Late to the Party, Winnipeg Drops One to a Determined Detroit Team (Red Wings)

Red Wings

Late to the Party, Winnipeg Drops One to a Determined Detroit Team

By Wesley Peters

Dec 13, 2019 • 3:28 am

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The second of a home and home series started out very much like the first, sadly, the ending would not resemble it in any way whatsoever. Coming out blazing, just as they had on Tuesday, Detroit got up to a 9 – 1 shot differential, bettering the 6 – 1 count they had 2 nights ago. One of those shots was Manitoban Darren Helm’s, who took advantage of a Beaulieu puck bobble and subsequent linesman interference, going in alone and roofing one over Hellebuyck’s glove. Was anyone else asking what the linesman was doing there? Seems to me, they usually like to hang out along the boards. Kind of weird. What’s much weirder though, is Darren Helm being a +4 on a team that is a collective -59. Perhaps there is one veteran player on this team that Yzerman can turn over as he looks to the future.

In the first 20 seconds of the 2nd period, it looked as though we might see the Jets we’re more accustomed to seeing, getting a couple quality shots on Bernier and doing it with a little pep in their step. Even on the penalty kill, we saw Wheeler rush down the ice with Connor, only to see the puck bounce over his blade and harmlessly float into the corner. Sigh.

Clearly, the Red Wings had offered the appropriate sacrifices to the hockey gods and the Jets had not, as Robby Fabbri (fun name to say) zipped another one on net, only to have it kicked out by Hellebuyck right at *cough* Pionk, and into the back of the net.

Interesting stat, 32 games into the season, Laine has already surpassed his assist total for all of last year. To say that he has had a more well-rounded game would be an understatement, and still, I want to know where the goals went. He’s on pace for 24. Of course, he could bang in 18 in a month again and make me look stupid for wondering.

On the very next shift it would be Fabbri back at it, almost scoring a hattrick goal. The kid was buzzing all night and I just sat there in disbelief that anyone would trade him for Jacob De La Who. Things might not be very rosy for the Red Wings right now, but that trade was a big step in the right direction. It wasn’t just the offense either, after giving Laine a whack and receiving one in turn, he was more than happy to scrum it up with the much bigger Finn. A real good catch that one.

The period would end with another Detroit powerplay and Filip Zadina ripping a shot that would catch just enough of Sbisa’s leg to alter the trajectory and fool Hellebuyck. Another hockey god like bounce for Motown? Nah, you create your own luck, and after 2 periods the Wings were now up 27 - 15 in shots and 42 -26 in shot attempts. There are no bad teams in the league, they say.

With 3 minutes left the Jets would go with 6 attackers and, to add insult to injury, give up an empty netter on a hail mary by Filip Hronek. C’est la vie. With the loss, the Jets maintain their 3rd place position in the Central however, the Dallas Stars are now just 1 point back with the same amount of games played. Doot doo doo.

The Jets are never as good as they look when they win, nor as bad as they look when they lose, but they are a young team with consistency issues. They’re also a young team with incredible resiliency and top of the league talent, so I look forward to seeing them play with a little more piss and vinegar when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday. That game is a 4:00 pm start. Don’t miss it.

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