Panthers outlast Jets 2-1 in shootout for 4th win in 6 games

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart beat Connor Hellebuyck in a shootout to help give the Florida Panthers a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Winnipeg shooters Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele came up empty against Daniil Tarasov in the tiebreaker.

Sam Bennett scored in regulation, and Tarasov stopped 17 shots for two-time defending champion Florida. Matthew Tkachuk had an assist for his first point of the season in his second game back from adductor muscle surgery.

The Panthers are 4-2-0 in their last six to improve to 26-20-3.

Cole Perfetti scored for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots. The Jets are 5-1-2 in their last eight to get to 20-23-7.

Bennett scored his 18th of the season with a one-timer with 1:11 left in the second. Perfetti tied it at 5:24 of the third.

Panthers: At Minnesota on Saturday night.

Jets: Host Detroit on Saturday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) makes a break for the net as Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) and Luke Schenn (5) keep their eyes on the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Niko Mikkola (77) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Vladislav Namestnikov (7) as goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) saves the shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Niko Mikkola (77) defends against Winnipeg Jets' Cole Perfetti (91) the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9) and Niko Mikkola (77) celebrate after Bennett's goal against the Winnipeg Jets during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Jeff Petry (2) and Tobias Bjornfot (22) defend against Winnipeg Jets' Morgan Barron (36) and Tanner Pearson (70) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)