Jets Beat First Place Avalanche in Afternoon Affair

After seven hours sitting on the tarmac in Seattle late Friday night, the league's first place team made it to Winnipeg on Saturday for the first of three games between the two clubs in a two-week span.

Yes, the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets will face off three times before March comes to a close. 

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Photo by Danny Truong

This game for Winnipeg also marked the sixth of its season-long, eight-game homestand and the first test of a back-to-back, also featuring a Sunday afternoon affair with the St. Louis Blues. 

Despite the parity between the Jets (28th place) and the Avalanche (1st place), it was Winnipeg that took control of the game early. 

Unfortunately for the Avs, their legs didn't seem to make the trip. Blame the weather, blame the plane, blame whomever you wish, but the Avalanche simply weren't able to put together the sort of performance expected of a first place team.

Following a nothing-nothing opening period, the Jets skated out to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play thanks to middle period dominated by Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. 

Scheifele collected his 50th and 51st assists of the season, while Connor earned a helper and his 30th goal of the year. That goal was a pretty three-on-two rush up ice that saw Connor place a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood. Then, Alex Iafallo tapped home a Scheifele rebound to make it 2-0 before the frame came to an end.

The home team held onto a 2-0 lead despite trailing 16-12 on the shot chart heading into the third period. 

It was major survival mode for Winnipeg in the third. Heavily out-shot, out-skated and out-hustled in the frame, the Jets managed to hang on long enough to walk away with the win.

Hellebuyck performed extremely well, making a game-saving stop on Devon Toews midway through the third period while shutting down the majority of the visitors' attack as the frame wore on.

Colorado pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker with 3:44 to go - a move that nearly paid off. 

With 1:16 to go, Martin Necas hammered home a one-timer off a perfect Nathan MacKinnon pass to bring the guests to within one goal of the Jets' lead. 

But MacKinnon later gave the puck away at the Jets' blueline, allowing Cole Perfetti to bury the insurance marker from long range.  

Hellebuyck ended the night with 17 stops on the 18 shots he faced, while Wedgewood made 25 saves on 27 pucks sent his way by the Jets. 

Winnipeg will be be right back at it on Sunday afternoon, as the Blues roll into town for a 2:00 PM matinee affair. 

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