Red Wings Dominate Jets With Explosive Third Period Surge

The Detroit Red Wings continue to assert themselves as one of the NHL's most compelling stories this season, delivering a commanding 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Saturday night. With this win, the Red Wings improved their record to 32-16-5, amassing 69 points and moving a crucial point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings, though the Lightning still hold three games in hand. For the Jets, the defeat was another tough blow in a campaign that has seen them slip to 20-24-7, leaving them 13th in the Western Conference and eight points shy of a coveted wildcard spot.

Coming into the matchup, the Red Wings had been riding high, boasting a 7-1-1 record in their last nine games. Their offensive prowess was on full display, having scored four or more goals in six of those contests. The team’s sixth-best power play (25.2%) and a solid penalty kill (79.1%) have been key contributors to their recent surge. Meanwhile, the Jets, despite a disappointing overall position in the standings, had shown some resilience with a 5-1-2 record over their previous eight games and a six-game home point streak, though offensive production had been a challenge, with only four goals scored over their last three outings.

The game itself started with the Jets drawing first blood, as Cole Koepke found the net at 10:08 of the second period, capitalizing on a rebound after a shot from the point ricocheted through traffic. The Red Wings, however, were undeterred. J.T. Compher, who has provided a steady presence all season, tied the game at 1-1 late in the second period. His goal, coming off a net-front scramble just seconds after a Red Wings power play expired, gave Detroit a much-needed spark heading into the final frame.

What followed was a third period masterclass from Detroit. The Red Wings erupted for four unanswered goals, seizing control and never looking back. Compher struck again at 1:43, capping off a slick three-on-two break with James van Riemsdyk and Emmitt Finnie. This goal not only gave Detroit the lead but stood as the eventual game-winner. Lucas Raymond, one of the league’s emerging young talents, added to the tally at 8:11, batting a shot out of midair near the crossbar for his 18th goal of the season—his seventh in just ten games. The offensive onslaught continued with Alex DeBrincat netting his 27th of the season into an empty net with 1:49 to play, assisted by Patrick Kane. That helper brought Kane within one point of tying Mike Modano as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer among U.S.-born players, a milestone that adds yet another layer of intrigue to Detroit’s season. Marco Kasper, who has caught fire recently with five points in four games after a slow start, capped the scoring with his fifth goal of the campaign just 32 seconds later.

Between the pipes, John Gibson continued his remarkable resurgence, stopping 26 of 27 Winnipeg shots to improve his personal record to an eye-popping 17-2-0 over his last 19 starts. Gibson, who now boasts a .904 save percentage and 766 saves on the season, has been a stabilizing force for Detroit, giving the team confidence no matter the opponent. On the other side, Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck—on the cusp of his 600th NHL game and 335th career win—did his best to keep Winnipeg in it, but the relentless Detroit attack proved too much. Hellebuyck’s .903 save percentage and 2.6 goals-against average remain solid, but the Jets’ inability to provide offensive support continues to haunt them.

Injuries played a role for both teams. Detroit was once again without top-pair defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. The Jets were missing key blue-liners Haydn Fleury, Colin Miller, and Neal Pionk, all on injured reserve. Despite these setbacks, both teams iced competitive lineups, with the Red Wings rolling out a forward group led by DeBrincat, Copp, Kane, Raymond, Larkin, and the surging Kasper, while the Jets countered with the likes of Mark Scheifele (who leads the team with 61 points in 50 games), Kyle Connor, and Alex Iafallo.

Jets interim coach Scott Arniel acknowledged his team’s offensive struggles earlier in the week, noting after a 2-1 shootout loss to Florida, “At the end of the day, these are tight games. That’s not a club (Florida) that’s going to hand you any freebies, I thought we had some great looks though. Again, traffic, bodies (in front), like I’ve said before, it’s those greasy goals (that you need) and we’ve got to get back to scoring a few of those.” Forward Morgan Barron echoed those sentiments, saying, “Yeah, it was a boring game. I think we were kind of sitting there. There's just not a lot of chances being traded at either end. But sometimes that's kind of the style that's called for against a team like that, and you see how much success they've had over the past two years, I think they're really committed to that when they play.”

For Detroit, the night was a testament to their depth and resilience. Defenseman Moritz Seider, who is drawing Norris Trophy buzz with a plus-10 rating and a 55-point pace, anchored a blue line that stifled Winnipeg’s attack. The Red Wings’ record when scoring four or more goals is now a staggering 22-0-2, a testament to their ability to close out games when the offense is clicking. Their power play continues to be lethal, and with players like DeBrincat, Raymond, and Kane firing on all cylinders, Detroit looks poised to make serious noise as the postseason approaches.

With the win, the Red Wings secured five out of a possible six points on their road trip, an impressive feat that bodes well as they return home. Next up is a three-game homestand that begins Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Fans will be watching closely, not just for the playoff race, but to see if Patrick Kane can etch his name in the record books as the top U.S.-born scorer in NHL history.

As for Winnipeg, the Jets must regroup quickly if they hope to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. With key players still on the mend and the offense struggling to find its rhythm, the road ahead won’t be easy. But as the NHL season enters its critical stretch, anything can happen—and both teams know there’s still plenty of hockey left to play.