A game that looked as if it would be a blowout turned into a nail-biter for the Winnipeg Jets, who held on for a 4-2 home win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.

The Jets scored the game's first three goals but had to stave off a Red Wings rally. Winnipeg won for the third time in four games, while Detroit lost for the ninth time in 10 games (1-7-2).

Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists to lead Winnipeg, which also got goals from Brandon Tanev, Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. Jets backup goalie Laurent Brossoit made 33 saves for the win, with Connor Hellebuyck taking the night off after seven consecutive starts.

Luke Glendening and Dennis Cholowski scored for Detroit. Red Wings goaltender Jonathan Bernier stopped 23 shots.

It didn't take long for Winnipeg to strike, as the Jets scored 13 seconds into the game after controlling the opening faceoff and knocking the puck into the Detroit zone.

Tanev took a pass from Adam Lowry in the slot and placed a shot just underneath the crossbar to make it 1-0.

The Jets doubled the lead with two seconds left in the opening period.

Wheeler fired a shot toward the net that deflected in off the stick of Detroit winger Thomas Vanek.

Winnipeg took a 3-0 lead at 4:51 of the second period on a goal by Little. He fired a shot from the left faceoff circle that deflected off the stick of Red Wings defenseman Mike Green and over Bernier's shoulder.

Detroit got on the board at 10:03 of the second. Glendening skated in short-handed on a two-on-none breakaway with Filip Hronek, took a pass from Hronek and buried the chance into a half-open goal to cut Winnipeg's lead to 3-1.

The Red Wings then made it 3-2 with 13:10 remaining on a power-play goal by Cholowski, who beat Brossoit with a shot from the right faceoff circle.

Detroit couldn't get the equalizer, though, and Winnipeg put the game away thanks to an empty-net goal by Connor with 59.5 seconds left.

--Field Level Media