Jets score 6 straight goals to rout Red Wings for much-needed win

Blake Wheeler snapped a 21-game goal drought and added an assist as the Winnipeg Jets showed a rare explosion of offence to earn a much-needed 6-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Friday.

The Jets went into the match scoring three or less goals in nine consecutive games, including being shut out three times.

Nino Niederreiter scored Winnipeg's other goal. Mason Appleton and Vladislav Namestnikov both contributed a pair of assists.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 shots for the Jets (42-31-3), who started a season-high five-game homestand as they try to hang on to the final Western Conference wild-card playoff berth.

David Perron and Joe Veleno scored third-period goals for the Red Wings (33-33-9), who were coming off a 3-2 win Thursday night at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Magnus Hellbert made 23 saves for Detroit, which began a three-game road trip.

Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first period and 5-0 following the second.

WATCH | Scheifele gives Jets 3-goal lead in 1st period:

Connor got things rolling when he stuck his stick out in front of the net and redirected Brenden Dillon's point shot into the net at 6:56 of the opening period.

Wheeler notched his 16th goal of the season five minutes later when he rushed the net and used a pass from Ehlers to beat Hellberg.

Scheifele scored his team-leading 39th goal of the season, which is a career-best, at 13:34.

DeMelo's goal came off a wrist shot at 1:20 of the second period was his fifth of the season and 23rd point, both career-highs.

Niederreiter scored with 6:18 remaining in the middle period. DeMelo picked up an assist.

Ehlers made it 6-0 at 5:07 of the third with a shot from the slot that went inside the post.

Detroit avoided a shutout when Perron