Slumping Red Wings drop fourth straight with 5-2 loss in Winnipeg

One team Wednesday had been playing great hockey recently, charging up the standings - and the other hasn't been playing well.

And nothing changed after 60 minutes. The red-hot Winnipeg Jets exploded for three second-period goals carrying them past the slumping Red Wings, 5-2.

Olli Maatta and Patrick Kane scored the Wings' goals.

Kane cut Winnipeg's lead to 4-2 with his second goal. Kane put back a rebound of Dylan Larkin's shot at 8:41 of the third period, giving the Wings some momentum.

But the Wings couldn't convert on a power play shortly after, and the Jets cemented things when Mark Scheifele scored his 12th goal at 15 minutes, 12 seconds of the third period.

Maatta scored his first goal of the season early in the second period, set up by Kane, tying the game 1-1.

But that would be the extent of the good news. Winnipeg scored the next three goals in the period and pretty much decided the outcome.

Winnipeg rested star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the Commerce native, but it didn't matter. Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots.

James Reimer made 36 saves but didn't get much help defensively, especially in the second period.

Neal Pionk, Nikolaj Ehlers, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Gabe Vilardi added the Jets' goals.

The Wings (15-13-4) continue to be mired in a deep slump. Wednesday's loss was the Wings' fourth consecutive defeat, and they've won only once in the last eight games (1-6-1).

Winnipeg (19-9-3) has won seven of it last nine games (7-1-1).

Here are talking points from the game:

Defensive breakdowns

Maatta's goal gave the Wings a brief lift, tying the game, but the Jets roared back capitalizing on sloppy Wings' defense.

Ehlers found himself alone in front, and knocked in his 11th goal, giving Winnipeg a 2-1 lead. Just 3:09 later, defenseman Dylan Samberg found Axel Jonsson-Fjallby behind the Wings' defense and placed an outlet pass off the boards to a streaking Jonsson-Fjallby.

Vilardi capped the second period surge, finding himself open near the post and tapping the puck past Reimer.

The Wings had seemingly fixed some defensive lapses that hurt them at the beginning of this losing streak. But they've returned over the last two games, as the Wings allowed nine goals to Anaheim and Winnipeg combined the last two games.

Bad break

Winnipeg opened the game's scoring with Neal Pionk's goal at 15:38 of the first period.

It was exactly the type of goal that goes against a slumping hockey team.

Pionk's shot from the point hit defenseman Jeff Petry's glove in front and changed directions on Reimer.

The Wings were able to escape the rest of the period without any further damage though out-shot 12-9 in the opening 20 minutes.

Reimer's start

Reimer got pinned with the loss, but he didn't much chance on any of the second period goals and Pionk's goal deflected off a Wings' glove past him.

Reimer had 35 saves in only his second start since Nov. 16.

With Ville Husso (lower-body) and Alex Lyon (upper-body) both out of the lineup, and neither will be valuable before this weekend, it's likely Reimer will get at least one of the final two games before the holiday break. Michael Hutchinson, recalled from Grand Rapids, could conceivably get the start Saturday in New Jersey.

Suspension stays

The Wings were hopeful of having David Perron but no such luck.

Perron met with commissioner Gary Bettman Tuesday but there was no eliminating the sixth and final game of Perron's six-game suspension for crosschecking Ottawa's Artem Zub.

Perron went after Zub after Larkin was crosschecked in the back of the head by Mathieu Joseph, though Zub wasn't involved in the primary incident on the ice.

Perron also forfeited $148,437.48 in pay because of the suspension. Perron can potentially reduce that fine if he chooses to have his face heard by an independent arbitrator.

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan