For a team that hasn't had much go right, this was a satisfying two nights for the Red Wings.
The Wings completed a back-to-back sweep Wednesday with an impressive 3-1 victory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Michael Rasmussen continued his scoring surge with his fourth goal in five games, breaking a third-period 1-1 tie and Sam Gagner had a short-handed and empty-net goal spurring the victory.
Rasmussen, becoming a net-front presence, carved out space in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and whacked a loose puck for his 12th goal.
Coming off a hard-earned win Tuesday over Boston, the Wings (28-34-9) duplicated the effort, with goaltender Thomas Greiss stopping 32 shots to backstop the victory.
Gagner opened the scoring with his 500th career point, late in the first period.
Dylan Larkin won the draw and forced Jets defenseman Josh Morrisey into a turnover. Larkin worked the puck down the ice and fed Gagner, who was driving to the net and poked the puck past Hellebuyck.
It was Gagner's 10th goal, and second in two nights
Larkin's late first-period goal ignited the Wings Tuesday, and Gagner's essentially did the same.
Winnipeg tied the game on Mark Scheifele's 27th goal in the second period.
The Jets worked the puck to Nate Schmidt on the point and Schmidt lifted a shot that Scheifele, battling Mortiz Seider for position in front, got his stick on and deflected the puck past Greiss.
But that was basically the lone Jets highlight in the middle period.
Winnipeg appeared to take a 2-1 lead three minutes later on a similar Blake Wheeler redirection. But Wheeler began the play by being off-side, which was quickly determined by video replay, keeping the score 1-1.
Interestingly, it was the Wings who were sparked by the Winnipeg no-goal.
The Wings dominated play for approximately the next eight minutes, with Lucas Raymond and Jakub Vrana both hitting goal posts, just missing by inches of extending the Wings' lead.
The Wings also had a power play, their first of the game, but did not convert.
After Tuesday's victory over Boston the Wings talked about the importance of the victory, but also the need to keep the momentum rolling forward.
Flying to Winnipeg on a back-to-back and getting settled in the early morning hours, and playing against a rested opponent (Winnipeg hadn't played since Saturday) who needed points to stay in the playoff race, was a stern test.
“One good win is not all the sudden going to make everything better, if you don’t go out the next night and play well,” said coach Jeff Blashill after Tuesday's victory. “We got a challenge (against Winnipeg) on a back-to-back. We got to grind, dig in and find a way to play really good and win a hockey game."
Blashill saw characteristics playing against the Bruins that were familiar from early in the season, when the Wings played competitively.
“A level of sacrifice that’s been missing a little bit," Blashill said. "Guys blocking shots, the compete level was extremely high, more like what it was when we were in the hunt, more of what it should be like when you’re grinding for the playoffs. We just have to continue with that approach.”
Larkin, too, was pleased with the enthusiasm the Wings showed against Boston, and the need for it to carry over.
“That’s the energy and the passion we got to play with,” Larkin said. “It hadn’t been there. It’s hard to find yourself in a rut but almost everyone had some jump, some life, made plays and finished plays.
“It was a team win, a character win. The hard part about this thing is we got to do it again (in Winnipeg). It’s not going to be easy with the travel and schedule that we have but everyone goes through it. We have to find that same level or urgency and compete and emotion.”
