The Detroit Red Wings were able to snap a three-game losing streak and also put an end to the Jets’ hot streak. The Red Wings have dropped their last three, and Winnipeg has emerged victorious in their previous five.
It was a nail-biter down the line, but the Detroit Red Wings were able to ground the Jets with a 7-to-5 victory. At times it felt like the Red Wings were dominating, but the Jets refused to quit. The Red Wings’ offense was indeed firing on all cylinders, finding ways to beat a really good goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, who had a rough night.
The Red Wings sealed the deal and finally got back into the win column. Let’s get into the action!
The Detroit Red Wings came out and dominated the first 20 minutes.
After the first period, it was all Red Wings. They came out and put the pedal to the metal to get things going. Three goals on eight shots helped them get ahead of the Jets early on. They went into the break leading 3-1 and outshooting Winnipeg 8-7.
Opening up the scoring was none other than Jake Walman. The defender continues to settle into his role with the Red Wings and stays red-hot with his performance. After making a move at the blue line, he gained control, stepped into the slot, and found the back of the net. Walman added his fourth of the year and continues to perform exceptionally well.
Here’s the goal by Walman:
Keeping the good feeling alive, Jonatan Berggren beat Hellebuyck short side for a Red Wings goal. He picked up his seventh of the season after being in the right place at the right time. It was Andrew Copp who made a nice backhand feed through to Berggren. It feels like Berggren continues proving why he deserves playing time in the team’s top six.
Here’s the goal by Berggren:
It was Oskar Sundqvist who was able to show off the poise and patience to add to the team’s early lead. Sundqvist had the puck down low and was able to feed it up to Lucas Raymond to create some space for himself. He cycled back down low, caught a pass from Moritz Seider, cut to the slot, and then buried it for the goal. Sundqvist is another newcomer to the Red Wings who has adjusted nicely.
Here’s the goal by Sundqvist:
While the Jets did claw back after Neal Pionk found the back of the net, it was nothing special. Red Wings netminder Ville Husso was screened and ended up letting one through. The Red Wings took the two-goal lead into the break and were on top to start the game against the Jets.
The Detroit Red Wings remained on top after the second period.
Picking up right where things left off, Dominik Kubalik was able to extend the Red Wings’ lead even further, making it 4-1 after finding the back of the net early in the second. Kubalik was on a rush with Sundqvist, who made a great saucer pass over to Kubalik. He settled the puck and let one rip, beating Hellebuyck for his 13th goal of the 2022-23 campaign.
Here’s the goal by Kubalik and a lovely saucer pass from Sundqvist:
The Jets were able to strike back. The frustration from the Jets led to a lot of bad shots where they just tried to get pucks on net. Finally, Sam Gagner found the back of the net, banking one in off of Husso to make it 4-2 around the midpoint of the second.
The Red Wings let the Jets clip their momentum and trim the lead even further. Nate Schmidt crept into the slot and caught a nice feed to beat Husso and make it 4-3 past the halfway point in the second period. The Red Wings’ defense seemed to miss Schmidt, allowing him to capitalize on it.
The Red Wings were able to flip the momentum and get back on track. On a 5-on-3 powerplay, it was Seider with a great feed to Dylan Larkin, who absolutely scorched one into the back of the net. Larkin picked up his 14th goal of the season as Seider added his fourth assist for his first-career four-point game.
Here’s the goal by Larkin:
After a nail-biting third, the Detroit Red Wings sealed the deal in the third period.
The Jets were eager to show they had not quit. Just over 30 seconds into the third period, Nikolaj Ehlers beat Husso between the legs for a goal. He made things 5-4 after an admirable goal to show Winnipeg was not going to go down easy in this one.
It was not long after that before the Red Wings decided it was time to answer once again. Gustav Lindstrom sent one toward the front of the net, and Robby Fabbri was able to re-direct the pass into the back of the net to beat Hellebuyck and make it 6-4 in favor of the Red Wings.
Here’s the goal by Fabbri:
After a late-period trip by Fabbri, the Jets were able to climb within one. Mark Scheifele was in the right place at the right time, being able to bury the rebound past Husso and make it a 6-5 game with a little over five minutes left to play in the third period.
The Jets opted to pull Hellebuyck with around 2:30 left on the clock. With 1:20 left on the clock, Dylan Larkin was able to find an open Lucas Raymond with a full head of steam. Raymond skated it into the offensive zone and slid it into the net for an empty-net goal.
The Red Wings closed off a 7-5 victory and were able to get a big win on home ice. Worth noting that they were outshot 37-23 by the Jets, and Husso was exceptional when the Red Wings needed him most.
Even in a game where Huso allowed five goals, he made the big stops and had many terrific sequences, keeping the puck out of the net. Detroit caps off this victory and will prepare for another match-up with Toronto on Thursday.