DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:
MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
David Perron – suspension (5 / Dec. 9)
Alex Lyon – upper body (1 / Dec. 16)
Total Man Games Lost: 47
Individual Man Games Lost: Robby Fabbri (12), Klim Kostin (7), Dylan Larkin (6), J.T. Compher (5), Austin Czarnik (3), Jeff Petry (3), Ville Husso (2), Jake Walman (2), Christian Fischer (1)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
12/20 – Placed goaltender Ville Husso on injured reserve
12/19 – Recalled forward Austin Czarnik from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions … Placed forward Klim Kostin on injured reserve … Signed goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the 2023-24 season … Reassigned goaltender John Lethemon to Grand Rapids from Toledo (ECHL)
12/18 – Assigned forward Austin Czarnik to Grand Rapids … Activated forward Dylan Larkin from injured reserve … Reassigned forward Nate Danielson to Team Canada (WJC) from Brandon (WHL)
TONIGHT’S GAME
DETROIT RED WINGS (15-12-4) at WINNIPEG JETS (18-9-3
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 / 7:30 P.M. ET / Canada Life Centre / TV: Bally Sports Detroit / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 34th all-time meeting, 16th at Winnipeg … Second of two games this season, only game at Winnipeg
ALL-TIME vs. WPG: 17-14-0-2 / AWAY: 7-8-0-0 / LAST 10: 3-7-0 / IN 2022-23: 1-1-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-1-0
DET top scorers vs. WPG: Patrick Kane (17-31-48 in 44 GP), Jeff Petry (4-14-18 in 28 GP), Dylan Larkin (2-6-8 in 15 GP), Moritz Seider (0-6-6 in 5 GP), Daniel Sprong (3-3-6 in 8 GP), Andrew Copp (0-4-4 in 4 GP), Lucas Raymond (2-2-4 in 5 GP)
WPG top scorers vs. DET: Nino Niederreiter (13-6-19 in 29 GP), Mark Scheifele (5-12-17 in 17 GP), Nikolaj Ehlers (4-9-13 in 12 GP), Alex Iafallo (3-6-9 in 9 GP), Neal Pionk (2-4-6 in 11 GP), Mason Appleton (1-4-5 in 6 GP), Cole Perfetti (0-3-3 in 3 GP), Dominic Toninato (1-1-2 in 4 GP), Dylan Samberg (0-2-2 in 4 GP), Gabriel Vilardi (1-0-1 in 2 GP), David Gustafsson (0-1-1 in 2 GP), Axel Jonsson-Fjällby (0-1-1 in 2 GP)
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
* The Red Wings are fifth in the NHL with 110 goals through 31 games (excluding shootout-deciding goals). * Detroit averages the fifth-most goals per game (3.55) in the NHL through games played on Dec. 20. * The Red Wings are 15-0-3 this season when scoring four-or-more goals. * Detroit’s 6-4 win on Dec. 12 at St. Louis marked the 12th time the Red Wings have scored at least five goals in a game this season. * The Red Wings have scored 43 second-period goals, trailing only the Vancouver Canucks (48) for the league lead. * Detroit is 10-3-2 this season when scoring first, and 6-1-2 when doing so on home ice. * Detroit is a perfect 8-0-0 this season when leading after one period. The Red Wings are 12-2-0 when ahead after two periods. * The Red Wings have scored a power play goal in 11-of-14 games since returning from Sweden. In all, the Red Wings have scored 29 power play goals in 31 games to begin the 2023-24 campaign. Detroit has tallied multiple power play goals 10 times this season. * Twelve different Red Wings players have scored a power play goal this season: Alex DeBrincat (6), Dylan Larkin (4), David Perron (4), Moritz Seider (3), J.T. Compher (2), Robby Fabbri (2), Shayne Gostisbehere (2), Lucas Raymond (2), Andrew Copp, Patrick Kane, Joe Veleno and Jake Walman. * The Red Wings are tied for fifth in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals (69). Detroit was tied for 27th last season in 5-on-5 goals (146). * The Red Wings have scored four shorthanded goals since Nov. 30 vs. Chicago. Detroit netted five shorthanded goals during the entire 2022-23 campaign.
WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:
Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets continue a four-game homestand on Wednesday night when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Canada Life Centre. The Jets started the homestand with a 6-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, but lost 3-2 in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. The homestand concludes on Friday against the Boston Bruins, which is Winnipeg’s final game before the Christmas Break.
Continuing to Trend Up
The Jets are 14-5-1 in their past 20 games, which includes winning streaks of three, four and five games… Since Nov. 4, the Jets have a .725 points percentage, which is tops in the NHL… The Jets have lost consecutive games in regulation just three times this season.
