The Detroit Red Wings capped off their chilly Canadian road trip with a statement win, skating past the Winnipeg Jets, 5-1, and grabbing two more crucial points in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
J.T. Compher led the way, netting a pair of goals to spark Detroit’s offense on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre. It was the final stop on a three-game swing that saw the Wings collect five out of six possible points-a strong showing for a team that’s starting to look more and more like a serious postseason contender.
Patrick Kane’s milestone watch continues, as he inched closer to U.S. hockey history. Kane picked up an assist on Alex DeBrincat’s empty-netter in the third period, bringing his career total to 1,373 points-just two shy of passing Mike Modano for the most points by a U.S.-born player in NHL history.
Kane nearly tied Modano earlier in the night, originally being credited with an assist on Compher’s first goal. But after a second-intermission review, the assist was removed due to a change of possession involving Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele and Detroit’s Andrew Copp. It was a tough break for Kane, but the milestone feels inevitable at this point-it’s just a matter of when.
As for the standings, the win pushed Detroit to 32-16-5 on the season, giving them 69 points and sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. That’s two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who fell on Saturday, though Tampa has three games in hand. The Wings are also now tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, with the ’Canes holding one game in hand as well.
Next up, the Wings return home for a three-game stretch at Little Caesars Arena before the Olympic break. First on the docket: the Los Angeles Kings, who are scrapping for a wild card spot in the West. That matchup drops the puck Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Detroit’s road trip was a blend of grit and resilience, starting with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, followed by a narrow 4-3 OT loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Saturday’s effort in Winnipeg was arguably their most complete performance of the swing.
The Jets opened the scoring with a goal from Cole Koepke, but Detroit didn’t flinch. Compher answered in the second period, then struck again just two minutes into the third to put the Wings in control. Lucas Raymond added his 19th of the season midway through the second, a weird one that ricocheted off the crossbar, then off the back of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and into the net.
DeBrincat’s empty-netter marked his 27th goal of the year, and Marco Kasper tacked on one more for good measure with 1:17 left on the clock-his fourth of the season.
All told, the Wings have now earned points in four straight games, going 3-0-1 in that stretch and winning eight of their last 10. That’s the kind of run that builds confidence and momentum heading into the season’s second half.
This team isn’t just flirting with a playoff spot anymore-they’re starting to look like they belong near the top of the East.