. Winnipeg has won four of six and seven of 10 in this series overall.