Stingy
The Jets are sixth in the NHL this season by allowing only 2.60 goals against per game… Since Nov. 4, the Jets are second in the NHL with just 43 goals against in 20 games for an average of 2.15… Winnipeg has not allowed more than three goals against in each of those 20 games, which is a franchise record streak… The Jets are first in the league this season with 26 games of holding their opponent to three goals or less and have a 18-7-1 record in those games.
At 30
Thirty games into the season the Jets hold a 18-9-3 record… It’s the fifth time in the past six seasons that Winnipeg has won at least 18 of its first 30 games to start a season… Last season, the Jets had a franchise best 20-9-1 record in the first 30 games of the season.
Taming the East
Winnipeg is 7-0-3 against the Eastern Conference this season… The Jets are the only team in the NHL that haven’t lost in regulation to an Eastern Conference team this season… The Jets went 15-17-0 against the Eastern Conference last season… Winnipeg hasn’t posted a winning record against the East since going 18-12-2 in 2018-19… Mason Appleton (3G, 7A), Nikolaj Ehlers (7G, 3A), Josh Morrissey (1G, 9A), and Cole Perfetti (3G, 7A) each have 10 points in 10 games against the Eastern Conference to lead the Jets.
Back at Home
Winnipeg is 9-5-2 at home this season and have won six of their past nine home contests… Mark Scheifele leads the Jets in scoring at home through 16 games this season with 21 points (4G, 17A), while Kyle Connor has a team-best 10 goals at Canada Life Centre this season and 17 points… Scheifele’s 17 assists at home this season is tied for third in the NHL… The Jets went 26-13-2 at Canada Life Centre last season, which was tied for fifth in the NHL… The Jets won 26 games at Canada Life Centre in a season for just the second time (2018-19)… Winnipeg is 264- 167-40 all-time at Canada Life Centre and have posted a .500 record or better at home in seven consecutive seasons… Dating back to last season, the Jets are 14-6-2 in their past 22 home games.
Original Six
The three games the Jets have this week are against Original Six teams… Winnipeg is 2-0-3 against Original Six teams this season.
The Great Gabe
Gabriel Vilardi has seven points (4G, 3A) in his past three games… He’s on a three-game goal scoring streak for the fourth time in his career and is one game short of a career-high four-game goal streak he had last season (Oct. 25-31)… Since returning from injury on Nov. 30, Vilardi has nine points (4G, 4A) in nine games… He’s averaging 0.83 points per game this season, which is a career high… He’s also playing a career high 16:29 per game.
100 Duo
Forwards Cole Perfetti and David Gustafsson are each slated to play in their 100th NHL game on Wednesday… The duo are the youngest forwards on the Jets roster… Once they reach 100 games, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby (85) will be the only Jets forward below the 100 game mark.
December Breakout
Nikolaj Ehlers had an assist on Monday as he continues to put up points at a torrid pace in December… He has 12 points (4G, 8A) in eight games in December to lead the Jets in scoring and has found the scoresheet in seven of the eight games… He had 11 points combined in 22 games in October and November.
Tender
After allowing 13 goals in his first three starts of the season, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 14-4-2 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in his past 20 starts… He’s allowed two goals or less in 14 of his past 20 starts.
OT
The Jets are 2-3 in overtime and shootouts this season, including 2-2 in games decided in overtime… The Jets went 10-3 in overtime (9-2) and shootouts (1-1) last season, which led the NHL with an .769 winning percentage… Six of Winnipeg’s nine OT winners came in the first two minutes of the extra session… Mark Scheifele holds the franchise record with 13 OT winning goals… During the past four seasons, Winnipeg is 22-11 in games decided in overtime.
Jets vs. DET Notes
Season Series
The Jets and Red Wings play twice this season… The Jets won the first meeting, 4-1 in Detroit on Oct. 26
Recent History
The Jets have won two games in a row against the Red Wings after dropping three of the previous four meetings… The Jets have scored just one power play goal in their past six games against Detroit (1-for-14).
In Winnipeg
The Jets is 6-2-1 against the Red Wings all-time at Canada Life Centre… Winnipeg has scored at least four games in six of the nine contests
Player Notes
Nino Niederreiter has 13 goals in 29 career games against the Red Wings, of which six are power play goals… He leads Jets players with 19 points in the 29 games… Mark Scheifele is averaging a point per game during his career against Detroit with 17 points (5G, 12A) in 17 games… Alex Iafallo is also averaging a point per game against the Wings with nine points (3G, 6A) in nine games… Two of his three goals are game-winning markers.
