‘Maybe in 2026, we can start scoring some goals’: Jets’ losing streak continues

Another day, another one-goal loss for the Winnipeg Jets.

Despite a late push, the Jets were unable to overcome a sluggish first period and fell 2-1 to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena, closing out 2025 on a seven-game losing skid (0-4-3).

Six of those seven defeats were one-goal losses, the lone exception coming on Monday when the Jets lost 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers after a late empty-net goal from Zach Hyman.

The Jets drop to 15-19-4 for the season and they’ll continue a three-game road trip on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Logan Stanley scored the lone goal for the Jets, while former Jets right-winger Mason Appleton delivered the game-winning goal for the Red Wings.

“It’s just frustrating when the results aren’t coming,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey told CJOB on the post-game show. “We’ve got an opportunity here. I know we’re not at all close to where we want to be, or feel that we could be with the type of team that we have.

“So, we can’t dwell on the past at this point. It’s just all about moving forward and trying to go on a run. We’re going to need to go on a run here to fight back. But again, it’s tight on the western side, into those wild card spots, and we still have a chance to make up ground and get into those, but we’ve got to find ways to win hockey games here.”

The Jets gave up a pair of goals in the first period, one on the power play and another at even strength, leaving them in a 2-0 hole that was difficult to dig out of, especially for a team that is having trouble scoring goals and has found the back of the net just twice during the past two games.

“At the end of the day, it’s such a fragile situation,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel told CJOB. “You make a mistake and we’re seeing what happens. That’s been kind of the story here, especially recently here, when we have been playing good hockey.

“We cannot change in the sense of how we’re playing and in the sense of how hard we’re playing, how hard we’re competing and the amount of opportunities that we’re getting. But, man oh man, we’ve got to find a way somehow. We’ll move off of 2025 and maybe in 2026, we can start scoring some goals.”

The Jets are hoping their fortunes change in the new year, as they finished 2025 in 32nd place in the NHL in points (34) and points percentage (.447).

Let’s take a closer look at what happened on Wednesday:

A IS FOR APPLETON – Former Jets right-winger Mason Appleton scored a goal in his first game against his new team since signing as a free agent with the Red Wings on July 1.

Appleton went in on a two-on-rush with Mason Raymond during the first period and delivered his second goal in as many games.

The goal itself was somewhat emblematic of how things have been going for the Jets lately.

Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo went to dump the puck in and his stick appeared to break, leaving the puck behind for the Red Wings to turn up ice in transition.

Jets defenceman Luke Schenn made a diving play to get a piece of the pass from Raymond, but he couldn’t get all of it, which allowed Appleton a good look in tight.

Appleton has been limited to 31 games after recently missing time with an injury, but he’s up to six goals and 11 points for the season.

At a time when the Jets have been starving for secondary scoring, this was the second time in as many games that a former Jets forward has delivered the game-winning goal — with Jack Roslovic doing the same on Monday.

Speaking of former Jets, forward Andrew Copp has four goals and 21 points in 41 games this season for the Red Wings, while defenceman Ben Chiarot has four goals, eight points and 84 hits in 41 games this season.

LOOKING SKYWARD – In the waning seconds, with the net empty and the goalie on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Jets winger Gustav Nyquist took a pass from Gabe Vilardi and had a glorious scoring chance from the slot.

But Nyquist’s shot rattled off the post, leaving Nyquist to look skyward in disbelief.

Nyquist has now gone 29 games this season without scoring a goal, but he’s had a number of quality looks during the past several games — including a beautiful goal on an individual effort that was erased by a coach’s challenge for offside.

Nyquist has now rattled three shots off the iron during the past three games, including another one in the second period on Wednesday when he appeared to beat John Gibson with a wrister.

He’s far from the only guy that’s struggling to score, but it’s clear Nyquist and several others need to get going.

THE MEETING – They broke into the NHL together as rookies back in the 2007-08 season, first-round draft picks who helped resurrect an Original Six franchise.

After winning three Stanley Cups together and each appearing in more than 1,000 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane suited up as opponents for the first time on Wednesday.

Toews was in uniform for Game 38 for his hometown team, while Kane is back for his second season with the Red Wings.

Thanks to an assist in the third period, Toews has points in consecutive games to give him 11 points this season.

Kane was limited to a hooking minor, but has six goals and 23 points in 26 games this season.

You can be sure this will be a moment that both players will remember and they posed for a pre-game photo for the archives.

THE KEY PLAY – Mason Appleton converts on a two-on-one rush for the game-winning goal.

THE THREE STARS

Mason Appleton, Red Wings, Scored the decisive goal.

John Gibson, Red Wings, Finished with 24 saves.

Logan Stanley, Jets, Scored the lone goal for the visitors.

EXTRA, EXTRA – Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made his eighth consecutive start since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery and he finished with 17 saves.

The Jets made no changes to their lineup, which left defencemen Haydn Fleury andColin Miller and forward Cole Koepke as the healthy scratches.

Jets backup Eric Comrie figures to make his 16th start of the season on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Comrie hasn’t made a start since Dec. 11, when he allowed five goals on 23 shots on net.

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