JETS DOMINATE AVS
Road woes continue in 6-1 rout
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA» The road woes continued for the Colorado Avalanche, dominated by the Winnipeg Jets 6-1 in their fourth and final meeting of the season.
Friday’s loss at Bell MTS Place came on the heels of a 3-0 defeat in Winnipeg just two weeks ago. The Avalanche’s road record dropped to 11-15-3.
Mikko Rantanen scored the lone Colorado goal Friday, unassisted for his 18th, with a wraparound late in the third period to avoid the shutout.
“We didn’t play our best game in the first, but we were still in the game,” Rantanen said. “Then we get a power play and a change to get it to 2-1, but then a turnover by me and it’s 3-0. It’s a tough, tough play, but I have to get over it.”
The Avs and their NHL-worst 11.7 road power-play percentage failed to convert on any of their five opportunities, including four in the second period.
Winnipeg scored a short-handed goal late in the second period off a Rantanen turnover that created a 2-on-1 rush. Andrew Copp buried Mark Scheifele’s backhand feed, going post and in to make it 3-0 Winnipeg. The Jets made it 4-0 with 28 seconds left in the second when Patrik Laine scored his NHL-leading 15th power-play goal — and 26th of the season — as the Jets went 2-for-5 with the man advantage.
“We gave up a goal on the power play, and let a few in on the penalty kill, so it was definitely a factor,” said Avs forward and Winnipeg native Colin Wilson. “I think we gave them too many chances ourselves, turning pucks over and not getting pucks out. They took advantage.”
Blake Wheeler scored twice — one coming on a 5-on-3 opportunity — while Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for the Jets.
Jonathan Bernier made 16 saves for the Avs, taking the loss, and dropping his record to 17-11-2. Semyon Varlamov entered the game to start the third period, stopping six of the eight shots he faced.
Bernier appeared to suffer an injury; former University of Manitoba goaltender and Winnipeg native Gavin McHale rushed from the press box area to suit up as an emergency backup for the Avs. Bernier’s helmet was jarred loose by Winnipeg’s Nic Petan midway through the second period.
“He got hit in the head there on a play around the net and was going in for the concussion protocol, so we put (Varlamov) in,” said Colorado coach Jared Bednar.