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JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) saves the shot from Colorado Avalanche\u2019s Nazem Kadri (91) during first period action in Winnipeg on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Colorado falls to 44-12-9. The Jets and Avalanche will face each other two more times this season \u2014 March 26 in Winnipeg and March 28 in Denver.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we were competitive on pucks. We knew that with their talent and skill, and they come in with speed, we did a really good job of protecting the guts of the ice,\u201d said Jets head coach Scott Arniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a couple of breakdowns, but Hellebuyck was there for those. At the end of the day, I thought we did a really good job managing the game. Doing a good job of getting our five above their five and for the most part we did a strong job of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Top line shines<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s offence came from a familiar place on Saturday.<\/p>\n
That would be the top line, which has largely carried the team in that department this season. Specifically the duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, who seemingly can do no wrong regardless of whether Vilardi or, as was the case against the Avalanche, Alex Iafallo is on the right-wing.<\/p>\n
Connor gave the Jets a 1-0 lead early in the second period when he took a pass from Scheifele \u2014 who intercepted a MacKinnon drop pass in the neutral zone \u2014 and ripped a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood for his 30th of the season.<\/p>\n
Connor, who was on the gold medal team with Hellebuyck but was a healthy scratch for the final four games in Milan, is the picture of consistency. He\u2019s now hit at least 30 goals in eight of his nine full NHL seasons. The only time he didn\u2019t was during the 2020-21 campaign, which was shortened to just 56 games due to the pandemic. (He still has 26 that year).<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if everybody around North America recognizes what a great goal-scorer he is,\u201d said Arniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has an unbelievable release, and he has a knack for finding that open ice, and him and Scheifele with their chemistry, that puck comes off his stick in a hurry. It doesn\u2019t take much, he just needs a lane to get that shot off. From my history here, the four years, if you watch him in practice or you watch him in games, he is a pure goal-scorer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets players celebrate Kyle Connor\u2019s (81) goal against the Colorado Avalanche during second period action in Winnipeg on Saturday.<\/p>\n Next up was Iafallo, who took a slap shot from Scheifele to the mid-section, then spun around and buried the loose puck for his 11th of the year at 11:52 of the middle frame. Connor also had a helper on the goal, which turned out to be the game-winner.<\/p>\n The assist by Scheifele moves him to 51 on the year, which eclipses the career-high of 50 he had in 2016-17. Scheifele is also up to 81 points, just six away from his career-high he set last year. With 17 regular-season games remaining, he seems likely to set a new benchmark.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s so dialed in and he studies the game so well and he works so hard at it,\u201d Hellebuyck said of Scheifele.<\/p>\n \u201cEven over (the Olympic) break, he never got off the ice. He was on the ice the entire time just working on his craft. The way he sees the game and the vision he has and the control he has on both his forehand and his backhand, it\u2019s just bar none.\u201d<\/p>\n Praise for Perfetti<\/p>\n Another notable development Saturday was seeing young forward Cole Perfetti given the task of trying to shut down the mighty Avalanche late in the game with his team clinging to a one-goal lead.<\/p>\n Yet there he was, immediately after the Necas goal at 18:44 \u2014 and Perfetti rewarded his head coach for the leap of defensive faith.<\/p>\n Perfetti stripped MacKinnon of the puck in Winnipeg\u2019s end, then fired a long-range missile into the empty net to seal the victory.<\/p>\n His ninth of the season was nearly followed by his 10th, as Perfetti hit the post on another empty-net bid as the final seconds ticked off the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Cole earned the opportunity to be there,\u201d said Arniel, who couldn\u2019t help but take a playful shot while handing out praise.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n Colorado Avalanche\u2019s Sam Malinski (70) checks Winnipeg Jets\u2019 Cole Perfetti (91) during second period action in Winnipeg on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe he didn\u2019t get two.\u201d<\/p>\n Key play<\/p>\n Iafallo\u2019s rebound goal just past the midway mark of the second period gave the Jets a bit more breathing room and ended up being the game-winner.<\/p>\n Three stars<\/p>\n 1. WPG Connor Hellebuyck: 28 saves<\/p>\n 2. WPG LW Kyle Connor: 1 goal, 1 assist<\/p>\n 3. WPG C Mark Scheifele: 2 assists<\/p>\n Extra, extra<\/p>\n A crowd of 14,756 took in the matinee.<\/p>\n Winnipeg failed to convert on its one power play opportunity, but they managed to kill off both minor penalties they took against Colorado.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets\u2019 Alex Iafallo (9) scores on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) during second period action in Winnipeg on Saturday.<\/p>\n Ville Heinola was the lone healthy scratch for the Jets.<\/p>\n Veteran defenceman Brent Burns dressed for a 990th straight game on Saturday, which moved him past Keith Yandle and into second place all-time on the NHL \u201cironman\u201d list. Burns, 41, now trails only the retired Phil Kessel, who played in 1,064 straight games.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t The Jets don\u2019t have much time to savour this victory \u2014 they\u2019ll host the surging St. Louis Blues on Sunday (2 p.m CT). Winnipeg then wraps the homestand on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators.<\/p>\n Is Hellebuyck expecting to make a ninth straight start?<\/p>\n \u201cI hope not,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOne night off, give Coms (Eric Comrie) one. He\u2019s been working so hard, he earned it.\u201d<\/p>\n www.winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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