Cole Perfetti’s late goal lifts Jets over Avalanche
Cole Perfetti scored a go-ahead goal with 5:11 left in the third period, Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Denver to gain ground in the Western Conference playoff race.
Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist and Cole Koepke and Kyle Connor scored for Winnipeg (31-30-12, 74 points), which moved within three points of Nashville for the second wild card.
Brock Nelson and Parker Kelly scored and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 17 shots for Colorado (48-14-10, 106 points). The Avalanche's lead over Dallas, which won at Pittsburgh on Saturday, was reduced to seven points.
Colorado, which had won four in a row, has a game in hand of the Stars.
The Jets were held without a shot for half of the third period but broke the tie late when Perfetti redirected Jacob Bryson's shot from the point past Blackwood. The Avalanche challenged unsuccessfully that Jonathan Toews interfered with Blackwood.
Connor sealed Winnipeg's victory with an empty-net goal at 17:51.
The Jets struck first when Vilardi deflected Josh Morrisey's shot from the point at 3:51 of the first period. Colorado tied it on the power play when Nelson tipped Nazem Kadri's shot over Hellebuyck at 8:59.
Cale Makar also assisted on the goal, his 52nd of the season and his 500th career point. He reached the milestone in his 467th NHL game, the fourth fastest by a defenseman in league history.
Koepke gave Winnipeg the lead again early in the second period. The Avalanche turned it over in the neutral zone, Koepke skated in on Blackwood, fanned on the shot from his backhand, but it slipped between the goaltender's pads at 2:14.
Colorado got even again late in the second. Manson had the puck at the blueline, sent a shot to the net that Kelly redirected at 18:05. It was Kelly's 17th of the season, further extending his career high.
The Avalanche carried the play for the first half of the third period and had several scoring chances on an extended shift, but Hellebuyck kept the game tied.