The Winnipeg Jets have moved above .500 for the first time this season with a 4-1 road win over Detroit on Thursday.
On Thursday night, the Winnipeg Jets travelled to Detroit for a weeknight test against the powerful Red Wings. Entering the game 5-1-1, Detroit fell behind quickly in the opening frame, before battling back in what ended up being a rather close 4-1 inter-conference matchup.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Neiderreiter each scored their first goals of the year, Mason Appleton got his third, while hometown boy Kyle Connor found his fifth marker this season, as the Jets picked up their third-straight win.
After what was a rather slow-moving opening 15 minutes, the Jets struck twice in a span of 62 seconds.
First, it was Nikolaj Ehlers who finally potted his first of the season on a strong, spinning wrister from the slot. His goal opened the scoring with 3:32 left in the frame, before Kyle Connor picked up his fifth goal at the 17:30 mark.
For Connor, the goal in his home state was the product of a strong offensive zone play by defenceman Josh Morrissey. The stud blueliner drove hard to the goal line and put the puck on net, to which James Reimer’s rebound landed on Connor’s stick. He made no mistake bulging the twine and keeping the momentum rolling Winnipeg’s way.
The Jets led 2-0 after 20 minutes while pulling ahead 10-9 on the shot chart.
Detroit needed just over three minutes of the second period to cut the deficit in half. Moritz Seider got the puck to Dylan Larkin, whose point shot came to Lucas Raymond on the doorstep. He tucked it past Connor Hellebuyck for his second of the year, giving the Wings their only goal of the frame.
Winnipeg started the third period up 2-1 and ahead 21-17 in shots.
The Red Wings came out strong to start the final frame, putting up six shots to Winnipeg's one just two minutes in. Aided by a Morrissey high-sticking minor, Detroit actually piled on 15 shots through eight minutes of play.
Fortunately for the guests, the next goal went to Winnipeg.
On a perfect tic-tac-toe rush play up-ice, Adam Lowry found Nino Niederreiter, who gave the puck right back to the captain, whose pass to Appleton was pushed off Reimer and into the cage 10:26 into the period. The goal was much needed by the Jets, who had been playing a rather relaxed third period until that point.
Niederreiter sealed the deal with his first of the year into an empty net, putting the finishing touches on a the 4-1 Jets victory.
Hellebuyck finished the night with 34 saves on Detroit's 36 shots, improving his record to 4-2-0, while Morweena's Reimer made 22 stops on the 25 pucks fired his way.
Next up for the Jets is the second stop of the two-game road trip, as Winnipeg takes on Montreal at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Puck drop is set once again for 6:00 PM central time. That game can be viewed live on City TV.