Avalanche power past Jets for fifth straight win

Field Level Media|published: Wed 1st January, 02:32 2025

Dec 31, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) bases the puck Winnipeg Jets left wing Alex Iafallo (9) in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Casey Mittelstadt scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 in Denver on Tuesday night.

Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews, Mikko Rantanen and Ross Colton also scored, Josh Manson and Jonathan Drouin each had two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 20 shots for Colorado, which has won five in a row.

Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari had goals and Eric Comrie made 33 saves for Winnipeg, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo limped off the ice and into the locker room after getting hit with a shot late in the third period.

The Avalanche outshot the Jets 25-17 through the first two periods before Mittelstadt deflected Manson's shot by Comrie at 7:22 of the third to break a 2-2 tie.

It was Mittelstadt's first goal since Nov. 18 at Philadelphia, a span of 19 games, and just his sixth point in 13 December games.

Comrie came off for an extra skater with 2:06 remaining and Rantanen scored into the empty net at 18:31 to ice it. Nathan MacKinnon got the assist for his NHL-best 61st point.

Colton added another empty-net goal at 19:53 to cap the scoring.

Lehkonen got the Avalanche on the scoreboard at 11:51 of the first period when he deflected Manson's shot from the point as he was being checked by Logan Stanley.

Colorado carried the play for much of the second period, but the Jets got the first goal of the frame when Morgan Barron sent a pass to the far side of the crease and Kupari tipped it over Blackwood's left pad at 10:20.

The Avalanche got the lead back later in the second. Cale Makar, who shook off a puck hitting his skate minutes earlier, passed diagonally through the slot to Toews in the left circle. Toews whiffed on his shot, getting Comrie off-balance, and then poked the puck through his pads at 16:37.

Winnipeg again tied it before the second intermission when Vilardi roofed a loose puck in the crease over Blackwood's left shoulder at 18:32.

--Field Level Media

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