Jets remain confident they’ll pull out of nosedive as losing streak hits 10 games

WINNIPEG – Even though their losing streak has reached double digits, Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel and his players weren’t throwing their arms up in despair.

Instead, a 10th consecutive loss (0-6-4) after falling 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime on Tuesday will make the Jets dig in deeper and keep hoping there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“You have to coach the games, you have to be in these games,” Arniel said. “You just can’t say, ‘OK, it’s been a hard year, it’s been tough, we’re not going to show up for the remaining 41 (games).’ That’s our job and that’s what we have to do and I don’t expect anything less.

“Those guys are driving each other and I’m driving them as a coach. You’re just finding a way to maybe, just maybe, there’s a streak that’s coming that we can jump on.”

The winless skid is the longest since the team moved to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011. The franchise record is 16 games (0-13-3) by the Thrashers in the first two months of 2000.

Tomas Hertl, who was named to Czechia’s Olympic team earlier in the day, scored at 4:47 of overtime on the power play to lift the Golden Knights to victory.

Mitch Marner fired the puck and it bounced off Hertl as he was battling in front of goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Winnipeg (15-21-5) held a 2-0 lead 12 minutes into the second period, and were ahead 3-2 with just under five minutes remaining in the third.

Then Reilly Smith scored with 4:05 left to send the game to overtime.

“We found quite a few of these now where it’s back and forth or we’re winning late and something happens,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti, whose first-period goal snapped a 16-game goal drought.

“Just trying to stay even keel, just trying to play to the final buzzer and it’s gonna turn for us. It has to, it’s not gonna go like this all year. I mean, we’re putting forth good efforts. There’s lots in our game to be happy with, be proud of, and we’re sucking with the results right now. It sucks.”

Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg was called for tripping with 51 seconds left in overtime.

“The chances we had and the looks that we had, this is just Groundhog Day,” Arniel said of the penalty. “Something happens, these things seem to happen a lot recently. Just gotta stay with it. I know it’s hard to say and hard to hear, but we gotta find a way.”

Mark Stone also scored on the power play for the Golden Knights (18-11-12), extending his goal-scoring streak to a career-high five games. Reilly Smith had a goal and Brett Howden also scored, giving him three goals in three straight games.

Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for Vegas, which picked up its first win in six games (1-3-2).

Jets defenceman Luke Schenn scored in his 1,100th career game and Kyle Connor gave Winnipeg its 3-2 lead. Gabriel Vilardi contributed a pair of assists and Hellebuyck made 27 saves in the Jets’ first game of a five-game homestand.

The Jets haven’t won in regulation since a 5-1 victory over Washington on Dec. 13.

Schenn said he’s been through similar losing skids during his 18-year career, but not with such a talented group. It’s why no one is throwing in the towel.

“Throwing in the towel, that would be an insane thing to do with this much time left,” said Schenn, who recorded his 45th career goal.

“On top of that, guys are in this position for a reason and we’re all pros. It’s the NHL, you’re never going to just roll over.”

HOSPITAL STAY

The 13,951 fans at Canada Life Centre were silenced after Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury was taken off the ice on a stretcher with just under seven minutes remaining in the first period.

Fleury was shoved by Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar near the bottom of the circle while clearing the puck and slid hard back first into the end boards.

“He’ll be staying overnight (in hospital),” Arniel said of Fleury. “Obviously, he’s got a lot of tests to go through. He does have a broken nose.

“There’s a few different things that happened off it. A little bit of everything. He obviously slammed his back, his neck, hit his head, and then obviously his nose.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2026.