WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Florida Panthers right winger Reilly Smith upstaged teammate and seemingly ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr on Tuesday night.

And that's no easy task.

Smith fired a pair of goals to spark the Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre.

His second goal of the game, his 21st of the season, at 1:46 of the third period with the Jets killing a penalty knotted the score 2-2. Just 1:45 later, Jagr notched his 21st of the season to give the visitors the lead on a wrist shot that glanced off defenseman Jacob Trouba's stick and eluded goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

Panthers center Vincent Trocheck set up both of Smith's goals, while left winger Jussi Jokinen chipped in an assist.

Florida picked up Smith in a trade with the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Jimmy Hayes last summer.

"It's awesome when you join a new team and you're able to contribute like this," said the 24-year-old Toronto native. The 21 goals is a career high, and he's registered 17 assists as well.

"Obviously, I've been given a great opportunity here and I've tried to do my best not to squander it. Plus, I'm playing with great players. It seems like they're trying to set me up all the time. Vince has got eyes in the back of his head. I think he passes up a couple of shots to set me up. But it seems to work out. He's a great passer."

Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored his 16th goal of the season and center Andrew Copp supplied just his second of the year. Both goals came in the second period as Winnipeg went in front 2-1.

The Panthers (36-19-8) grabbed sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the idle Tampa Bay Lightning. The Jets (26-32-4), meanwhile, occupy last spot in the Central Division.

For the Jagr, 44, the winning goal at 3:31 of the third was the 743rd tally of a brilliant career that still seems far from over.

He's just two points back of legendary forward Gordie Howe (1,850) for third place in all-time NHL scoring. He's also closing in on Mark Messier (1,887), but the best of the best, Wayne Gretzky (2,857), is well out of reach.

Jagr has three goals against the Winnipeg this season, after ripping a pair on Feb. 20 in a 3-1 win at home. Afterward, he was asked why he's been picking on the Jets lately.

"I got a lot of goals," he said, with a chuckle. "It's not only Winnipeg. I got a lot of goals."

Jagr said he hasn't spent much time thinking about his place in hockey history.

"It's not in my mind. I don't think about retiring, yet, so it's not in my mind," he said. "There's no pressure, anything can happen. I know I can get injured, whatever. In my head, it's not over yet so I keep playing, keep playing, so it doesn't matter.

Jagr wasn't sure how shot got past Pavelec, who finished with 19 saves. "I don't know. I saw the red light and I was celebrating," he said.

Smith said playing on a team with Jagr has been almost surreal.

"It's ridiculous, honestly," he said. "You kind of got to think twice, just because you don't want to squander the moments you have with pretty much a living legend, right?"

Florida goalie Roberto Luongo made 30 saves, including 16 in a first period dominated by the visitors, to record his 27th victory this season.

Copp, the Jets fourth-line center, took a slashing penalty early in the third period and that led to Smith's power-play marker that tied the contest.

"I kind of tried to go hard, low on his stick and they called it and I understand," Copp said. "That's a penalty that I don't really want to take, but I was just trying to be aggressive and make a play."

The Jets have just one victory in their last seven games.

"We didn't play the third period the way we played the first two," said Jets coach Paul Maurice.

NOTES: The Panthers were without G Al Montoya (upper body), while D Jakub Kindl and LW Garrett Wilson were healthy scratches. RW Matt Halischuk was a healthy scratch for Winnipeg. ... The game was the first of five straight at home for the Jets, who play a whopping 11 at the MTS Centre in March. ... C Quinton Howden returned to the Florida lineup on Sunday in Minneapolis against the Wild after missing five games with a concussion. ... Newly acquired LW Marko Dano played his second game in a Jets jersey but made his home debut. He was traded to the Jets, along with a 2016 first-round draft choice, by the Chicago Blackhawks for veteran LW Andrew Ladd last Thursday. ... On Tuesday morning, Panthers GM Dale Tallon announced the signing of F Jayce Hawryluk to an entry-level contract. Roblin has 30 goals and 49 assists with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League this season.