Winning is fun. Beating good teams are fun. The Winnipeg Jets are experiencing this phenomenon called winning and it’s a good time had by all. Two goals from Jacob Trouba plus a 33-save performance from Connor Hellebuyck gave the Jets a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings helping the sold out crowd at the MTS Centre get over their post Christmas blahs.

It could have been disaster for the Jets early on. Adam Lowry took a four-minute high sticking penalty just 50 seconds into the opening frame. However, the Jets turned a negative into a positive, scoring a shorthanded goal as Trouba found the top corner to open the scoring. 

The power play took over midway through the period as Andrew Ladd finished off a nice feed from Blake Wheeler as the Jets enjoyed a 5-on-3 advantage.

The Jets good fortune continued in the middle frame as Alexander Burmistrov ended a 23-game goalless drought, after his wrist shot went off Jakub Kindl’s skate and into the net. Trouba’s second of the game, a bomb from the point chased Jimmy Howard from the Detroit net.

The only blemish on the scoreboard was Pavel Datsyuk’s power play marker early in the third, spoiling Hellebuyck’s bid for back-to-back shutouts. 

Three Keys:

1. Special teams, a persistent thorn for the Jets this season, were a bright spot tonight. Lowry’s double minor was erased by Trouba’s shorthanded goal while the Jets took advantage of a 5-on-3 opportunity. While the Wings did score on the power play, they were shut down early on despite the penalty problems the Jets were in. 

2. Hellebuyck was excellent for the second straight game, stopping 33 out of 34 shots, including dazzling breakaway stops off Darren Helm and Datsyuk. This kid is going to be special and the Jets should be thrilled that they have a young, very good goalie like Hellebuyck in the organization.

3. After a slow start to the season, Trouba is starting to round into form. The University of Michigan product has been excellent since being paired up with Dustin Byfuglien on the blue line. Trouba was all over the ice, getting involved at both ends. Perhaps he smells the money that awaits him in the offseason when he is set to become a restricted free agent. 

Your Hot Taeks

#NHLJets shorthanded for 6 of first 7 minutes. Up 1-0. This is a bold game plan.

— randy turner (@randyturner15) December 30, 2015

JETS DEFENCEMEN POWER RANKING:
1.Byfuglien
2.Trouba
3.Myers
4.Enstrom

— sAD sACK (@sadsackjetsfan) December 30, 2015

Dear NHL, please send all teams to MTS to play the Jets on the latter part of back to backs. Sincerely Pedro.

— Pedro (@PegCityPedro) December 30, 2015

That was a sexy goal? #NHLJets #DETvsWPG

— Ashley Nicole (@S_AshleyNicole) December 30, 2015

And somewhere Jacob Trouba’s agent is rubbing his hand together vigorously with a big grin on his face #agent #RFA #dollars #NHLJets

— Ross Thomas (@spidermanross) December 30, 2015

Charts And Stuff

All charts courtesy of war-on-ice.com

GIF Of The Night

It’s the holidays and the Jets won. Time to dance.