By Dave Hart
LocalSportsJournal.com
Jets 4, Red Wings 1 – The Detroit Red Wings struggled to put the puck in the net for a second straight night, as the Winnipeg Jets knocked off the Red Wings on Tuesday.
Jacob Trouba led the Jets with two goals, while Andrew Ladd and Alexander Burmistrov each added a goal.
Pavel Datsyuk once again scored the lone goal for Detroit, with a third period power play strike.
Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard got shelled, stopping 10 of 14 shots. He was pulled out of the game midway through the second period.
The Red Wings are now 18-12-7 on the season, good for 43 points and fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
Detroit will head home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Year’s Eve.
Record: 18-12-7 43 pts
4th Place in Atlantic Division (3 pts behind Florida)
7th Place in Eastern Conference (13 pts behind Washington)
2 pts ahead of Tampa Bay for the last playoff spot
Magic # to clinch 25th straight playoff berth: 91 pts
Magic # to clinch Atlantic Division title: 96 pts
Magic # to clinch Eastern Conference: 108 pts
Next Game: 12/31/2015 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 6:00 p.m. @ Joe Louis Arena
Stats: Goals- Pavel Datsyuk (5). Assists- Niklas Kronwall (13), Henrik Zetterberg (22). Goaltender- Jimmy Howard L (7-5-4) 10 saves on 14 shots, Petr Mrazek 11 saves on 11 shots.
Knicks 108, Pistons 96 – The New York Knicks’ 11-point second half advantage led to a win over the Pistons on Tuesday night.
Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks with 24 points, while Derrick Williams added 18 points off the bench.
The Pistons were led by Ersan Illyasova with 19 points, while Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson each added 17 points.
Andre Drummond failed to post a double-double for Detroit, ending the night with 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Pistons are now 17-15 on the season, good for fourth place in a tight Central Division race.
Detroit will head home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on New Year’s Eve.
Record: 17-15
4th Place in Central Division (5 games behind Cleveland)
10th Place in Eastern Conference (5 games behind Cleveland)
1.5 games behind four teams for the last playoff spot
Magic # to clinch a playoff berth: 53
Magic # to clinch Central Division title: 57
Magic # to clinch Eastern Conference title: 57
Next Game: 12/31/2015 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 6:00 p.m. @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Stats: Ersan Illysova 19 points, Marcus Morris 17 points, Reggie Jackson 17 points 9 assists, Andre Drummond 13 points 9 rebounds.