Detroit City Wire

On the final leg of their two-game road trip, the Detroit Red Wings aim to extend their winning streak to four games as they face off against the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Saturday night.

Detroit (16-18-4; 36 points) will compete against Winnipeg (27-11-2; 56 points) with the game starting at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit). Their last encounter was on October 30, where the Jets secured a 6-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena.

“We’re playing a lot better. Three in a row now, would be a huge win if we get one tonight and keep it going,” Andrew Copp stated. “We’re feeling good about the direction we’re heading and some of the changes that were made. It’s up to us to find a way to keep some momentum going for January here.”

Detroit has shown confidence since entering 2025, recently achieving a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Despite losing an early lead, Jonatan Berggren scored late in regulation to secure victory.

“When the spirit is high, you have an opportunity to advance as a team,” said Detroit head coach Todd McLellan. “You can give the players something new to bite off, adjust the forecheck and neutral zone or whatever you want...The spirit has been good.”

After Saturday's morning skate, McLellan announced that Jeff Petry would not play due to exiting midway through his previous game, with Albert Johansson stepping into his role.

“He’s been waiting patiently,” McLellan commented regarding Johansson. “He’s worked really hard in practice and he’s going to get his opportunity.”

The Jets are coming off two consecutive losses, most recently falling in overtime against Anaheim Ducks with a score of 4-3 on Thursday. Entering Saturday's game, Winnipeg holds the NHL's top power-play success rate at 32 percent.

“Their power play is extremely dangerous,” McLellan noted. “This power play has five guys that can shoot...it makes it more difficult to plan.”

Kyle Connor leads Winnipeg this season with 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists), followed by Mark Scheifele with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists). Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey each have accumulated 36 points.

Connor Hellebuyck stands out as one of this season's Vezina Trophy favorites for best goalie performance—leading in wins (24), goals-against average (2.06), shutouts (five), and tied for best save percentage (.927).

“They’re buzzing,” Andrew Copp remarked about Winnipeg's team dynamics. “They got it figured out...Each line brings a little something different.”