Jets' top guns connect in 6-2 win over Red Wings
WINNIPEG -- Head coach Rick Bowness was glad to see a combination of good effort and good luck pay off for the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
Blake Wheeler snapped a 21-game goal drought and added an assist as the Jets showed a rare explosion of offence to earn a much-needed 6-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
"You need some breaks," Bowness said. "Look at Mark (Scheifele's) goal. All of a sudden he's coming around the net, he knocks it in. It's there.
"We haven't had those breaks in a long time. Even that first goal, the tip (by Kyle Connor). We haven't had that luck around the net in a long time and it was good to see."
The Jets went into the match scoring three or less goals in nine consecutive games, including being shut out three times.
Bowness sent praise Wheeler's way.
"That's the best he's skated in a while," he said. "I think the goal certainly gave him a big boost. The guys were all very happy for him. It gave the whole bench a boost."
Scheifele, Connor, Dylan DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers also had a goal and assist for Winnipeg, which snapped a two-game losing skid and recorded the fourth win in its past nine games (4-5-0).
Nino Niederreiter scored Winnipeg's other goal. Mason Appleton and Vladislav Namestnikov both contributed a pair of assists.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 shots for the Jets (42-31-3), who started a season-high five-game homestand as they try to hang on to the final Western Conference wild-card playoff berth.
Jets star defenceman Josh Morrissey didn't play because he was "under the weather" but he's expected to suit up for Sunday's game against New Jersey, Bowness said.
David Perron and Joe Veleno scored third-period goals for the Red Wings (33-33-9), who were coming off a 3-2 win Thursday night at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Magnus Hellberg made 23 saves for Detroit, which began a three-game road trip.
The backup netminder gave his performance the thumb's down.
"I think we had a tough start, but I don't think I showed up to help the team win today," said Hellberg, who played his 17th game this season.
"I take full responsibility for my performance tonight. It was clearly not good enough. I'm not happy with how I played."
Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first period and 5-0 following the second.
Connor got things rolling when he stuck his stick out in front of the net and redirected Brenden Dillon's point shot into the net at 6:56 of the opening period.
Wheeler notched his 16th goal of the season five minutes later when he rushed the net and used a pass from Ehlers to beat Hellberg.
Scheifele scored his team-leading 39th goal of the season, which is a career-best, at 13:34.
"Our first look was an east-west backdoor play that we weren't able to finish and their first look was a deflection that went in," Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde said.
"We couldn't build any momentum throughout the night. I do appreciate the fact that we won the third period. We kind of battled and hung in there."
DeMelo's goal came off a wrist shot at 1:20 of the second period and was his fifth of the season and 23rd point, both career-highs.
Niederreiter scored with 6:18 remaining in the middle period. DeMelo picked up an assist.
Ehlers made it 6-0 at 5:07 of the third with a shot from the slot that went inside the post.
Detroit avoided a shutout when Perron scored during a power play at 10:41, followed 21 seconds later by Veleno's goal.
SLUMP BUSTERS
Bowness has been preaching offence lately and changed his top line for the game to try to spark some productive shooting.
Scheifele moved from his centre spot to right wing, with Pierre-Luc Dubois in the middle and Connor on the left.
Scheifele then notched his first goal in 10 games, while Connor recorded his third goal in his past 19 games.
"It's different, for sure," Scheifele said of the switch. "I've played centre my whole life. It's definitely an adjustment. But when you play with two good players like (Dubois) and (Connor) it makes it easy."
The last time Winnipeg scored more than three goals was in a 5-4 overtime road win against the Florida Panthers on March 11.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host the New Jersey Devils Sunday night.
Red Wings: Travel to Toronto to play the Maple Leafs Sunday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Election deniers: West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who still dispute 2020 election
When West Virginia Republicans vote in Tuesday's primary, they will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges that U.S. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.