Jets help Red Wings snap streak

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This article was published 11/12/2019 (1589 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DETROIT — The stark reality is sometimes in life you get exactly what you deserve.

The Detroit Red Wings most definitely did Thursday night, finally putting a merciful end to a 12-game winless skid, and so did the Winnipeg Jets, who failed to perform up to the high standard they’ve set for themselves the last six weeks.

The NHL’s last-place team built its first three-goal lead of a dreadful 2019-20 season and went on to register a well-earned 5-2 victory over Winnipeg at Little Caesars Arena to up its record to 8-22-3.

A lethargic first half of the game not only cost Winnipeg two points but was a reminder that nothing comes easy in this league. The Jets fell to 19-11-2.

Bad breaks? Absolutely.

St. Andrews product Darren Helm scored the game-opener with a big assist from linesman Greg Devorski about eight minutes into the game, and then Robby Fabbri, a sparkplug all night for the Motor City squad, scored consecutive goals on pucks that bounced off Jets defenceman Neal Pionk before slipping behind goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

But based on any assessment — metrics or the eye test— the Red Wings got what was coming to them, while being on the receiving end of the skid stopper should not sit well with Winnipeg.  

“It was just gonna be one of those games. I think after 12 straight for them, things are gonna start going the other way and tonight was that night,” offered Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “You’ve got to give them credit. Enough’s enough after a while. They competed hard, they played hard, they earned those bounces. Tonight wasn’t our night.”

Winnipeg showed some spark in the second period, triggered by back-to-back goals by Michigan product Kyle Connor, but were on life support after Filip Zadina’s power-play tally with just 24 seconds left in the frame. Jets defenceman Anthony Bitetto was in the box serving a roughing penalty for a retaliatory move on Adam Erne.

The puck might have glanced off defenceman Luca Sbisa’s skate, hit the post and found mesh.

Earlier, Pionk’s shin pads were partly to blame for the goals by Fabbri, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues last month.

He threw a puck to the front of the net that bounced in off Pionk in the first period with the Jets short-handed, upping Detroit’s lead to 2-0. Early in the second, his hard drive was blocked by Hellebuyck but the rebound struck the Winnipeg defender in the leg and hopped in.

“You don’t see that too often, especially the way they (went in). It felt so wrong, and not by our guys. I thought we were in good positions. Just the play felt like it shouldn’t happen and it just did. I don’t think we were out of position, I just think they were due for a break,” said Hellebuyck.

“Definitely unlucky. You might see one every couple of games, but too many. I don’t know if they were forcing it or it was their night. Maybe we were just destined to lose this game, I don’t know.”

Helm’s fifth goal of the season came on a breakaway after defenceman Nathan Beaulieu failed to keep the puck in the offensive zone and then got tangled up with a linesman at the Jets blue line, allowing Helm easy access.

“It bounced over my stick and I fumbled it again and then I ran into the linesman. It’s probably my fault. I’ll take ownership for that,” said Beaulieu. “I’ve got to keep it in in the first place. It’s tough when you put your team behind that early.

“That’s the hockey gods not having our backs tonight. We could have done better in the first period, I thought our game came along in the second and third we controlled most of it but when you get behind in this league, it’s tough to come back.”

Connor finally got Winnipeg on the board when he deflected a point shot from Beaulieu past goalie Jonathan Bernier at 7:16. Then, he drilled a shot past Bernier at 12:57 after a splendid pass from Patrik Laine.

Filip Hronek scored an empty-netter with just under two minutes remaining.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice wasn’t exactly seething during his post-game comments, sounding almost content with the team’s effort but confused by its execution.

“You’re going to get into a night when the puck is not going to go your way. Give them credit, they played hard and did a lot of really good things to make those events take place,” he said. “Our legs wanted to go and our sticks couldn’t hang on to the damn puck. We had stuff bouncing off our sticks, missing some passes. The anchor was our hands, not our feet.”

Hellebuyck finished with 29 saves, while Bernier had 26.

Winnipeg’s penalty killers surrendered two goals on four Detroit chances, while the Jets couldn’t cash in on their lone power-play opportunity.

NOTES: healthy scratches for the Jets were centre David Gustafsson, winger Joona Luoto and defenceman Carl Dahlstrom. … Bryan Little might need surgery for a perforated ear drum he sustained Nov. 5 after taking a shot to the side of his head, said Maurice. There’s still no timeline on the veteran centre’s return. … The Jets departed Detroit immediately after the game. They host the Philadelphia Flyers in a rare 4 p.m. start Sunday, meet the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and wrap up the three-game homestand Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell