DETROIT — The poor monkey never stood a chance.
When he finally lit the lamp Wednesday night against Toronto, Nikolaj Ehlers made no secret of his relief when he reached back and ripped off the imaginary primate that he's been carrying on his back over a 26-game scoreless stretch dating back to last season. He then mimed tossing the unwelcome guest into the crowd at Bell MTS Place, which seemed to recognize the enormity of the moment by giving a louder-than-usual ovation.
Although he'd recorded 11 assists during that span, it was a heck of a drought for the flashy Winnipeg Jets winger coming off a 29-goal campaign.