Jets score early and often

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This article was published 30/10/2024 (340 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DETROIT — Two nights after getting “punched in the nose” and suffering their first loss of the season, the Winnipeg Jets picked themselves up off the ice and came out swinging.

A 6-2 pummelling of the Detroit Red Wings inside Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday has the hockey club once again looking like an NHL heavyweight.

“I think that was a great response game,” centre Mark Scheifele told the Free Press. “I thought we all stepped up. We obviously didn’t like our last one and that’s what good teams do.”

Winnipeg reeled off eight straight victories — one of the best starts in league history — before a 6-4 setback on Monday night that had coach Scott Arniel offering up the colourful quote above. That game was marked by an ugly first 40 minutes in which the Jets had absolutely nothing going.

That wasn’t the case against Detroit. Winnipeg (9-1-0) grabbed command early, scoring three times in the opening frame and never looking back against a rebuilding Red Wings team that falls to 4-5-1.

Here’s a breakdown from Motown on how it all went down:

1) Top line steps up: Much has been made about the top trio of Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi, who had been significantly outscored at five-on-five this season. Arniel even broke them up in the latter half of Monday’s game, but put them back together for this one.

It’s safe to say they rewarded their bench boss for his belief.

Connor fed Vilardi for the opening goal 2:48 into the game, and the assist marked the Michigan product’s 500th career point. Connor and Scheifele then set up defenceman Neal Pionk for a goal at 4:02 to make it 2-0, and then Vilardi returned the favour by helping Connor get his team-leading ninth later in the opening frame.

Three tallies by the No. 1 line, all at even strength, was quite the statement.

“We’re a good line. There’s games that go our way that don’t go our way, but we were 8-0 before last game. So that’s something,” said Scheifele.

“And obviously we all played a great game. KC and Gabe were absolutely fantastic tonight. And it showed and it was fun to play with those guys tonight.”

It was also a refreshing change to see the Jets not chasing a game early. Despite their strong record, they haven’t exactly come flying out of the starting gate in games this season. Winnipeg had only scored the opening goal in two of its first nine games.

In the three contests where they’ve now lit the lamp first, the Jets have gone on to score 20 goals. Captain Obvious here, but they might want to try to do that more often.

“Our start in the first obviously set the tone,” said Arniel.

“We had to be back to (having) everybody playing their A-game and I thought we did. Good contributions from everybody. We went after them and made them play in their end of the rink to kind of take the crowd out of it a little bit and we did that.”

2) Pulling away: The Jets were still in firm control of the game through the second period, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it.

Winnipeg took three consecutive minor penalties — two of them were what you might dub “game management” type calls given the lopsided score through 20 minutes — and Detroit converted on two of them with deflections by Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat that eluded Connor Hellebuyck.

Any thoughts of a Red Wings comeback were put to rest when Nino Niederreiter scored a bizarre goal just 10 seconds into the third, throwing a puck towards the Detroit net which was knocked in by former Jets defenceman Ben Chiarot.

They don’t ask how, just how many, and Niederreiter is now up to five.

“I think it should be play of the day,” joked Scheifele. “We were playing an unbelievable game, five-on-five, and obviously they got some power-play goals, but our PK has been fantastic. And I think that’s the hockey gods looking down on us.”

Pionk then added his second of the night when Winnipeg got its first power play later in the period, and fellow blue-liner Colin Miller finished it off with a wrist shot that eluded Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon.

You know it felt good for Pionk, who along with partner Dylan Samberg had a nightmarish game against the Maple Leafs as they were on the ice for five even-strength goals against.

“The sun came up, thankfully,” Pionk said of quickly putting that in the rear-view mirror.

“It was just a team thing. Obviously, we didn’t play very well, (me) personally either. It’s all part of being a pro. I talked to (Samberg) and we both agreed we just got to turn the page and get on to the next game.”

3) Oh, Canada?: There were a couple of interesting observers in the press box a on Wednesday night. Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois took in the game, which is notable because they are involved in Team Canada’s management for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

Given that the Red Wings don’t have any prominent Canadian skaters on the roster, it’s a safe bet they wanted to get an up-close look at the likes of Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Maybe even shutdown centre Adam Lowry, too.

BriseBois, whose Lightning were playing in Colorado at the same time, was also in Winnipeg last week for a Jets home game.

Scheifele, Morrissey and Lowry all had strong outings, but you wonder if they are also thinking how their lives would be an easier if Connor and Hellebuyck, who will be key parts of the American team, could get their Canadian citizenship between now and February.

4) Afterburner:

Key play: Connor’s sweet dish to Vilardi for his milestone point really set the tempo.

Three stars:

1) Winnipeg LW Kyle Connor: 1 goal, 2 assists

2) Winnipeg D Neal Pionk: 2 goals

3) Winnipeg RW Gabe Vilardi: 1 goal, 1 assist

5) Extra, Extra: Hellebuyck finished the night with 19 saves on 21 shots, while Lyon stopped 23 of the 29 pucks he faced.

Prior to the game, Arniel revealed that injured defenceman Ville Heinola (ankle surgery) and forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan (broken foot) have both started skating this week. They are not on the trip but are working out back home in Winnipeg. Although there’s no specific timeline for returns, this is obviously a welcome development. There’s a good chance Heinola will be sent to the Manitoba Moose on a conditioning assignment once he’s ready, while Anderson-Dolan is likely headed to the Manitoba Moose for additional depth.

The Jets chartered following the game to Columbus and will enjoy an off day Thursday. They’ll be back on the ice Friday morning to prepare for that evening’s date with the Blue Jackets.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg