The 16-18-and-4 Detroit Red Wings will battle the NHL-best 27-11-and-2 Winnipeg Jets this evening (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Sportsnet West/97.1 FM), and the Jets hit the ice at Canada Life Centre very early for an optional morning skate:
This might be just a 'me' thing, but…
— Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton) January 4, 2025
10:30 am morning skate? Perfect time.
9:30 am morning skate? Inexplicably feels like 7:30 am.
Haydn Fleury and Dylan Samberg both taking morning skate in yellow non-contact jerseys.
— Sean Reynolds (@snseanreynolds) January 4, 2025
The #NHLJets blue line could soon be very crowded. The injured Haydn Fleury has joined the injured Dylan Samberg in donning a yellow non-contact jersey here at an optional morning skate ahead of tonight’s game vs Detroit. pic.twitter.com/67akCmpUUf
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) January 4, 2025
As expected, Connor Hellebuyck the first goaltender off at the optional morning skate. Looks like he gets the call against Detroit.
— Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton) January 4, 2025
NHL.com summarizes tonight’s game thusly:
Detroit Red Wings at Winnipeg Jets (7 p.m. ET; SNW, FDSNDET)
The Red Wings (16-18-4) have won three straight after losing their first game under new coach Todd McLellan on Dec. 27. Detroit forward Patrick Kane needs one assist to tie Alex Delvecchio for 28th place on the NHL’s all-time list with 825. The Jets (27-11-2) have lost two straight games after winning four straight. Forward Kyle Connor has points in 12 of his past 14 games (nine goals, 14 assists).
Field Level Media described the Jets’ most recent loss, an OT defeat by the Anaheim Ducks:
Tthe Jets have lost their last two (0-1-1), while the Red Wings are on a three-game winning streak entering Saturday’s matchup at Winnipeg.
The Jets lost 4-3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night at home after dropping a 5-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on New Year’s Eve.
Troy Terry’s second goal of the game, 3:34 into overtime, dealt the Jets the loss on Thursday. Winnipeg blew a 2-0 lead in the first period and a 3-2 advantage with less than two minutes left in regulation.
“We came out really well in the first, obviously a great start,” said defenseman Josh Morrissey, who had two assists. “I thought there were some points in time where we could have managed the puck better at the blue lines. But I thought we actually did a good job of kind of losing momentum, getting it back, and playing a pretty solid third period until giving up that tying goal. Those are some things we can clean up.”
Alex Iafallo’s goal with 2:44 left in regulation gave the Jets a 3-2 lead, but it only took Radko Gudas 54 seconds to even the contest.
“It was kind of a roller coaster of a game,” Iafallo said. “I just think we didn’t have enough pressure moving forward. … We just have to have a strong three periods. It would have been a different game, I think.”
You may take these quips and quotes from WinnipegJets.com’s Jamie Thomas as you will…
STAT(S) OF THE DAY: The Jets have scored 145 goals this season to lead the NHL and it’s the most through 40 games in franchise history. Winnipeg also leads the league with nine six-goal outings this season. Mark Scheifele is tied for second in the league in goals with 23 while Kyle Connor is tied for sixth in the league with 22 goals.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “In the third, we went out and dominated. We got the lead again late and gave up that (tying goal). A little bit of the mental side of things. With four (games) in six (days), I’m not using that as an excuse but when you start seeing those kinds of mistakes, it has to drop into there somehow.” – Scott Arniel on the Jets loss to Anaheim to begin the eight-game homestand.
MLive’s Tyler Kuehl posted a game preview…
The Red Wings continue to play strong hockey since new head coach Todd McLellan. After a dismal performance in his first game as coach against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit has reeled off three consecutive wins. That includes a down-to-the-wire win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, thanks to a game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation from Jonatan Berggren.
The Wings still have plenty of work to do to get back into a playoff spot. However, they are closing in on a Wild Card spot. Detroit still sits seventh in the Atlantic Divison, but they are only four points behind the Ottawa Senators for the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
It will certainly be a measuring-stick matchup for the Wings when they head to Manitoba. From the season’s onset, the Jets have been the NHL’s best team, sitting atop the standings for over two months. Yet, Winnipeg is mortal, proving that when they fell to the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks in back-to-back games leading up to Saturday.
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Jets hammering the Wings 6-2 in Detroit in late October.
As did Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen…
Coach Todd McLellan’s squad plays the Winnipeg Jets tonight (7 p.m., ET) with a chance to register a four-game winning streak for the first time this season. In Detroit’s three-game streak, the team has scored 13 goals and given up eight. Alex DeBrincat has three goals and three assists during the three-game streak. The Red Wings are playing more confidently under McLellan than they did under Derek Lalonde.
And DHN’s Tim Robinson noted that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is aiming to win his 300th game tonight…
Illegal Curve’s Dave Minuk offered this game preview…
Hard to believe the Jets have reached the midpoint of the season but here they are with a sterling 27-11-2 record which is good enough for top spot in the entire NHL. The Jets aren’t happy having let two points slip away and having to settle for one in their last game against the Ducks on Thursday night.
The Red Wings may be the 7th place team in the Atlantic Division but they’ve won three straight under new head coach Todd McLellan who was hired just over a week ago. Despite the recent success this team is 7-8-2 outside of Michigan. They do have the 5th best power play in the NHL but the 31st ranked penalty kill.
And here are tonight’s game notes:
Anyway, the Jets’ morning skate continued…
Good morning, Haydn Fleury 👋 pic.twitter.com/oIa51mseoo
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 4, 2025
#NHLJets coach Scott Arniel confirms no lineup changes tonight. Dylan Coghlan and Dominic Toninato the healthy scratches. Connor Hellebuyck starts in goal, aiming for career win 300 against his hometown Detroit Red Wings.
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) January 4, 2025
And tonight’s game is a “Hockey Night in Canada” game, too:
The @NHLJets have held top spot in the League standings for 21 of the last 23 days and will look to build on their lead when they host the @DetroitRedWings on @Sportsnet. pic.twitter.com/PZLXXPD2nG
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 4, 2025
In the video department, Jets captain Adam Lowry spoke with Sara Orlesky regarding playing the Red Wings, Mark Schiefele spoke with the media, and coach Scott Arniel gave his pre-game address.
The Jets are very serious about posting their probable game lineup as early as possible…
Driving the bus 🚌@PlayNowManitoba PREDICT 🔽https://t.co/PWhlvntLqv pic.twitter.com/wJTjfYLLu0
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 4, 2025
