Jets Look to Bounce Back at Red Wings in Noon Start
Winnipeg opens a two-game road trip in Detroit on Sunday after an overtime loss to Boston, with Kyle Connor and the pace of their forecheck in focus.
The Winnipeg Jets open a two-game road trip Sunday in Detroit, looking to build on a pace they liked in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. Puck drop against the Red Wings is at noon Central.
The Jets are 0-0-1. Head coach Scott Arniel liked how the team defended and forechecked, though he said some technical details needed cleaning up. "We've got 83 more to go," Nino Niederreiter said. He cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from one game.
Kyle Connor arrives at Little Caesars Arena with momentum. He scored in his ninth consecutive season opener, an NHL record, and had nine shots on goal against Boston. The Shelby Township, Michigan, native has 16 points in 16 games against Detroit, and he hit 500 career points in this building.
Gabriel Vilardi did not skate Saturday, but Arniel said it was maintenance and expects him to play. Arniel did not name a starter in goal between Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson, only that both will play, with five games in eight days.
Detroit is 0-1-0 after a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday. Sean Durzi scored on the power play 5:12 in, and Eeli Tolvanen added an empty-netter with 1:16 left. The Red Wings beat the Jets twice last season, 2-1 on New Year's Eve and 5-1 on Jan. 26.
"They're quick," Arniel said of Detroit. "They'll transition fast... and just a team that has lots of offence."
