Copp scores twice, Jets shut out Red Wings

Andrew Copp scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday.

"I definitely had a lot of chances tonight -- I could have had more goals," Copp said. "I'm happy to come away with a big win, especially missing some guys and not having played in a while."
Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg (17-12-5). Copp, Connor and Hellebuyck grew up in suburban Detroit.
"There must be something in the water here," Connor said. "We haven't played here in a while, but we've all spent a lot of time here and we all grew up idolizing the Red Wings.
"There's a little extra pep in your step coming home and playing them."

The Jets, who have eight players in COVID-19 protocol, were playing their first game in seven days. Winnipeg is 4-2-0 since Dave Lowry replaced Paul Maurice as coach on Dec. 17.
"The resilience of our group was outstanding," Lowry said. "Our penalty kill, our goaltending -- just outstanding. I liked the energy our young guys brought, and our top guys stepped up and played like our best players."
Detroit (16-17-5) has lost four straight and six of seven. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves.
"It's frustrating, because we had a ton of chances, but we didn't take advantage of them," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. "Our process is good, but we have to find a way to turn that into results."
Copp gave the Jets a 1-0 at 5:41 of the first period, banking a shot from behind the goal line in off Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy's leg. Defenseman Dylan Samberg, making his NHL debut, got an assist.
Copp made the Winnipeg lead 2-0 at 11:08 of the second period, scoring on a breakaway as a Red Wings power play ended.
Winnipeg took two quick penalties to give the Red Wings a 5-on-3 advantage with 4:29 remaining. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill immediately pulled Nedeljkovic to make it 6-on-3, but Detroit managed one shot in 73 seconds with a three-man advantage.
"That was crazy," Hellebuyck said. "I haven't been in too many of those situations. I knew I was going to have earn my shutout, but the guys in front of me did a phenomenal job."

Blashill said, while teams don't practice 6-on-3 situations, he felt the extra attacker would still provide benefits.
"When you put the sixth guy out there, you are hoping to win every recovery -- you don't want the puck to ever leave the zone," he said. "They were able to clear it a couple times."
Connor, playing in front of his parents, scored a shorthanded goal into the empty net at 17:30.
"We're going to tell those guys we are playing in Michigan more often," Lowry said. "When we landed, they got off the plane, got on the tarmac and ran, so I knew they were excited."
NOTES:Jets forward Evgeny Svechnikov, who spent his first four NHL seasons with the Red Wings, received a video tribute in the first period in his return to Detroit. He had an assist on Copp's first goal. … Winnipeg defenseman Declan Chisholm made his NHL debut, taking four shots in 13:44. … Larkin returned to the lineup after missing a 3-2 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. … Larkin and Connor were named to the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game.