RECAP: 'In an effort we're proud of' on New Year's Eve, Red Wings hold off Jets for 2-1 victory

DETROIT -- Finishing December with an impressive 11-3-1 record, their most wins in a single calendar month since March 2010, the Detroit Red Wings held off the Winnipeg Jets for a 2-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night.

“The evolution of our team has been a positive thing throughout December,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “But, tonight was good for us because it’s pretty evident that we still have a lot of work to do.”

A 23-save performance by goaltender John Gibson also helped Detroit (24-14-3; 51 points) improve to 40-25-8 all-time on games held on New Year’s Eve. At the opposite end of the ice, goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves as Winnipeg (15-19-4; 34 points) saw its winless skid reach seven consecutive contests.

“To give up one goal and play 50 really good minutes is an effort we’re proud of,” said Mason Appleton, who has tallied goals in consecutive games. “Getting those two points was important to us.”

Josh Morrissey was assessed two minutes for roughing after high-sticking Dylan Larkin with 12:48 to go in the first period, and the 29-year-old captain struck a minute into Detroit’s first power play of the game to give his squad a 1-0 lead.

The sequence originated at the edge of the right face-off circle in Winnipeg’s zone, where Lucas Raymond passed the puck back to Moritz Seider at the blue line. Seider dished a feed across the ice to Larkin, who went on to snap a shot from deep past a screened Hellebuyck for his 21st goal of the season.

“He drives the team,” Gibson said about Larkin, who has lit the lamp four times in his last six contests. “Whether its penalty kill, power play or 5-on-5, he’s out there in all situations. He’s a guy you look to and who everybody wants to follow.”

Just under seven minutes later in the opening frame, after J.T. Compher forced a turnover in the neutral zone, Appleton’s shot on a 2-on-1 rush was stopped by Hellebuyck before it went off Luke Schenn’s chest and into the back of the net to push the Red Wings ahead 2-0 at 14:48. Michael Rasmussen collected the secondary helper.

Appleton, who has scored five goals this season, was originally taken by the Jets at No. 168 overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft out of Michigan State University.

“Mason is an important part of our hockey club, we missed him when he wasn’t in the lineup, for a lot of things on the ice,” McLellan said. “He’s really good on the bench and in the locker room. You can tell he’s been around winning teams, because he has some winning habits.”

Following a scoreless second period in which Winnipeg outshot Detroit 10-6, Logan Stanley got the Jets within one when he wired a wrist shot from the left face-off circle through the five-hole of Gibson to make it 2-1 at 7:04 of the third.

“We start the night well,” McLellan said. “We’re playing a certain style that, I think we all believe in, will make us successful and we get away from it a little bit. We get a two-goal lead, then we’re not the same direct team. We’re a little more East-West, slow things down and don’t forecheck quite as much. Suddenly, the game starts coming back at us. We’ve got to learn to handle that better.”

Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck at 17:32 of the final frame, and although it came close late – Gustav Nyquist’s shot went off the goalpost after Gibson turned it away with 1:38 to go – Appleton said Detroit “locked it down really well” to finish off his former club in regulation.

“They had their chances late, but I didn’t feel there was any panic,” Appleton said. “We were calm and defended the right way. They had a really good look at the end and sometimes, you just got to get a bounce.”

NEXT UP: The Red Wings will be back in game action in less than 24 hours, squaring off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday night.

WHAT WAS SAID

McLellan on the Red Wings having collected 51 points through their first 51 games

“That’s better than 31 or 41, but I there’s no breathing room. Everyone just stays on your tail, and I don’t think that’s going to change. Inevitably, we’ll hopefully continue to climb and grow but we’ll hit some bumps in the road that we’ll have to deal with. It’s just the way it happens in the League. Those will be a good test for us.”

Appleton on where the Red Wings are in the standings at this point of their season

“The more you can stack up [points] this time of the year, it’s important because you never know what it’s going to come down to. You look, you can miss the playoffs by one, three, five points. It could’ve been that game in January or in March – you don’t know. So, every two points matters.”

Gibson on Detroit’s confidence going forward into the second half of the campaign

“We’ve put ourselves in a good spot and showed we can do it. Now, it’s just about keeping it going and being consistent throughout the second half.”