The Winnipeg Jets opened their first-round playoff series with a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre on Sunday. Multiple-goal performances from Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor helped Winnipeg take a 1-0 series lead in the high-scoring opener.
A frantic first period featured six combined goals. Valeri Nichushkin scored on a wrist shot at 6:10 to give Colorado an early lead, but Josh Morrissey and Vladislav Namestnikov responded with consecutive tallies to put Winnipeg ahead. Colorado struck back when Miles Wood and Nathan MacKinnon scored 18 seconds apart to give the Avalanche a 3-2 edge. Mark Scheifele tied the game at 15:53 on a wrist shot off a feed from Gabriel Vilardi.
Lowry put the Jets ahead for good with the only goal of the second period at 8:57. He extended the lead to 5-3 early in the third period with his second wrist-shot goal of the night, followed by Connor scoring on the power play at 5:51. After Artturi Lehkonen answered with a power-play tip-in, Connor notched his second goal at 8:54 to give Winnipeg a 7-4 cushion. Cale Makar added an unassisted power-play goal and Casey Mittelstadt scored with 30 seconds remaining, but the Jets held on to secure the win.
Connor Hellebuyck earned the win by stopping 40 of 46 shots for the Jets, who were outshot 46-23 on the night. Alexandar Georgiev took the loss for the Avalanche after allowing seven goals on 23 shots. Colorado converted both of its power-play chances, while Winnipeg went 1-for-2 with the man advantage.
The victory extended the Jets overall winning streak to eight straight games, building on their three-game regular-season sweep of the Avalanche. Scheifele and Connor each finished with three points for Winnipeg, matching Makar, who recorded a goal and two assists for Colorado.
