Jets Collapse in the Third, Fall 5-1 to Red Wings in Frigid Winnipeg
It was bitterly cold outside, but inside Canada Life Centre on Saturday night, the building was packed and buzzing. Winnipeg fans showed up in full force, hoping to see their Jets close out a three-game homestand on a high note. Instead, they were left with more questions than answers after a 5-1 loss to the visiting Detroit Red Wings-a defeat that saw the Jets surrender five unanswered goals, including four in a third period meltdown.
The Jets, now 20-24-7, have struggled to find consistency this season, and Saturday’s game was a snapshot of those issues in real time.
A Familiar Start, A Familiar Result
For the second straight game, the Jets played a scoreless first period, with both teams trading low-danger chances and Detroit holding a slight 11-9 edge in shots. The pace was measured, the energy cautious-two teams feeling each other out but not pushing the tempo.
Midway through the second, Winnipeg finally broke the deadlock. Morgan Barron won a clean offensive-zone faceoff and sent the puck back to Logan Stanley at the point. Stanley uncorked a slap shot that hit Cole Koepke in front, and the winger showed great awareness, spinning and backhanding the puck past Detroit netminder John Gibson for his fourth of the season-and first since January 9.
It was a much-needed 5-on-5 goal for the Jets, their first at even strength since January 17. The play was textbook: win the draw, get bodies to the net, and create chaos. Koepke, who’s been working to carve out a consistent role, executed perfectly.
“Offensive draw, and Barron did a good job of winning it clean back,” Koepke said postgame. “We were just getting bodies to the net. Stanley did a good job delivering it, and it went off me, kind of landed there perfect for me.”
But that was as good as it got for Winnipeg.
Detroit Flips the Script
Just over five minutes later, Detroit answered back. J.T.
Compher tied the game with a gritty effort around the crease, jamming away at a loose puck until it slipped past Connor Hellebuyck. The goal came just seconds after a Red Wings power play expired, and it shifted the momentum squarely in Detroit’s favor.
Heading into the third, the game was tied 1-1, but the ice was clearly tilting-and the Jets were about to lose their footing entirely.
Third Period Breakdown
The Red Wings needed less than two minutes to take control. Compher struck again, this time finishing off a crisp 3-on-2 rush with Emmitt Finnie and James van Riemsdyk. The passing was sharp, the finish clinical, and the Jets were suddenly chasing.
Then came Lucas Raymond’s tally at 8:11. His shot deflected off Hellebuyck’s stick, popped into the air, and dropped into the net off the crossbar.
It was reviewed for a possible high stick, but with no contact made by Detroit’s swatting forwards, the goal stood. It was the kind of bounce that teams riding momentum tend to get-and the kind the Jets haven’t seen much of lately.
With time winding down, Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck for the extra attacker, but Detroit didn’t flinch. Alex DeBrincat buried an empty-netter at 18:11, and Marco Kasper piled on just 32 seconds later to seal the rout.
Detroit improved to 32-16-5 with the win, jumping into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. For the Jets, it was another missed opportunity-and another game that slipped away in the final 20 minutes.
Arniel Doesn’t Hold Back
Postgame, Jets interim head coach Scott Arniel didn’t sugarcoat what he saw.
“We were looking for a pond hockey game,” Arniel said. “Don’t get hit, don’t hit anybody.
Just play an easy, soft game. That’s pretty much what we did for two periods, and it exploded in the third period.”
It was a blunt assessment, but an accurate one. The Jets were outworked, outskated, and outmuscled when it mattered most. Too often, they looked reactive instead of proactive-waiting for something to happen instead of making it happen.
Road Ahead
Now, the Jets head into a critical stretch with four straight games on the road, starting Tuesday in New Jersey against the Devils. If they want to stay in the playoff conversation, they’ll need to find answers-and fast.
The pieces are there. The goaltending, when supported, is strong.
The forward group has depth. But until the Jets commit to playing with more edge and urgency, games like Saturday night’s will continue to slip away.
Puck drop in New Jersey is set for 6:00 p.m. CST. The Jets have some soul-searching to do between now and then.