The Winnipeg Jets opened the new year Thursday night in Toronto, playing the second half of a back-to-back against the Maple Leafs while looking to snap a seven-game losing skid. Despite holding a three-goal lead in the second period, Toronto pushed back to tie the game and eventually won 6-5, handing Winnipeg its eighth consecutive loss and dropping the Jets to 15-20-4.

The Jets opened up a 2-0 lead in the back half of the first period. Gabriel Vilardi joined Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor on a rush, and Scheifele set up Vilardi in the slot, where he fired his 17th of the season past Joseph Woll. Just over three minutes later, Dylan DeMelo fired a shot from the point that deflected off the stick of Leafs forward Auston Matthews and into the net for DeMelo’s second of the season and his first goal since Oct. 26 against the Utah Mammoth.

Winnipeg led 2-0 after 20 minutes while holding an 11-7 edge in shots.

Toronto got on the board just 1:37 into the second period when Max Domi threw the puck toward the net and Matthews, crashing the crease, put it past Eric Comrie for his 16th of the season to make it 2-1.

Alex Iafallo restored Winnipeg’s two-goal cushion just 37 seconds later, cutting into the slot and beating Woll with a slick backhand for his seventh of the year.

Mark Scheifele added his 19th of the season at 5:24 to make it 4-1 Jets, forcing Toronto to make a goaltending change. Dennis Hildeby replaced Woll after he allowed four goals on 17 shots.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson cut the Jets’ lead in half at 11:04 with his seventh of the campaign. Scott Laughton found Ekman-Larsson cutting into the slot, and he fired a wrist shot past Comrie’s blocker.

With just three seconds remaining in the middle frame, Matthews scored his second of the game on the power play to pull Toronto within one.

Winnipeg held a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes while outshooting Toronto 28-19.

Matias Maccelli tied the game at 6:30 of the third period when the Jets failed to clear their zone and the puck found its way to him at the left faceoff dot, where he sniped one past Comrie for his sixth of the season.

Just 2:50 later, on the power play, Scheifele put the Jets back in front with his second goal of the game, ripping a shot past Hildeby from the right faceoff dot.

Toronto once again evened the score at 13:13 when Troy Stecher one-timed his second of the season past Comrie to make it 5-5.

Matthews completed his hat trick at 15:38 when Comrie misplayed the puck, allowing it to pop out to Matthews, who buried his 18th of the season into the open cage.

Winnipeg pushed for the equalizer in the final minute, but strong saves from Hildeby sealed Toronto’s second straight win.

Comrie stopped 24 shots as the Jets once again fell by a single goal.

“We did all the right things to get it to 4-1, and then the game turned into a pond hockey game,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said postgame. “We turned pucks over, made some blind plays into the middle, and got caught on rush chances against. Just all the things we’ve been doing well since the break went out the window for the last 30 minutes.”

The Jets wrap up their three-game road trip Saturday in the nation’s capital against the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. CST on Sportsnet.