Avs tie game in third period but fall to first-place Jets 17 seconds into overtime

Kyle Newman, The Denver Post on Jan 23, 2025

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

With the Western Conference’s best team in town, Wednesday presented a test for the streaky Avalanche.

Colorado flunked.

The Jets beat the Avs 3-2 in overtime at Ball Arena, using a pair of second-period goals followed by Neal Pionk’s game-winner 17 seconds into the extra frame to increase Winnipeg’s lead in the Central Division to nine points.

With 33 games left, Colorado’s nowhere near mathematically eliminated from overtaking the Jets down the stretch, but Thursday’s OT defeat only adds to the uphill climb.

In first period, Mackenzie Blackwood and Connor Hellebuyck kept the game scoreless with an array of solid saves by each goalie.

Colorado’s most notable scoring chance in the opening frame came a few minutes into the game, when the team’s struggling power play couldn’t catch a break. After a high sticking call on Winnipeg, Nathan MacKinnon’s shot went through Hellebuyck’s legs, but the puck caught enough of the leg pad to slow the shot down. It hit the post, and barely stayed out of the net.

In the second period, both offenses finally found their footing, and Colorado finally scored on Hellebuyck this season after the goalie shut out the Avs in his prior two games against Colorado this year.

Devon Toews’ pass found MacKinnon, who skated down an open vein in the middle of the defense and fired a wrister off the right post. The rebound careened right back to his stick, and the reigning MVP easily put it in the net past a diving Hellebuyck, who appeared to still trying to find the puck off the initial shot.

MacKinnon’s 19th goal of the season put Colorado up 1-0 seven minutes into the period, but the lead was short-lived.

A few minutes later, David Gustafsson’s cross-ice pass was perfectly placed to Morgan Barron, who just beat Blackwood’s back-leg kickout to put home the goal and even the game 1-1. Juuso Parssinen was too slow in coverage on Barron, and all Barron had to do was put his stick down on the ice to deflect the puck into the net.

Then with 1:16 left in the period, the Jets took a 2-1 lead and quieted the crowd. After Blackwood turned away several promising Winnipeg chances in a shift gone wrong for Colorado, the Jets finally cashed in. Josh Morrissey’s wrister went off the leg of Gabriel Vilardi, who was standing at the front left side of Blackwood, and the puck deflected into the net.

In the third, Colorado squandered several scoring opportunities before finally tying the game about seven minutes into the frame.

Mikkon Rantanen fed Cale Makar near the blue line, and Makar zoomed by a pair of defenders. He was tripped as he shot, but no matter — his slick wrister found the top right shelf. Makar slid into the boards as the lamp lit and the crowd erupted. He grimaced as he rose from the ice, the score tied at 2-2.

With about 6:30 left, Blackwood kept the game even with a pair of stellar saves, stretching to block a puck with his left skate, then blocking the rebounded shot with his lower left leg pad.

A couple minutes later, Winnipeg was called for tripping, but Colorado’s power play unit couldn’t deliver and the game went to overtime.

It didn’t take long for Winnipeg to end the game, as Pionk drilled a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle to win the game for the visitors.

________