Avalanche score 5 goals in 3rd to rally past Jets

Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored power-play goals 2:28 apart early in a five-goal third period, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series in Denver on Friday night.

Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference quarterfinal series, with Game 4 in Denver on Sunday afternoon.

Winnipeg led 2-1 entering the third period, but two quick penalties turned the momentum. Mason Appleton went off for tripping 1:14 into the frame, and MacKinnon tied it with his second goal of the series at 2:11.

Moments later, Gabe Vilardi was given a double minor for a high stick on Devon Toews, who briefly left to get stitches. Nichushkin capitalized 2:05 into the power play with his third goal of the series.

Toews and MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist, Ross Colton, Zach Parise and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Casey Mittelstadt had three assists and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 22 shots for the Avalanche.

“All series long, everyone’s been really good, and we need that,” MacKinnon said. “When we’ve won, we’ve had everyone going, everyone contributing, not just scoring. Guys are eating pucks and playing really well.”

MacKinnon added about Mittelstadt, “He’s been unreal. It’s great to see him rise his game on the biggest stage, the brightest light.”

Mikko Rantanen had two assists and Samuel Girard had an assist in his return to the lineup after missing four games while in concussion protocol.

Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored and Connor Hellebuyck had 34 saves for the Jets.

“We were playing a great road game,” Morrissey said. “For two periods maybe they had more shots but we were doing a lot of good things to put ourselves in a position to win a game in a tough building on the road in the playoffs, and the easy story is we got into penalty trouble.

“It’s a seven-game series for a reason, Unfortunately we dropped this one tonight and Game 4 is pivotal and we need to come out here with our best game.”

Down 3-2, Winnipeg pressed for the equalizer but it led to an odd-man rush for the Avalanche and Lehkonen’s goal at 8:11, his third of the playoffs. Colton extended the lead with his first goal at 12:35.

The Jets went on the power play late and pulled Hellebuyck for a six-on-four advantage, but Toews scored into the empty net at 16:25.

Parise gave Colorado the early lead when he put a rebound through Hellebuyck’s pads at 11:18 of the first, his second of the series.

Toffoli tied it with a sharp-angle backhander off of Georgiev’s back and in at 5:03 of the second. It was his first of the playoffs.

Winnipeg took advantage of the first power-play chance of the game when Morrissey’s shot from the point went through traffic and by Georgiev at 10:50 of the second, his first of the postseason.

Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon sustained a cut on his hand from a scrum at the end of the game. Coach Rick Bowness said postgame that Dillon was being examined and it was too soon to know the prognosis.

–Field Level Media

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