By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
The Detroit Red Wings end the year with a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton scored the only two goals for the Red Wings in the first period.
The captain now has 21 goals in the season. Goaltender John Gibson made 23 saves. The Red Wings (24-14-3) won for the fifth time in their past six games and improved to 11-3-1 in December.
Appleton liked what he saw from his team in this game and thought they played with a sense of calm.
“We were calm,” Appleton said. “We defended the right way. They had a real good look at the end. Sometimes, you’ve got to get a bounce, and then I thought we locked it down really well. To give up one goal and play probably 50 really good minutes that hockey game is an effort we’re proud of, and getting those two points was important to us.”
Detroit did a good job limiting the Jets’ playmaking ability. The Jets are a very skillful team and can do some damage if the defense is not paying attention. The Red Wings played sensational.
The Red Wings finish the 2025 year strong and are looking to enter the new year with the same momentum. It’s a new year, but the same grind applies to the team. Goaltender John Gibson spoke with the media about the team showing what they’re capable of and said they know they need to be consistent.
“I think we put ourselves in a good spot,” Gibson said. “We showed that we can do it. Now it’s just about keeping it going and being consistent in the second half.”
Detroit will play at Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day at 7 pm ET. Both teams will meet again on Saturday but in Detroit for an afternoon game.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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