John Gibson Records 24 Saves as Red Wings Defeat Jets 2-1

DETROIT — John Gibson continued his strong December performance with 24 saves, helping the Detroit Red Wings secure a 2-1 victory over the struggling Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night. Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton scored for Detroit. Gibson earned his ninth win in 10 starts, as the Red Wings finished December with an 11-3-1 record. The Jets, meanwhile, dropped their seventh consecutive game (0-4-3) despite Connor Hellebuyck stopping 17 shots. Logan Stanley scored Winnipeg’s lone goal. Detroit opened the scoring at 8:22 of the first period on a power-play goal by Larkin, who sent a shot through traffic over Hellebuyck’s glove. Notably, Larkin and Hellebuyck grew up in nearby suburbs of Detroit and are expected to play together on Team USA in the upcoming Olympics. Appleton extended Detroit’s lead to 2-0 with 5:12 remaining in the first period, finishing a two-on-one with J.T. Compher. Although Hellebuyck initially stopped the puck, defenseman Luke Schenn inadvertently knocked it into the net while attempting to clear the crease.

Gustav Nyquist nearly scored against his former team late in the second period but hit the crossbar from a sharp angle. Stanley cut the deficit to 2-1 at 7:04 of the third period with a shot along the ice that Gibson appeared to misjudge.