Game 51: Winnipeg Jets vs Detroit Red Wings pre-game report

The Jets are 5-1-2 in their last eight games which is a positive but still find themselves well back of the playoff line which would require a significant run by the NHL club of Winnipeg. This next stretch of six games before the Olympic break will certainly let us know what will be happening by the trade deadline and they won’t be easy contests.

Tonight, they face a Red Wings team sitting tied for 2nd overall in the Eastern Conference just one point back of the Lightning who sit in 1st. They are 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

For Winnipeg the only real question would be if they’ll recall one or two players up from the Moose since they do not have any extra defenceman. I wouldn’t anticipate them calling up a forward since they have Gustav Nyquist but with only six healthy defenceman they will likely call one up to have insurance if there is a need.

Skate news:

As per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press no changes to the lineup from what they ran with against the Panthers.

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Perfetti-Toews-Vilardi
Niederreiter-Lowry-Namestnikov
Koepke-Barron-Pearson

Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Salomonsson
Stanley-Schenn

Hellebuyck

Red Wings projected lines & D pairs:

Kasper -Larkin – Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Kane
Finnie – Compher – Van Riemsdyk
Soderblom – Rasmissen – Appleton

Edvinsson – Seider
Chiarot – Bernard-Docker
Johansson – Hamonic

Talbot/Gibson

Coach media availability:

Odds:

Despite the gap in the standings, this shapes up as a much closer contest than it might first appear. Winnipeg has quietly found some form, but with the Jets still chasing the playoff picture, every game carries added weight as a demanding stretch looms before the Olympic break. Detroit arrives in strong form and firmly among the East’s elite, yet this feels less like a mismatch and more like a game where momentum, urgency, and a few key moments could ultimately decide the outcome. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 6 PM CST. Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action. You can join us on our YouTube channel for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show around 8:40 PM CST as we discuss and analyze the results of