The Winnipeg Jets didn’t just lose on Thursday night - they unraveled. A 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings capped off a rough stretch, and this one hit especially hard.
Head coach Scott Arniel didn’t hold back postgame, calling the effort “embarrassing” and “soft.” And frankly, it’s hard to argue with him.
“We were looking for pond hockey,” Arniel said after the game. “Don’t get hit, don’t hit anybody.
Just play an easy, soft game. And that’s pretty much what we did for two periods.”
That kind of honesty is rare, but it speaks volumes about where this team is right now. The Jets were already reeling after a 2-1 shootout loss to the Panthers earlier in the week, and this one felt like a step backward - not just in the standings, but in identity.
Let’s be clear: Winnipeg wasn’t just outplayed, they were outworked. The Red Wings took full advantage of a Jets team that looked flat and disconnected.
Detroit poured in four goals in the third period alone, turning a manageable game into a rout. J.T.
Compher led the charge with two goals, while Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper each added a goal and an assist. Alex DeBrincat chipped in with a tally of his own, and John Gibson was solid in net with 26 saves.
The Jets? They managed just one goal, courtesy of Cole Koepke.
And while the offense sputtered, the defense completely lost its shape in the final frame. Missed assignments, poor positioning, and a general lack of urgency allowed Detroit to pull away with ease.
This wasn’t just a bad night - it was a missed opportunity. Arniel made that crystal clear.
“We’re fighting for our lives,” he said. “We go out and lay that egg.
It’s not good enough. That was two points we needed badly.”
That urgency isn’t just coach-speak - it’s reality. Winnipeg is now 20-24-7, sitting seventh in the Central Division, and they’ve dropped four of their last five.
They’ve also been swept by Detroit in the season series, having lost 2-1 back on December 31. This latest defeat just widened the cracks that have been forming all season.
One of the biggest concerns? Connor Hellebuyck.
The veteran goaltender stopped 26 shots, but he’s now lost four straight starts. This is a far cry from the Hellebuyck we saw last season, when he posted a 47-12-3 record and was the backbone of a 56-win team.
Right now, he’s not stealing games - and the Jets can’t afford for him not to.
But it’s not just Hellebuyck. The issues are layered.
Winnipeg’s scoring has dipped to 2.90 goals per game, and defensive lapses have become routine. The structure that defined last year’s success has eroded, and the urgency that carried them through rough patches is nowhere to be found.
Now, the Jets head out on the road for a four-game stretch in some tough buildings. The timing couldn’t be worse. They needed to close this homestand with a statement, and instead, they left with more questions than answers.
If Winnipeg wants to stay in the playoff conversation, they’ll need to find their identity - fast. Because right now, this team isn’t just losing games. They’re losing the edge that made them dangerous.