By Canadian Press

Red Wings erase two-goal deficit, come back to beat Jets 4-3 in shootout

Dec 6, 2016 | 7:15 PM

WINNIPEG — Henrik Zetterberg’s attention to detail paid off with the game-winning shootout goal on Tuesday.

The veteran Detroit Red Wings forward watched how teammate Frans Nielsen almost scored on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Helleybuyck in the shootout and followed his lead while adding something of his own.

Zetterberg came in and flipped the puck upstairs with a backhand to give his team a 4-3 victory after overcoming a two-goal deficit.

“When Nielsen took his attempt, (Hellebuyck) went down when he tried to deke him,” Zetterberg said. “I thought I’d do the same (but go high off the backhand).”

Teammate Thomas Vanek also scored in the shootout and Patrik Laine had Winnipeg’s marker against Petr Mrazek.

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Tomas Tatar, Anthony Mantha and Vanek scored in regulation for Detroit (13-11-3). Zetterberg assisted on Tatar’s goal, extending his point streak to five games with three goals and three assists.

The Red Wings have at least one point in seven of their last eight games (5-1-2).

“Right now, the standings are so tight one or two points could make a great difference at the end of the year,” Mantha said.

The Jets got goals from Andrew Copp, Dustin Byfuglien and Laine, whose 17th of the season tied him for the NHL lead with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

Byfuglien and Laine each added an assist for Winnipeg (13-13-3), which is 4-1-1 in its past six games.

“We just weren’t playing the same game (as we did) in the first period,” Laine said. “That can’t happen against a good team like this. They will come back into the game right away and that happened tonight.”

The Jets had a 3-1 lead late in the first period, but Vanek eventually tied it up with 2:08 left in the second on a re-direction.

“Up 3-1, we need to stomp on their throats and we weren’t able to do that,” Copp said. “In that second period, we kind of let them back in the game and we didn’t close them out in the third.

“I don’t want to say we got complacent, but we weren’t on it or as focused as we were the past two games (both wins).”

Winnipeg was leading 28-16 in shots on goal after two periods, but didn’t get its first in the scoreless third until more than 12 minutes had passed, and only had three shots on Mrazek in the frame.

“They just did the simple things, got the puck deep, got on the forecheck and kept doing it,” Byfuglien said. “We couldn’t find a way to take control.”

Hellebuyck made 27 saves, while Mrazek stopped 31 shots.

“He played amazing again,” Mantha said of Mrazek. “He’s been really solid lately. He showed us that he could be a great goaltender.”

In the first period, Detroit didn’t have a shot on goal when Copp tipped in teammate Ben Chiarot’s point shot at 6:41 with Winnipeg’s seventh shot.

But the Wings’ second shot on goal 24 seconds later was Tatar’s marker off a rebound to tie it 1-1.

Byfuglien made it 2-1 at 11:22 and then a Zetterberg turnover in the Wings’ end led to Laine’s goal 1:44 later.

The long blast appeared to glance off a Detroit stick and then defenceman Mike Green on the way past Mrazek at 13:06. Laine has four goals and a pair of assists in his past six games.

A turnover by Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom in his own end led to Mantha’s goal at 10:59 of the second period to make it 3-2. Vanek tied it at 17:52 with a re-direction of Xavier Ouellet’s shot.

The Jets have been outscored 39-19 in the second period this season.

Winnipeg hosts the New York Rangers on Thursday, while Detroit returns home to face Columbus on Friday.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press