Avalanche eliminate Winnipeg Jets from playoffs with 6-3 road win
Mikko Rantanen's first two goals of the playoffs propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday that clinched their opening-round playoff series in five games.
The Jets became the first Canadian team knocked out of the playoffs after they lost the final four games of the best-of-seven Western Conference series, duplicating their exit in last season's opening round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Jets players stayed on the ice after handshakes and saluted their whiteout crowd at Canada Life Centre with raised sticks.
Rantanen, who also picked up an assist, scored twice in a span of just under four minutes early in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie.
Valeri Nichushkin, Yakov Trenin, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews each picked up a pair of assists.
Alexandar Georgiev made 33 saves for Colorado, which plays the winner of the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights series in the second round.
It was the first time Colorado and Winnipeg met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Jets had finished the regular season in second place in the Central Division, three points up on the Avalanche. Winnipeg had swept their season series 3-0.
Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Jets. Vezina Trophy nominee Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 of the 31 shots he faced for Winnipeg.
The game was tied 1-1 after a fast-paced first period. Colorado led 3-2 heading into the third.
Connor's first goal of the game had unofficial assists by the Avalanche.
After the Jets winger shot the puck at Georgiev, Manson tried to clear it out of the crease, but it bounced off Lehkonen and into the net at 1:15.
The Avalanche didn't feel bad for too long.
Toews sent a pass across the slot to Nichushkin, who fired a one-timer past Hellebuyck for his team-high seventh goal of the series at 3:18.
The visitors outshot the Jets 13-7 in the opening period.
Trenin recorded his first goal and point of the series when his shot hit the post and he got the puck and flipped it into the net at 5:42 to go ahead 2-1.
Winnipeg went on its first power play a minute later and cashed in on Morrissey's one-timer from the point that blew by Georgiev 14 seconds into the man advantage.
Lehkonen made it 3-2, but this time it was Jets defenceman Neal Pionk who unofficially tallied the marker after the puck hit his stick and went in with 6:15 left in the middle period.
The period ended with the Jets ahead on shots 26-24.
Toffoli tied it 3-3 up at 2:06, but Rantanen recorded his first goal two minutes later at 4:11 and added his second marker at 8:01.
Manson shot into the empty net with two seconds left in the third.
DUBIOUS MARK
The Jets are the first team in NHL history to allow five or more goals in each of their first five games to begin a post-season, according to Sportsnet stats.
The Avalanche outscored the Jets 28-15 during the series, including four empty-netters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Custom baseball card released of Blue Jays fan struck in the face with foul ball
Liz McGuire, the Blue Jays fan who was struck in the face with a 110 m.p.h. foul ball last week, has been pictured on a custom baseball trading card applauding her fandom to the game.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
As Canada warms, infectious disease risks spread north
Cases of Lyme disease have now increased more than 1,000 per cent in a decade as the warming climate pushes the boundaries of a range of pathogens and risk factors northward.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Why did the French Open cancel a farewell ceremony for Rafael Nadal? And why is he unseeded?
The French tennis federation put off holding a ceremony to celebrate Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros this year, because he has said this might not necessarily be his final appearance at the tournament he has won a record 14 times.
12 people injured after Qatar Airways plane hits turbulence on way to Dublin
Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said.
NEW 'Language is identity': Indigenous Ontario legislator to make history at Queen's Park
Decades after being punished in a residential school for speaking his own language, Sol Mamakwa will hold the powerful to account at Ontario's legislature in the very same language past governments tried to bury.