Fresh off two road wins in as many days, the Winnipeg Jets will get their first taste of Western Conference hockey Wednesday when they host the Colorado Avalanche in a Central Division showdown.
The Jets return home after beating the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, both by 3-2 margins. Winnipeg rallied to score all three goals in the final 20 minutes and handed the Penguins their first loss in three games.
Cole Perfetti scored his second of the season with just under 11 minutes left. His goal came just nine seconds after Pittsburgh tied the game.
“We were optimistic that we’re a better team than we showed last year,” said team captain Adam Lowry, who got his first goal of the season with 12:52 left to give the Jets a 2-1 lead. “We want to play fast. We want to compete hard, and we want to give ourselves a chance to win every night. So, I think we’ve done that.”
Winnipeg missed the playoffs last season for just the second time since the 2017-18 campaign. Oddsmakers viewed them as underdogs to return this season, following the team’s suspension of three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck last month. He did not report to the team for training camp after demanding a trade.
In his place, the Jets have turned to former Edmonton Oilers and Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner. He’s 1-0-1 after starting the first two games with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Skinner has a 4-2-2 record in nine regular-season games against the Avalanche with a 3.31 GAA and .901 save percentage.
The Avalanche, perennial Stanley Cup favorites, have come out blazing. They have scored 14 goals in their two games, both wins, and have had a couple of days’ rest since walloping the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Saturday.
Artturi Lehkonen has scored three goals to lead Colorado early in the season. Avalanche coach Scott Bednar said the Finnish winger, 31, looks like he’s “in midseason form” on the ice.
“He looks sharp early on both sides of the puck,” Bednar said after Sunday’s win. “The best word I can think of to just describe his games to this point is just he’s relentless. He’s getting great touches on the puck to put it in areas for his teammates, and he’s always gone to the net hard.”
The Avalanche may also get some players back for the start of their two-game, two-day road trip. According to Colorado Hockey Now, Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux fully participated in Tuesday’s practice, and Bednar said after the session that he expects both players to dress for either of the road games. Colorado plays in Calgary on Thursday.
The two forwards started the season on the injured list, both with lower-body injuries.
Mackenzie Blackwood has started the team’s first two games in goal, recording a 2.50 GAA and .912 save percentage.
In 14 games against the Jets, Blackwood is 5-5-2 with a 2.74 GAA and .898 save percentage.
With a game at Calgary on Thursday, the Avalanche might turn to Scott Wedgewood for his first start of the season Wednesday. He’s 2-2-0 in five games versus Winnipeg with a 2.86 GAA and .908 save percentage.
