Colorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood, right, shoots the puck next to Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER (AP) – Kyle Connor scored twice, Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots in his 250th career win and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Thursday night.
The Jets won their third straight coming off a three-game skid. Also, third-place Winnipeg moved within two points of Central Division-leading Colorado.
Josh Morrissey finished with a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, giving him 12 points in his last nine games. Adam Lowry also scored.
Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and assist and Joel Kiviranta also scored for Colorado. Alexandar Georgiev finished with 24 saves.
MacKinnon extended his overall point streak to 10 games and home point streak to 12. It was the 223rd multi-point game of MacKinnon’s career, moving him past Peter Forsberg and into third place in franchise history.
Winnipeg never trailed and built a two-goal lead on three different occasions.
Lowry started the scoring with a buzzer-beating goal with two seconds remaining in the first period off Axel Jonsson-Fjallby’s first assist of the season. The goal was set up by an uncharacteristic giveaway by Devon Toews on a pass to MacKinnon near the Avalanche goal.
After Connor’s first goal extended the advantage to 2-0, the Avalanche cut into its deficit with MacKinnon’s 10th goal of the season. Morrissey then scored on a blistering slap shot, with Georgiev’s view obstructed by teammate Sam Malinski.
Two days after recording his 500th career assist, MacKinnon sent a backhanded pass to Kiviranta, who crashed the net and got the puck past Hellebuyck with 31 seconds remaining in the second period, pulling Colorado within a goal.
Connor added an empty-netter in the final minute to seal the win.
Hellebuyck is just the eighth U.S.-born goaltender to reach 250 wins and the eighth active goaltender to do so, regardless of nationality.
Colorado was without right wing Valeri Nichushkin, who missed his second consecutive game with an illness.
UP NEXT
Jets: At Anaheim in the second game of a four-game road swing.
Avalanche: Host Philadelphia on Saturday in the third game of a five-game homestand.
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