T.J. Hughes scored three goals and added an assist as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Friday at Ball Arena. Hughes capped a four-point outing with a late empty-net goal to secure the preseason victory.
Nino Niederreiter opened the scoring for Winnipeg on a power-play snap shot at 6:15 of the first period. Jaden Schwartz tied it for Colorado 6:07 into the second period with a tip-in, but Vladislav Namestnikov regained the lead for the Jets 1:29 later on a wrist shot. Hughes swung the game before the second intermission, tying the score at 18:28 with a wrist shot and giving Colorado a 3-2 lead on a backhand with 11 seconds left in the period.
Cale Makar pushed the advantage to 4-2 on a snap shot with 4:35 remaining in regulation, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Hughes sealed the win and finished his hat trick with an empty-net wrist shot at 19:38. Mackenzie Blackwood earned the win with 24 saves on 26 shots for the Avalanche, while Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 28 of 32 shots in the loss. Winnipeg finished 1-for-4 on the power play, and Colorado went 0-for-3.
Both teams continue their schedules in October. Colorado visits the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, October 19, at 7:00 PM ET, and Winnipeg visits the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, October 20, at 8:00 PM ET.
