Nathan MacKinnon also found the back of the net twice with his league-leading 47th just 13 seconds into the third period on the power play and his 48th just over three minutes later to make it 3-1 Colorado. His second proved to be the game-winner.
Winnipeg dropped two crucial points as the season winds down and they remain five points out of the playoffs. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves as his club now sits at 30-30-12.
“They’re a great team and we’ve got to turn around and now we’ve got to go into their building,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “We’re going to have to get inside and throw some pucks into the blue paint and look for some greasy goals because they do a good job of trying to keep you to the outside, as we try to do to them.”
It’ll be a mystery to determine what the Jets’ lineup will look like tonight since Morgan Barron left Thursday’s game and entered concussion protocol. Forwards Parker Ford and Danny Zhilkin were recalled Friday on emergency conditions.
Regardless of what the lineup looks like, the Jets’ mission is to grab two points as they’re entering must-win territory with just 10 games left, including tonight, and only three of those remaining at home.
Tonight marks the third time this month these two division rivals go head-to-head. Colorado currently leads the season series 2-1. Colorado took the first meeting 3-2 in regulation on Dec. 19, Winnipeg bounced back on March 14 with a 3-1 win, and Colorado regained the lead with Thursday’s outing.
Connor – Scheifele – Iafallo
Perfetti – Lowry – Vilardi
Rosén – Barron? – Lambert
Koepke – Toews – Nyquist
Morrissey – Pionk
Samberg – Salomonsson
Fleury – DeMelo
Hellebuyck
Comrie
Up next:
Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. CT on SNW.
PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS
The Toyota Tacoma is the ultimate power play. Its standard i-FORCE engine delivers more power than ever and a towing capacity of up to 6,400 lbs. It helps you take on challenging landscapes with confidence with its available Panoramic Multi-Terrain View Monitor that provides a live, underfloor view of the terrain you’re tackling. It even makes loading and unloading gear effortless with its available Power Liftgate. Whether it’s for early morning practice or weekend away games, the Tacoma is a teammate you can rely on. Visit your local Prairie Toyota dealer during Red Tag Days for limited-time offers.