Red Wings fly out winners

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This article was published 06/12/2016 (3202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

These are not your grandfather’s or your father’s champion Detroit Red Wings, but the Eastern Conference squad can still rise from a knock-down and rock you when you don’t see it coming.

The Red Wings fell behind early but took advantage of another second-period swoon by the Winnipeg Jets and rallied for a 4-3 shootout victory Tuesday night at the MTS Centre.

Detroit’s Thomas Vanek and Henrik Zetterberg beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck in the shootout, while the Jets’ only goal of the breakaway challenge came on a crazy deke by Patrik Laine.

Laine, the dazzling Finnish rookie, ripped his 17th goal of the season in the first period to pull back into a tie with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby for the NHL goal-scoring lead. Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien had scored his third goal of the year only two minutes earlier, finishing off a two-on-one with Laine as the Jets led 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Winnipeg had the better of the chances in the three-on-three overtime session as both centre Bryan Little and winger Nikolaj Ehlers had breakaways but couldn’t beat Wings’ netminder Petr Mrazek.

Ehlers, stuck on four goals to go with 19 helpers, also found himself in alone earlier in the game but couldn’t finish. He hasn’t dented the twine in 14 games.

“I feel OK. It always comes first that the team wins,” Ehlers said. “Of course you want to get that goal. But no, I feel good.”

After using similar dekes without success, Ehlers was asked if he’d switch things up if he had a do-over. 

“No. I wouldn’t. I do what comes to mind first, and if I start thinking too much, which I have been doing, then its all gonna be messed up.”

The Czech-born goalie made 31 saves for Detroit, while Hellebuyck finished with 27 saves.

It was the fifth time Winnipeg (13-13-3) missed an opportunity to extend a winning streak to three games. The Jets are still on a roll, going 4-1-1 in their last six games.

The Jets host the New York Rangers on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then head to Alberta for battles with the Calgary Flames on Saturday night and the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.

The Red Wings (13-11-3) came in riding bit of a hot streak as well, earning 10 of 14 points in their last seven games before arriving just in time for Winnipeg’s first blizzard of the winter. They are fifth in the Atlantic Division, a point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Detroit forward Dylan Larkin, struggling with just eight goals and a pair of assists in his sophomore season, had a terrific game for the visitors, while Zetterberg, the 36-year-old captain, was a force, particularly in the third period. 

‘I think, you know, the one thing I’ve said lots is we’ve great culture in our locker room, we’ve got great leadership,” said Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill. “And they responded. They came out in the second and third and played much, much better hockey.” 

Second-period woes

The Jets levelled a flurry of shots at goalie Mrazek through the opening period, built a two-goal lead and then lost all traction against the Red Wings.

The game was a microcosm of the Jets’ erratic season to date — flashes of remarkable firepower mixed in with costly defensive blunders and another forgettable middle period. Winnipeg allowed goals by Anthony Mantha and Vanek in the second period as the Red Wings clawed back from two goals down.

Larkin took advantage of a Toby Enstrom mistake, circled the net and then found Mantha alone in front of Hellebuyck. On the equalizer, Vanek redirected a shot by Xavier Ouellet, finishing off a solid, workmanlike shift for the visitors.

“Up 3-1, we need to stomp on their throats and we weren’t able to do it,” said Jets forward Andrew Copp, who opened the scoring at 6:41 of the first period with his goal of the year. Tomas Tatar pulled the visitors even just 24 seconds later. “(We) kinda let them hang around.”

Winnipeg has been outscored 39-19 in second periods this season.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice wasn’t nearly as critical of his club’s second period as most might have assumed.

“I think it was their goaltender who kept them in. It’s a 2-0 period in the second (for Detroit) but it’s an even period in a lot of ways.

“I thought they were better at times in the third. He made some critical saves at big times and we were struggling there a little bit. (It) looks like we’ve got some miles on us.” 

Magical Laine

Jets top centre Mark Scheifele missed his third consecutive game with what’s being described as a lower-body injury. The Kitchener, Ont., product leads the club with 26 points, good for eighth place in NHL scoring prior to Tuesday’s action.

With Scheifele out day-to-day, captain Blake Wheeler again lined up at centre between Drew Stafford and Mathieu Perreault, while Little slotted in between the two young Europeans, Laine and Ehlers.

Laine continues to shine with whomever is playing up the middle. He had four shots on goal and finished a plus-two, scored once and was the most dangerous player on the ice all night long. The 18-year-old is showing no shortage of swagger as he carries the puck more and more.

He flashed his play-making ability, sending a saucer-pass to Byfuglien who snapped a shot high over Mrazek’s shoulder from a difficult angle.

After a scoreless OT, Laine used his quick hands to mesmerize the Detroit goalie and then slide the puck through the five-hole, a near carbon copy of his first-ever shootout goal Nov. 13 against the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-2 Winnipeg triumph.

He said an inability to get two points did not sit well with anyone in the dressing room.

“I think we were pretty good first period and, I dunno, we didn’t just keep going in the second. I don’t know what happened. I think we let the opponent come back to the game. That was a mistake.

“We just weren’t playing the same game as the first period and that can’t happen against a good team.”

Sick bay

Jets’ fourth-line centre Alex Burmistrov was hurt late in the second period (upper body) and did not return.

Prior to Tuesday’s morning skate, Maurice delivered updates on four other Jets currently on injured reserve:

• Defenceman Tyler Myers (lower body) skated for the first time in 3½ weeks Tuesday, but there is no date set for his return.

• Right-winger Joel Armia (lower body) could be back before the end of the month.

• Centre Shawn Matthias (lower body) will be out until late December or early January.

• Centre Nic Petan (lower body) won’t return for at least 10 days.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell