Colorado Avalanche eliminate Winnipeg Jets, head to Round 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Mikko Rantanen scored his first two targets of the playoffs within the third interval, main the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday evening that clinched their opening-round playoff sequence in 5 video games.

Rantanen, who additionally had an help, scored twice in a span of just below 4 minutes early within the third interval to snap a 3-3 tie.

“That’s the best hockey we’ve played for five games in a row all season long,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar mentioned. “And that’s what it takes this time of year, and that’s partly our experience, I think.”

Valeri Nichushkin, Yakov Trenin, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson additionally scored for the Avalanche, who will play the winner of the sequence between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.

Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews every had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 33 saves for Colorado.

“I thought the first couple periods we were maybe a little bit too cautious,” Georgiev mentioned. (*2*)

Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 pictures.

“In the [last] two years, that’s by far the best playoff game we’ve played,” Jets coach Rick Bowness mentioned. “It didn’t go our method tonight. Couple targets went in off of us. We had some possibilities that we didn’t rating.

“Where was that in the first four games? That’s a question we’re going to have to answer ourselves over the course of the summer.”

The recreation was tied at 1 after a fast-paced first interval, and Colorado led 3-2 heading into the third.

Toffoli tied it at 3 for the Jets, who gained all three conferences through the common season. But Rantanen scored his first objective of the sport two minutes later at 4:11 to put the Avalanche up 4-3. He added his second objective at 8:01.

Manson shot into the empty internet with 2 seconds left to cap the victory for Colorado, which completed three factors behind Winnipeg within the Central Division. It was the primary time the groups confronted one another within the playoffs.

Winnipeg grew to become the primary group in NHL historical past to enable 5 or extra targets in every of its first 5 video games to start a postseason. The Avalanche outscored the Jets 28-15 through the sequence, together with 4 empty-net targets.

“You work all year to give yourself an opportunity,” Morrissey mentioned. “We had a great regular season. Out in five, it’s pretty disappointing.”

With the sport tied at 1 within the second interval, Trenin acquired his first objective and level of the sequence when his shot hit the publish and he regained the puck and flipped it into the online at 5:42 to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.

Winnipeg went on its first energy play a minute later, and Morrissey’s one-timer from the purpose blew previous Georgiev 14 seconds into the person benefit.

Lehkonen made it 3-2, however it got here when Jets defenseman Neal Pionk inadvertently knocked the puck into the online together with his stick to 6:15 left within the second.